Masters of the Universe (1987)
Masters of the Universe is a 1987 action movie directed by Gary Goddard, with a running time of 1h 46m. It stars Dolph Lundgren, Frank Langella and Billy Barty.
Skeletor has seized Castle Grayskull and the Cosmic Key, holding the Sorceress prisoner while he waits for the power to rule all of Eternia. Then the Key slips through a portal and lands in small-town America, where two teenagers stumble onto it. He-Man, Man-At-Arms, and Teela follow, and the war for the universe spills onto suburban streets. Dolph Lundgren swings the sword; Frank Langella plays Skeletor with unexpected gravity. Cannon Films' 1987 adaptation of the Mattel toy line trades Eternia for Earth on a tight budget, and has aged into a fond piece of sword-and-sorcery kitsch.
Quick answers
What is Masters of the Universe about?
Skeletor has seized Castle Grayskull and the Cosmic Key, holding the Sorceress prisoner while he waits for the power to rule all of Eternia. Then the Key slips through a portal and lands in small-town America, where two teenagers stumble onto it. He-Man, Man-At-Arms, and Teela follow, and the war for the universe spills onto suburban streets. Dolph Lundgren swings the sword; Frank Langella plays Skeletor with unexpected gravity. Cannon Films' 1987 adaptation of the Mattel toy line trades Eternia for Earth on a tight budget, and has aged into a fond piece of sword-and-sorcery kitsch.
When was Masters of the Universe released?
Masters of the Universe was released on 7 August 1987.
How long is Masters of the Universe?
Masters of the Universe runs 1h 46m.
Who made Masters of the Universe?
Masters of the Universe was directed by Gary Goddard.
Where can I watch Masters of the Universe?
Masters of the Universe is available on MGM+, Prime Video, Amazon Freevee, Kanopy, Pluto TV and The Roku Channel.
Where to watch Masters of the Universe
Stream: MGM+, Prime Video
Watch free: Amazon Freevee, Kanopy, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, Tubi TV, YouTube
Rent: Amazon, AppleTV, Fandango at Home
Buy: Amazon, Fandango at Home
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A few thoughts on Masters of the Universe
Fans should go back to the source in the 1980s cartoon He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, where Eternia is bright and boundless, then try Kevin Smith's darker continuation Masters of the Universe: Revelation. For the same barbarian-and-magic swagger in a controller, the arcade brawler Golden Axe sends muscled heroes hacking through a doomed kingdom.
So-bad-they're-good 80s sword-and-sorcery movies
Masters of the Universe drags Skeletor's war for Castle Grayskull into a tight Cannon Films budget, and it has aged into pure sword-and-sorcery kitsch. The Flight of Dragons, The Dungeonmaster, The Barbarians, Conquest, and Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time share that same cheap, earnest swagger: barbarians, wizards, and low-budget effects played with total sincerity.
Superhero movies where god-level power decides a world's fate
Dolph Lundgren's He-Man has to stop Skeletor from claiming the Cosmic Key and ruling all of Eternia, stakes that echo through these superhero ensembles. Avengers: Infinity War, Justice League, Black Adam, Eternals, and Guardians of the Galaxy all turn on a being or artifact powerful enough to remake a whole world, with ordinary heroes standing in the way.
More He-Man, other 80s toy-line fantasy worlds
This 1987 film only scratches the surface of Eternia, the toy line's own cartoon and its modern sequel go much further into He-Man's world. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983) and Masters of the Universe: Revelation carry the original mythology forward, while Golden Axe channels the same sword-swinging arcade spectacle and Transformers shows another 80s toy line getting its own big-budget makeover.