5/7 🪩🪩🪩🪩🪩
While the hype is real and I definitely found it to be a fun ride, two big things stood out to me. First, why was there no barrier in the cop car when he grabbed the sword? Second, why did we not (dare I say it) get more Skeletor scenes? I get that the movie is poking fun at itself, but at times I wondered how much of the camp was intentional and how much just tipped over into extra cheesy. Still, it was fun, colorful, and absolutely feels like a big summer movie. I’ll probably end up watching it a few more times, but part of me is also wondering if some of the online love is being amplified a little too hard. Bots or true fans? I enjoyed it, but I’m not fully convinced it’s the supreme superhero movie of the year.
The lore was interesting, and it had me trying to think back to my childhood to remember what I might be forgetting from the cartoons. I have a feeling I missed a lot of Easter eggs along the way, but I did appreciate the tributes to earlier iterations of the franchise. There was clearly a lot of love for the source material, and that made the world feel more meaningful than just another reboot. I really do hope this gets a sequel within the next decade, and honestly, I’m rooting for it.
The music was fun, though not necessarily stellar. A few scenes could have used a more vibes, especially the highway sequence, which felt like it was missing some extra mood or intensity. Overall, though, the score did its job. I do wonder if they fully took advantage of the IMAX sound, because I expected a little more impact in some moments. I did love the Rock songs. Rock on!
Visually, the movie was mostly polished, but there was some CG in the beginning that could have used more work. It made me wonder how these big films are divided up between teams. Do certain teams work on scenes from beginning to end, or do some sequences get more time and polish later in the process? It feels like a trend I’ve noticed lately, where some moments look stunning and others feel a little unfinished. To be fair, adapting this kind of world for multiple screens, formats, and resolutions cannot be easy. Seeing it in IMAX definitely revealed more detail than I probably would have noticed in a standard theater. That said, I do wonder why they didn’t use the full IMAX aspect ratio in key scenes the way The Mandalorian and Grogu. Maybe it was my theater, or maybe it just wasn’t a true IMAX presentation, but I expected the visuals to open up a bit more.
The performances were fun overall. Nothing felt groundbreaking, but everyone seemed to understand the assignment. Nicholas Galitzine was great, although I do have to laugh at the idea that at the beginning of the film we were supposed to ignore the very obvious muscles hiding under all that baggy clothing. But once He-Man appeared in his full glory, it really was the stunning glow-up we all wanted. Wowzers.
Overall, this was a colorful, entertaining, and very watchable franchise revival. It’s not perfect, and I do think the hype may be a little inflated, but there’s enough charm, nostalgia, and visual fun here to make it work. I had a good time, I’m thrilled it exists, and I would absolutely show up for a sequel.
Emotion: 5/7
Editing & Story: 6/7
Visuals: 5/7
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