Let’s look at Travis Knight’s director record so far:
· Kubo and the Two Strings: LOVED IT.
· Bumblebee: LOVED IT.
Setting the bar that high right out of the gate might put enough pressure on just about everyone to take a more “safe” route following those to mega-hits (who also knows a few things abo0ut visuals having been an animator on films like Coraline and The Boxtrolls), but not this guy. His choice for his third film in Masters of the Universe is definitely a throw of the dice that could have gone WAY either way, especially after the debacle of what was the 1987 live-action film, and the story there is nothing short of insane; look it up.
This time, we START on Eternia as young Prince Adam (Artie Wilkinson-Hunt) witnesses his city overtaken by the evil Skeletor (Jared Leto) and his minions led by Evil-Lyn (Alison Brie). When he is sent to Earth to hide along with the Sword of Power (which Skeletor wants to have god-like powers), he has to adjust to life in a world that does not believe in who he is. Fifteen years later, Adam (now Nicholas Galitzine) works in Human Resources as he continues to look for The Sword of Power that he was separated from when he arrived so he can make it back home. What he doesn’t know is that his destiny is so much larger than just returning to Eternia.
How do I say this?
Ho. Ly. COW, this movie is good.
Being an unashamed member of Gen X, it is great to see that we have grown up and not forgotten where we came from. I honestly believe that the reason that films like this one’s predecessor, Super Mario Bros., and Double Dragon were as not-good as they were is because the people making them did not necessarily have the connection to the source material as their target audience did. Now, the generation that was glued to its televisions each early morning and about half of a Saturday are the people making the decisions, and the difference is vast. Even though there are some exceptions, those of us “old people” that want you off of our lawns are the ones bringing the stories we love to a new generation, and this resets the bar for that level of quality. (Disney, take heed. There’s still time for you to turn this ship back around to the right direction CONSISTENTLY.) Between the Easter Eggs that are for those of us that understand more than the average bear about the brand without taking those that are not out of the story to the perfect casting across the board from Camila Mendes as Teela Idris Elba as a different take of Man-At-Arms that still woks brilliantly to Morena Baccarin as The Sorceress and even more, this works from every angle. From breathtaking visuals to a story that balances the action and (sometimes unintentional) comedy the animated series was known for, this is just over two hours that moves at the speed of light. The writing team of Chris Butler, Aaron Nee, Dave Callahan, and Michael Finch absolutely NAIL this down to some things I REALLY don’t want to spoil and including as many of the cast of characters from the original and expanded toy line as possible. THIS is how it’s done, people.
Not only can I not wait to own Masters of the Universe on 4K, I am actually going to find a way to see it again in the best cinematic presentation possible, maybe even four days after screening it. It’s THAT good. There are some adult situations and a curse word or two that earns the PG-13 rating, but don’t let that stop you from taking the family to this spectacle of adventure, heroism, and sci-fi that fits the summer movie season to a tee!
Wow. Just… wow!