#486: Masters of the Universe

The new Masters of the Universe film, directed by Travis Knight, begins with a visually stunning, Lord of the Rings-esque prologue that captures the mythic grandeur of Eternia—only to devolve into a self-aware, meme-laden comedy that undermines its own potential. Adam Ball, host of Offscreen, calls the first 25 minutes a 'doddle' of cinematic excellence, praising the worldbuilding, score, and aesthetic, but laments that the film's tonal whiplash—shifting from epic fantasy to awkward internet humor—undermines its credibility. He criticizes the casting of Jared Leto as Skeletor, whose performance is buried under a poorly integrated internet-meme persona, and finds Alison Brie’s portrayal of Evelyn painfully out of sync with the rest of the cast. Despite strong leads in Camilla Mendes and Galentine, and a perfect Dolph Lundgren cameo, the film’s reliance on forced comedy and dated internet references risks making it feel dated within years. Ball argues it’s not for fans of the original franchise, but rather for newcomers who don’t mind a self-aware, low-stakes romp. In contrast, the French drama Enzo, directed by Laurent Cantet and completed by Robin Capillo after Cantet’s passing, is hailed as a quiet, emotionally resonant coming-of-age story about a 16-year-old boy’s summer romance with a Ukrainian bricklayer.