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MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE – Daniel Pemberton
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
As I have mentioned in other reviews, as a child growing up in the 1980s, few television shows captured my imagination quite like He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. At the time, He-Man was a cultural phenomenon and a fixture of playground conversations across the United Kingdom. The franchise had begun life as a line of Mattel action figures launched in 1981, each packaged with a mini-comic that expanded the mythology, before being transformed into a hugely successful animated TV series by American studio Filmation, that first aired in 1983. Although the cartoon was clearly designed to promote the toys – and rarely missed an opportunity to deliver a heavy-handed moral lesson at the end of each episode – that hardly mattered to my younger self. I was completely engrossed by the adventures of Prince Adam, who became the mighty He-Man whenever he raised his enchanted sword and proclaimed, “By the power of Grayskull!”, and by his ongoing struggle to protect Eternia from the schemes of the villainous Skeletor. The show’s colorful cast of allies, including Duncan (Man-at-Arms), Teela, Orko, and Cringer – who transformed into the fearsome Battle Cat – only added to its appeal. Viewed through adult eyes today, the series is undeniably dated, with repetitive storylines, limited animation, and often simplistic writing, yet its charm endures. More than anything, it remains a source of warm nostalgia and a vivid reminder of a much-loved part of my childhood. Read more…
MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION – Bear McCreary
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
I am Adam, Prince of Eternia, defender of the secrets of Castle Grayskull. This is Cringer, my fearless friend. Fabulous secret powers were revealed to me the day I held aloft my magic sword and said… by the power of Grayskull!
When I was a kid growing up in the 1980s, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was one of my favorite cartoon shows. It was, of course, created as a vehicle to sell action figures by the global toy company Mattel, and it was exceptionally preachy, with an obvious ‘moral of the story’ coda at the end of each episode, but 8-year-old me didn’t care. I couldn’t get enough of the noble warrior Adam and his muscular alter-ego, saving his home planet from the evil Skeletor with the help of his friends – an ever-changing cast that usually included the heroic man-at-arms Duncan, his trusty steed Cringer aka Battle Cat, the magical Orko, and the warrior princess Teela. Looking back at it now with more adult eyes, it was incredibly cheesy and repetitive, badly animated, and somewhat crudely written; despite this, I have fond nostalgic memories of the show, which have stayed with me over the years. Read more…
MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE – Bill Conti
THROWBACK THIRTY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
When I was a kid, He-Man was all the rage, a staple of playgrounds the length and breadth of the United Kingdom. The franchise began as a line of toys introduced by the Mattel company in 1981, which were accompanied by mini-comic books giving each figure a backstory; this morphed into an immensely popular animated TV series which debuted in 1983, telling the story of the heroic Prince Adam, who transforms into He-Man when he holds aloft his magic sword and says ‘by the power of Greyskull,’ and his battles the evil forces of Skeletor, who wants to take over Adam’s home planet of Eternia. Naturally, a film adaptation of the story was put into production, and in the summer of 1987 Masters of the Universe opened. Directed by Gary Goddard, it starred the muscle-bound Dolph Lundgren in the leading role, with Frank Langella hamming it up in full prosthetic makeup as his bone-faced nemesis. Read more…
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