Hollywood's embrace of '80s nostalgia continues with the release of the long-awaited, semi-live-action remake of Masters of the Universe. Based on a fantasy cartoon and comic book series, the film is a well-known property that has never successfully transitioned to the live-action realm. Despite this, the new movie is set to play in theaters and hit Prime Video, marking a significant moment in the franchise's history. The original 1987 film, a Hail Mary attempt to boost toy sales, was a box office flop, making less than the animated The Care Bears Movie of 1985. The new version, however, is expected to outgross its predecessor, despite being decades removed from He-Man's commercial peak. This raises the question: What was the reason for the original film's failure during the actual '80s? The answer lies in the film's production context. Cannon Films, known for action and semi-exploitation movies, ventured into the big-budget fantasy game just as the genre was becoming outdated. The world was four years away from the release of Return of the Jedi, and the biggest summer movies were action-packed cop films like Beverly Hills Cop II and The Untouchables. The '80s audience had moved on from lavish fantasies, and Masters of the Universe was a victim of this shift. The new film, while set in contemporary times, winks at and revels in its '80s-ness, with a soundtrack filled with period hits and a bright, garish color scheme. However, the teenage-couple plot never effectively dovetails with the He-Man story, and Dolph Lundgren, who plays Prince Adam, seems checked-out. The original film, despite its flaws, had a certain charm and authenticity to its '80s aesthetic, which is now seen as a nostalgic kick. The new movie, while more coherent and better-acted, is puffed up with knowing fandom, marking a difference between the two eras. The question remains: Have audiences and filmmakers become less demanding, or are they simply demanding more at a greater expense? Only time will tell if the new Masters of the Universe will reverse the curse of the original '80s bomb.
