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Masters of the Universe
Masters of the Universe
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Masters of the Universe

Masters of the Universe

1987
Sci-fi, Fantasy
1h 46m
A life-action feature film based on the popular cartoon kids show about a prince turned warrior named He-Man. (imdb)

Directed by:

Gary Goddard

Screenwriter:

David Odell

Starring:

Frank Langella, Courteney Cox, Meg Foster, Billy Barty, Chelsea Field, James Tolkan, Christina Pickles, Dolph Lundgren, Jon Cypher, Robert Duncan McNeill

Franchise:

Masters of the Universe

Genres:

Sci-fi, Fantasy, Action, Adventure

Country:

USA

Language:

English
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Masters of the Universe

1987
Sci-fi, Fantasy
1h 46m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 21.58% from 994 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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beedubBeeDub
Rated 25 Mar 2019
72
22nd
Bearing only passing resemblance to the '80s cartoon, this is a terrible movie - and an absolute hoot to watch. Frank Langella's hilariously OTT Skeletor is a wonder to behold, Dolph is a slab of unintelligible beefcake, and Courtney Cox is... there for some reason.
Rated 25 Mar 2019
yiannosYiannos
Rated 10 Apr 2018
63
54th
Criticker needs an N/A 'score' for reviewing films like M.O.T.U, Cannon's notoriously cut price adaptation of the popular cartoon. No score can accurately capture the sheer pleasure of watching this film that acknowledges its very real flaws that enhance the experience as often as they ruin it. Dolph is perfectly cast as He-Man even though he can't act, and Langella is a riot as Skeletor. The throne room is a neat set piece and there are plenty of laughs to be had, intentionally or not.
Rated 10 Apr 2018
recklessmessrecklessmess
Rated 28 Oct 2015
12
7th
My childhood ended the day I realized that my favorite action figure (and cartoon based on said action figure) was really just a doped up commie from Soviet Russia intent on murdering all of our finest washed-up boxers.
Rated 28 Oct 2015
kojilessKojiless
Rated 14 Aug 2007
20
22nd
As campy as a campy movie can get. Watch it for the cheese, which will provide you with calcium for healthy bones.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
billyshearsBillyShears
Rated 07 Dec 2022
70
53rd
If Langella is having fun, I'm having fun. An atrocious He-Man movie but a perfectly fine ... whatever that was! Lucky other universe getting the even cheaper Pyun sequel
Rated 07 Dec 2022
nobambanobamba
Rated 05 May 2019
20
4th
Terrible Conan/Star Wars clone with He-Man relegated to the background of Courtney Cox and Robert McNeill's teenagers in a small American town to save on budget. Guns instead of swords. Frank Langella apparently had a blast playing Skeletor, but the rest of the movie is bad. Fav scene: James Tolkan's Lubic wisely choosing to stay on Eternia with his beautiful lover,
Rated 05 May 2019
timecapsuleTimeCapsule
Rated 01 Apr 2018
62
52nd
Without any attachment to the toys or the cartoon, I entered free of nostalgia for the franchise. However with such a notorious reputation as a bad movie, I entered with notably low expectations. So all things considered, this "Cannon" "big-budget" B-movie adaptation of a toy-commercial is a surprisingly entertaining 80's cheese-filled-campfest kids movie. Certainly not a good movie and understandably disappointing for fans, but not the complete dumpster fire I had been led to believe.
Rated 01 Apr 2018
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 05 Sep 2016
40
3rd
Typical 80s fantasy garbage, and every little extra that deviates from the formula just makes it worse. I guess I don't remember He-man that well because I was surprised how much technology exists in this universe, which contrasts really oddly with the whole big strong guy with a sword thing. The writing is awful, the attempts at comedy are bad, Dolph is a really bad actor although he seems likable. The whole thing is a mess with the occasional ok scene. At least it's never outright unbearable.
