Masters of the Universe

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Masters of the Universe

PG

1987

1h 45m

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

20%

Tomatometer

35 Reviews

41%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

When the evil Skeletor (Frank Langella) finds a mysterious power called the Cosmic Key, he becomes nearly invincible. However, courageous warrior He-Man (Dolph Lundgren) locates inventor Gwildor (Billy Barty), who created the Key and has another version of it. During a battle, one of the Keys is transported to Earth, where it is found by teenagers Julie (Courteney Cox) and Kevin (Robert Duncan McNeill). Now both He-Man and Skeletor's forces arrive on Earth searching for the potent weapon.

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Critics Consensus

Masters of the Universe is a slapdash adaptation of the He-Man mythos that can't overcome its cynical lack of raison d'etre, no matter how admirably Frank Langella throws himself into the role of Skeletor.

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Johanna Steinmetz

Chicago Tribune

Jul 11, 2014

2.5/4

Everyone knows how the battles will turn out. It`s what's between them that raises Masters Of The Universe ever so slightly above the mediocre.

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Desmond Ryan

Philadelphia Inquirer

Jul 11, 2014

1/4

With Masters of the Universe -- the latest numbskull entertainment from the creators of Castle Greyskull -- He-Man makes the transition from animation to live action. Taking a live actor along for the ride might have helped.

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Michael Wilmington

Los Angeles Times

Jul 11, 2014

A misfiring, underdone epic that takes its inspiration not from life or literature, but from a toy line and the cartoon series it inspired.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Oct 7, 2026

1.5/4

Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, the Cannon Group head honchos who never found a property they couldn’t cheapen (see: Superman IV: The Quest for Peace), probably weren’t the right guys to oversee this.

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Jeff Beck

The Blu Spot

Sep 15, 2026

3/5

Obviously it's not something that's meant to be taken all that seriously, and with its silly nature & pervading charm (on top of a great turn from Langella), there's actually a fair amount of fun to be had.

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

Jul 27, 2026

3/10

It seems to me an almost textbook example of how to turn a cultural phenomenon of toys and cartoons into a mediocre, erratic and, above all, boring fantasy action product. [Full review in Spanish]

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Fifty T

@RT01421419 1 day ago

The Cosmic Key to 80s Cheese Masters of the Universe remains a gloriously campy artifact of the 80s, earning a nostalgia-fueled 6.5/10 today. Watching it decades later, the low production values and suspiciously Star Wars-adjacent tropes are glaringly obvious... qualities that left my teenage kids cold but provided me with a hilarious "so bad it's good" experience. While the costumes look increasingly cheap and the Earth-bound plot is a blatant cost-cutting measure, Frank Langella's Shakespearean Skeletor is genuinely magnetic. Dolph Lundgren looks the part, even if his performance is as wooden as the sets. It is a jaded, clunky, and utterly charming piece of cinematic history that thrives on its own absurdity. If you can embrace the cheese and look past the shoestring budget, it's a delightful, nostalgic riot.

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Carlos T

@RT67858720 4 days ago

⭐ Minha nota: 4,5/10 — referente ao cinema. Uma produção que carrega o peso de uma grande nostalgia, mas que não consegue transformar essa lembrança em um bom espetáculo cinematográfico. He-Man merecia muito mais. O desenho conquistou gerações, mas suas adaptações para o cinema ainda não conseguiram reproduzir a magia de Eternia.

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Robert P

@Superbad 4 days ago

Master of the Universe is a *2* star Movie!

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B P

@Bradster69 Sep 3, 2026

Not Bad, but Not My Favorite

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Vincent S

@Vin_E_At_The_Movies Aug 18, 2026

This was not as bad as I expected but definitely not good. I mean it’s Cannon. Some of the acting is actually good including an outstanding Frank Langella who elevates this from trash. It is just too cheesy but it does have energy. It doesn’t sit still which is kind of good. This is way better than 1986 Howard the Duck but no 1980 Flash Gordon.

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Jelisije J

@jjosifovic Aug 12, 2026

A cheesy corny movie that gave it its all with the limitation of the time it was created and they did a commendable job where other movies wth the same limitations couldn't care less.

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Gary Goddard

Director

Dolph Lundgren

He-Man

Frank Langella

Skeletor

Meg Foster

Evil-Lyn

Courteney Cox

Julie Winston

James Tolkan

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Synopsis

When the evil Skeletor (Frank Langella) finds a mysterious power called the Cosmic Key, he becomes nearly invincible. However, courageous warrior He-Man (Dolph Lundgren) locates inventor Gwildor (Billy Barty), who created the Key and has another version of it. During a battle, one of the Keys is transported to Earth, where it is found by teenagers Julie (Courteney Cox) and Kevin (Robert Duncan McNeill). Now both He-Man and Skeletor's forces arrive on Earth searching for the potent weapon.

Director: Gary Goddard
Producer: Yoram Globus, Menahem Golan
Screenwriter: David Odell
Distributor: Cannon Films, Warner Home Vídeo
Production Co: Cannon Group, Edward R. Pressman Film Corp., Golan-Globus
Rating: PG
Genre: Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 7, 1987, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $16.3M
Runtime: 1h 45m
Sound Mix: Surround

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