Masters of the Universe

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was a gold mine for Mattel in the early 80s. It made sense that they would try to translate that success into a feature film. Why they chose Cannon Films to make that happen remains a mystery. What we do know is that the movie bombed and was a key factor in Cannon's eventual bankruptcy. Watching the movie now, it's clear that Cannon invested some serious cash (by their standards) into the production. It's a very expensive looking low budget film filled with costumed extras and decent special effects. It's also clear that Cannon and Mattel pulled the plug early and He-Man and Skeletor's climactic battle had to be cobbled together on the fly with no money. It's not surprising that the movie disappointed audiences when it was first released. Nobody went into a He-Man movie expecting to watch the girl from that Springsteen video mourning her dead parents. Despite the film's flaws, I can appreciate it for what it is. I mean, how can you hate on a movie where Billy Barty tries to talk to a cow?

Rating: 62%

(Image from Wikipedia)