Rated 05 Sep 2016
lookjabbaLookJabba...
Rated 20 Jul 2015
2
7th
Masters of the Universe is one of the most underwhelming films of the 80's and as a child I was completley unimpressed. This was Cannon's big chance to make something of a franchise but they handled the project terribly. Dolph Lundgren was an inspired casting choice at the time, but the powers at be got the He-Man character completely wrong. And Frank Langella's Skeletor was horribly handled also. As film adaptions, Masters of the Universe was a massive waste of potential.
Rated 20 Jul 2015
paxtonPaxton
Rated 03 Mar 2012
70
65th
Dolph Lundgren to play He-Man is one of the most inspired casting selections ever. The soundtrack is a fantastic highway robbery of every great John Williams score mashed together.
Rated 03 Mar 2012
bofbof
Rated 18 Nov 2011
8
1st
Dolph Lundgren considers it his lowest point as an actor. Dolph. Lundgren. I'm pretty sure Langella's awful Skeletor makeup was in his contract, in the hope that nobody would recognize him.
Rated 18 Nov 2011
thedenizenTheDenizen
Rated 28 Apr 2011
30
11th
Oh man. So bad. So cheese. So lame.
Rated 28 Apr 2011
frederikaFrederikA
Rated 09 Aug 2010
25
6th
I remember seeing this as a child and being infuriated over how wrong the design looked compared to the toy universe. Watching it now, I'm mostly amused by the fact that He-man (or any other one Etarnia character for that matter) is merely a supporting character and the real protagonists are the annoyingly 80s-looking teens...
Rated 09 Aug 2010
davidblastDavidBlast
Rated 20 May 2010
30
13th
I played with the toys as a kid, so I simply cannot really hate this. What the fuck do you want from me?
Rated 20 May 2010
xakkmasterXakkMaster
Rated 20 Jul 2021
38
13th
It's bad, but mostly in the entertaining and funny way.
Rated 20 Jul 2021
guy-piranhaguy piranha
Rated 25 Sep 2019
30
6th
It's atrocious as can be, and, much like the tv-series, manages to completely miss the point: the real hero always was skeletor. I mean, that guy did pretty much nothing but scheme how to beat the strongest warrior in the galaxy, which in turn mopped up the floor with him every single time. And yet he kept going. Day in, day out, got his boney ass handed to him, regrouped, tried again, rinse, repeat. What a champ. You go skeletor! One day, my skullfaced friend!
Rated 25 Sep 2019
omgfridgeomgfridge
Rated 25 Mar 2019
2
18th
Admiral how consistently terrible it is. Trash but fun.
Rated 25 Mar 2019
wwallce4prezWWallce4prez
Rated 24 Feb 2019
45
10th
This isn't as bad as its reputation says it is, but it isn't great. Frank Langella goes full Emperor Palpatine (light saber fight and all), and is fairly entertaining doing so. Dolph absolutely looks the part but has the charisma of a sack of potatoes at this point in his career.
Rated 24 Feb 2019
chemical404chemical404
Rated 13 Oct 2014
27
9th
All the ingredients for a campy funtime entertainment are there except that indefinable spark that makes it all come together. I still had a good time watching it, just had to put some effort myself.
Rated 13 Oct 2014
cagedwisdomcagedwisdom
Rated 19 Mar 2014
75
65th
Masters of the Universe is a cross between Stars Wars and Thor. For what it is, it's pretty damn entertaining in my opinion. Silly and incredibly camp fun with a surprisingly solid cast.
Rated 19 Mar 2014
pilgermannpilgermann
Rated 08 May 2013
70
52nd
Not a great film by any means but it's a lot of fun. Not sure why people are so hard on this one.
Rated 08 May 2013
luna6ixLuna6ix
Rated 24 Sep 2011
56
11th
So someone decides to take a poorly made kids cartoon show and make a big budget live action film out of it, did you really expect anything other than crap?
Rated 24 Sep 2011
mentaculusMentaculus
Rated 09 Nov 2010
8
1st
Never has so much obvious effort been put towards something so meaningless, so trivial... and most importantly, so shittastic.
