It is a real shame MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE turned into a box-office dud, because this is exactly the kind of big, goofy, colorful summer popcorn movie that would have been a blast with a packed crowd.

I missed it in theaters back in June, and that bums me out. This feels like a big-screen Saturday-afternoon sugar rush: loud, silly, muscular, and fully aware that the He-Man universe is, and always has been, ridiculous. That is not an insult. That is the point.

The story follows Prince Adam, who has been separated from Eternia for years and is pulled back into his true destiny when the Sword of Power leads him home. Eternia is under threat from Skeletor, and Adam has to join forces with Teela, Duncan/Man-At-Arms, and the rest of the gang to become He-Man and protect his world.

That sounds very serious when you type it out. Thankfully, the movie knows better.

The tone is what saves this. He-Man was goofy in the 1980s, and I am happy the filmmakers did not try to sand that down into some grim, self-serious sci-fi action epic. Instead, this has more of a 21 JUMP STREET and 22 JUMP STREET vibe: affectionate, self-aware, and willing to wink at the inherent absurdity without treating the whole thing like a joke. That is a tricky needle to thread, and I think the movie threads it.

Nicholas Galitzine makes a solid Adam/He-Man, Camila Mendes brings energy as Teela, Idris Elba is exactly the kind of sturdy presence you want as Duncan/Man-At-Arms, and Jared Leto’s Skeletor works better than I expected in a movie that knows it is playing in a toy-box universe. Not going to lie, though, it was hard to really embrace his Skeletor with all of the sexual assault allegations levied against him. At any rate, the cast seems to understand the assignment: commit to the bit, but do not act like the bit is beneath you.

There are also a lot of PG-13 innuendos flying around – jokes about fisting, ramming, head, and all the other things that make you realize this probably is not aimed at the tiny-kid crowd. This is more for the people who watched the 1983 cartoon, grew up with the toys, or stuck with the broader MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE world through its many spin-offs, reboots, and strange little corners.

And honestly? I had a great time.

Would I watch it again? Absolutely. Am I sad it did not connect more theatrically? Yep. Because for all its goofiness, this movie understands what it is. It is not trying to be DUNE. It is not trying to be prestige sci-fi. It is trying to give He-Man fans a fun, self-aware, big-hearted adventure with muscles, magic swords, dumb jokes, and just enough sincerity to make the silliness work.

By the power of Grayskull, that is enough for me.

Grade: B

Check out the trailer below, listen live to the KVNU For The People Movie Show today, or check back later for the podcast.