Masters of the Universe (1987)
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Two teenagers on Earth must team up with a powerful warrior from another planet to stop an evil overlord from seizing a cosmic key.
The story
On the planet Eternia, the warlord Skeletor seizes control of Castle Grayskull and captures the Sorceress of Grayskull. His archenemies—He-Man, Man-At-Arms, and Teela—rescue a locksmith named Gwildor who possesses a 'Cosmic Key' capable of opening portals. After being forced to flee to Earth, the key is discovered by two teenagers, Julie Winston and Kevin Corrigan. As Skeletor's henchmen track the device to Earth, the teenagers find themselves caught in a cross-dimensional conflict. The film follows the desperate struggle to keep the key out of Skeletor's hands while the heroes attempt to navigate the dangers of both worlds.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Skeletor seizes Castle Grayskull on Eternia and captures the Sorceress. He-Man, Man-At-Arms, and Teela rescue Gwildor, who possesses a 'Cosmic Key' used to open portals. They flee to Earth, where the key is found by teenagers Julie and Kevin. Skeletor's henchmen pursue them to Earth. During a confrontation at a music store, Evil-Lyn recovers the key and summons Skeletor. He-Man is captured and taken back to Eternia as a slave. On Earth, Gwildor and the teenagers eventually open a portal to Eternia. A final battle occurs at Castle Grayskull where He-Man defeats Skeletor and restores the Sorceress. Julie is sent back to Earth in a past timeline, where she prevents her parents' death in a plane crash. In a post-credits scene, Skeletor's head emerges from a pit, declaring he will be back.
- Original title
- Masters of the Universe: The Motion Picture
- First release year
- 1987
- Runtime (minutes)
- 106
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Gary Goddard
- Writers
- David Odell · writer
- Cast and characters
- Dolph Lundgren · He-Man; Frank Langella · Skeletor; Meg Foster · Evil-Lyn; Billy Barty · Gwildor; Courteney Cox · Julie Winston; Robert Duncan McNeill · Kevin Corrigan; Jon Cypher · Man-At-Arms; Chelsea Field · Teela
- Genres
- sword and sorcery; superhero; fantasy adventure; science fiction
- Themes
- Heroism; Good vs. Evil; Sacrifice
- Premise and plot tags
- Multiverse; Time Travel; Fantasy
- Source material / true-story basis
- Masters of the Universe franchise by Mattel
- Franchise connections
- Masters of the Universe
- Reception
- The film was a critical and commercial failure, though it has since gained a cult following.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 35 · scale: 100 · review count: 10
- Awards and nominations
- Silver Scroll Award · Outstanding Achievement · Win; Worst Supporting Actor · Golden Raspberry Award · Nomination
- Production trivia
- Dolph Lundgren's dialogue was re-recorded and dubbed over original footage to meet the director's standards.; The film was marketed as the 'Star Wars of the 1980s'.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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