Rated 09 Nov 2010
okkervilOkkervil
Rated 01 Aug 2009
60
52nd
Awful in every way, but I love this movie. A guilty pleasure and a childhood favourite.
Rated 01 Aug 2009
stainStain
Rated 30 Mar 2009
80
68th
I'm frigging astonished at how much I enjoyed this one
Rated 30 Mar 2009
gibanGiban
Rated 02 Feb 2009
80
56th
Possibly the ultimate 80s comic book / cartoon movie, cheesy as hell and its all the better for it.
Rated 02 Feb 2009
caocaocaocao
Rated 30 Aug 2008
60
20th
I think they forgot to include He-Man and friends in this movie. Still, 80's fun.
Rated 30 Aug 2008
lrampartllrampartl
Rated 14 Aug 2007
55
38th
Not bad for a weakly written adaptation of a saturday morning cartoon show. Too bad all the things that made the cartoon cool were absent from this movie.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
saucyjacksaucyjack
Rated 02 Jun 2007
45
24th
Frank Langella agreed to be Skeletor??? Did they own his soul?
Rated 02 Jun 2007
myfavchordsmyfavchords
Rated 27 Jun 2024
51
6th
This film doesn't capture the charm of the original cartoon series. The world created for this movie comes across as weird and unpleasant. The script is bad. Overall this film is a big misfire.
Rated 27 Jun 2024
forehead1forehead1
Rated 12 Jan 2022
30
11th
Despite being five years old and a huge He-Man fan on its release, this one somehow passed me by - for the subsequent 30-odd years too. Or perhaps I did see it as a kid but just completely forgot: it's certainly possible considering how interminably dull the film is for large periods. There's clearly been money and effort invested, Langella throws himself into the Skeletor role with gusto, but the rest is far too uneven, with cost-cutting apparent in the writing and amateurish acting elsewhere.
Rated 12 Jan 2022
ununniliumUnunnilium
Rated 18 Jul 2021
50
30th
There's a lot of good cheese in here, and a super fun performance by Frank Langella, but the forced-in Normal People romantic couple takes a loooooong time to get interesting, and the cop *never* does. (I did like the time-travel ending, tho.) And the character of Gwildor... feels like they tried to reverse-engineer The Dark Crystal and completely messed it up. And every time I think about him with barbecue sauce all sticking up his beard... uggggh! But um, the colorful adventure parts are fun.
Rated 18 Jul 2021
starchrisStar_Chris
Rated 31 May 2021
70
7th
-2 for shitty protagonists -1 for leaving their AWESOME setting and setpieces for the real world
Rated 31 May 2021
vv238vv238
Rated 22 Sep 2018
14
7th
Everyone involved in this mess should be embarrassed.
Rated 22 Sep 2018
menialretconMenialRetcon
Rated 30 Mar 2018
75
62nd
Skeletor is fantastic, He-Man and the other two need more character moments.
Rated 30 Mar 2018
ottott
Rated 07 Jan 2018
15
6th
the 'no to animal-food' was the highlight of this film
Rated 07 Jan 2018
glm01glm01
Rated 21 Oct 2016
47
8th
46.500
Rated 21 Oct 2016
misterlizardmisterlizard
Rated 16 Jun 2016
5
4th
Even as a preteen who loved He-Man I knew this was shit when I saw it at the time. No kid who was a fan of the show wants to see Teela and Man-at-Arms sit down to enjoy a tasty bucket of KFC in a shopping mall parking lot.
Rated 16 Jun 2016
sirstuckeySirStuckey
Rated 09 Oct 2015
20
3rd
I almost fell asleep about 6 times. Frank Langella is trying a whole hell of a lot, which speaks to what a pro he is.
Rated 09 Oct 2015
ajrafflesAJ_Raffles
Rated 14 Sep 2014
20
3rd
Painful. Still, so so painful after all these years.
Rated 14 Sep 2014
braddad68braddad68
Rated 08 Nov 2012
88
36th
Not reinventing the wheel here, but a fun movie for its genre with some good makeup and effects.
Rated 08 Nov 2012
sweekodenSweekoden
Rated 17 Dec 2011
56
39th
Loved the movie the couple of times I saw it as a child. Thought it was an epic fantasy tale that was only a small step down from, say, Star Wars. Needless to say, it does not hold up all that well to scrutiny. But it has held up (in my mind, not in terms of actual film quality) tons better than Howard the Duck, and that has to count for something! ... In any case, I actually do think it's pretty entertaining and spirited. Alright journey.
