(courtesy IMP Awards)
SNAPSHOT
Ten-year-old Adam Glenn (Nicholas Galitzine) crash-lands on his mother’s home planet Earth, separating him from his ancestor’s Power Sword of Grayskull. Two decades later, he takes his sword back and bears the mantle of He-Man as he battles for his home planet, Eternia, fighting against the evil forces of Skeletor (Jared Leto) – and will embrace his true destiny. Masters of the Universe is directed by American producer / filmmaker Travis Knight, director of the movies Kubo and the Two Strings and Bumblebee previously, who is also the CEO of Laika Animation Studios (and director of the upcoming Wildwood). The screenplay is written by Chris Butler and Aaron Nee & Adam Nee & Dave Callaham. Adapted from the Masters of the Universe franchise created by Mattel. Produced by Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Robbie Brenner, Steve Tisch, DeVon Franklin. (courtesy First Showing)
Admittedly I was never the core demographic of Masters of the Universe, a Mattel toy line that debuted in 1982, and which spawned, as is the synergistic way of modern toymaking, animated series and movies.
By the time it came along, I was well past the playing with toys phase of my life but as someone who loves pop culture in all kinds of many and varied forms, I still watched on from the sidelines, fascinated to see the next generation finding the same kind of joy with different characters that I did in the early ’70s.
So, while I don’t have the tug of nostalgia to propel me into the cinema to see the upcoming Masters of the Universe, it does look like an escapist piece if sci-fi blockbuster storytelling and who doesn’t want that?
Masters of the Universe releases i4 June in Australia and 5 June in U.S.