Masters of the Universe (1987)
August 7, 1987 in theaters
When the evil Skeletor finds a mysterious power called the Cosmic Key, he becomes nearly invincible, seizing Castle Grayskull and the surrounding city. The Sorceress is now Skeletor's prisoner and he begins to drain her life-force as he waits for the moon of Eternia to align with the Great Eye of the Universe.
Cast
Director
QUOTE
"By the power of Grayskull."
DID YOU KNOW?
Dolph Lundgren was cast directly after Rocky IV -- the studio wanted someone with an established action presence.
THE VERDICT
Synthesized from published reviews
A mid-budget fantasy adaptation that arrived when the He-Man property was at peak cultural saturation, then largely abandoned the source material's colorful aesthetic for something more grounded. Dolph Lundgren has the physicality the role requires and Frank Langella's Skeletor is genuinely imposing. The film's Earth-bound second act is a miscalculation, but the production design in the limited Eternia sequences shows what a more ambitious version might have achieved. A flawed adaptation that has aged into a cult object.
GALLERY