Rated 17 Dec 2011
easydiffeasydiff
Rated 12 Apr 2011
10
4th
Just bad. Doesn't respect the source material (yes, I am really saying that about He-Man), and comes off as a poor man's *Beastmaster*, as sad as that is.
Rated 12 Apr 2011
hellboy76hellboy76
Rated 25 Sep 2010
9
2nd
The movie that made me hate He-Man. Bastards.
Rated 25 Sep 2010
tonytheponyTonythePony
Rated 29 Mar 2010
33
4th
By...the...power...of...homoeroticism!
Rated 29 Mar 2010
caimancaiman
Rated 23 Feb 2010
45
11th
A childhood favorite. But boy is it hokey now.
Rated 23 Feb 2010
cinemaasiaCinema_Asia
Rated 22 Feb 2010
50
12th
Terrible but it has loads of camp value. Also Lundgren as He-man was some pretty inspired (and hilarious) casting for its time.
Rated 22 Feb 2010
portersonporterson
Rated 11 Oct 2009
58
13th
lol
Rated 11 Oct 2009
dippyblondedippyblonde
Rated 11 May 2009
50
19th
can't help but have a soft spot for films like this... It was never going to be a masterpiece but it is one of the things that I got really excited about as a child and now it is sooo funny to watch... It was have been better if it was all set in Eternia tho.
Rated 11 May 2009
catsbreathcatsbreath
Rated 02 Mar 2009
79
36th
The KEY!!
Rated 02 Mar 2009
scragglydaveScragglyDave
Rated 18 Dec 2008
50
56th
Ha guilty pleasure!
Rated 18 Dec 2008
garlonussGarlonuss
Rated 15 Oct 2008
66
18th
The story uses many clichés and the characterization is a bit 2-dimensional.
Rated 15 Oct 2008
irvinejumpirvinejump
Rated 29 Sep 2008
20
12th
I can't believe I actually PAID money to see this
Rated 29 Sep 2008
elfflameElfflame
Rated 07 Jun 2008
35
0th
A crime, really.
Rated 07 Jun 2008
imaduckimaduck
Rated 23 Oct 2007
80
34th
So bad it's good.
Rated 23 Oct 2007
bryan314bryan314
Rated 23 Oct 2007
89
78th
Thinly veiled copy of DC Comics' New Gods.
Rated 23 Oct 2007
nandorizzinandorizzi
Rated 11 Oct 2007
10
6th
Poor adaption. I liked the tv serie. Did not produce the effects needed to do something like the animation, and substituted by bizarre things. And the result is this.
Rated 11 Oct 2007
lennyneroLennyNero
Rated 07 Oct 2007
45
28th
Frank Langella is great, the rest isn't.
Rated 07 Oct 2007
dustydDustyd
Rated 16 Sep 2007
50
22nd
stupid and shoddily produced, but has its moments.
Rated 16 Sep 2007
joshk84joshk84
Rated 14 Sep 2007
61
27th
I liked He-Man when I was younger, but Dolph Lundgren and the rest of the cast was just bad, but not nearly as bad as the directing and the story. I suppose my sentimental attachment makes me like it more than it deserves.
Rated 14 Sep 2007
tma1tma1
Rated 14 Aug 2007
20
4th
just bad.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
tripleshTripleSH
Rated 14 Aug 2007
22
15th
Oh, so that's what the sound of a ball being dropped sounds like.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 14 Aug 2007
20
4th
Poor.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
phmfPhMF
Rated 14 Aug 2007
10
0th
I liked when I was a kid...but now...
Rated 14 Aug 2007
servantdagonServantDagon
Rated 27 Jan 2007
50
8th
"I'll be back!" But he never was.
Rated 27 Jan 2007
boosterBooster
Rated 04 Jan 2007
50
33rd
Gets leniency for nostalgic value.
Rated 04 Jan 2007
difontaineDifontaine
Rated 26 Dec 2006
30
4th
Oh dear dear dear dear dear dear me. If you cut this film in the middle it would have 'bobbins' written inside of it like a stick of rock. Surely even knock off Korean mass animated toy advert cartoons can do better than this. Skeletor is a difficult baddy to mess up even with woeful prosthetics. And Dolph Lumbering looks the part as He-Man. But then he spoils it by talking. And the annoying bint from Friends is in it. You really aren't supposed to cheer the bad guys on in a film like this th
Rated 26 Dec 2006

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