Nicholas Galitzine's Masters of the Universe has the power to declare an all-time Rotten Tomatoes record.
With the first 46 reviews dropped, Masters of the Universe currently has a solid 74% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Masters of the Universe Movie Adaptations Rotten Tomatoes Critics' Score Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score The Secret of the Sword (1985) 60% 80% Masters of the Universe (1987) 21% 41% Masters of the Universe (2026) 74% N/AMost critics agree that Travis Knight's iteration delivers on the nostalgia of the iconic 1980s franchise, filled with a fun adventure, plenty of action, and fantastical elements.
Overall, the new adaptation is clearly a setup from Lundgren's version, which was marred by negative reviews and had a 21% Rotten Tomatoes score.
Finally, in 2024, a Masters of the Universe movie finally made progress with Galitzine helming the iconic character, while Knight took over directing duties.
Nicholas Galitzine's Masters of the Universe has the power to declare an all-time Rotten Tomatoes record.
After the Masters of the Universe franchise solidified its reputation through Mattel's toys, comics, and the iconic TV series, there have been just two movies in history, which are The Secret of the Sword and the famous 1987 live-action adaptation starring Dolph Lundgren as Prince Adam/He-Man. Now, four decades later, Amazon and Mattel gamble on a brand-new live-action Masters of the Universe movie starring Galitzine as the notable hero, and the results prove to be worthwhile.
With the first 46 reviews dropped, Masters of the Universe currently has a solid 74% score on Rotten Tomatoes. If that rating holds, the 2026 adaptation would easily become the highest-rated movie in the entire franchise, beating out The Secret of the Sword's 60%. Meanwhile, it doesn't outperform the TV shows, since the original series has a 100% while Netflix's Masters of the Universe: Revelation carries a 95%.
Masters of the Universe Movie Adaptations Rotten Tomatoes Critics' Score Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score The Secret of the Sword (1985) 60% 80% Masters of the Universe (1987) 21% 41% Masters of the Universe (2026) 74% N/A
Most critics agree that Travis Knight's iteration delivers on the nostalgia of the iconic 1980s franchise, filled with a fun adventure, plenty of action, and fantastical elements. However, there is a split concerning the movie's silliness, as it struggles to find a balance with its more grounded narrative. Meanwhile, Galitzine's performance has struck the critics in a good way by portraying the duality of He-Man's heroism and Prince Adam's emotional core and charm.
Jared Leto as Skeletor in He Man Masters of the Universe
In ScreenRant's Masters of the Universe review, Molly Freeman praised Knight's direction for "managing to strike a delightful balance between tongue-in-cheek nods to the cartoon and a grounded story about characters trying to do what's right," which was enough to bring a "big, bombastic fantasy adventure that's worthy of the franchise's legacy."
Furthermore, Freeman emphasizes that Galitzine won her over since he "gives Adam a genuine sweetness that directly challenges the ideas of masculinity characters like He-Man seemed to uphold for so long." While the one main criticism was "how derivative it feels at times," the movie was awarded a solid 8 out of 10 stars as it "has the potential to be the movie of the summer."
Overall, the new adaptation is clearly a setup from Lundgren's version, which was marred by negative reviews and had a 21% Rotten Tomatoes score. These issues include stiff performances, a lack of fan-favorite characters, and awkward direction, alongside not being faithful to the original series. As a result, the 1987 movie became a box office failure with just $17.3 million, and a sequel was cancelled, but it eventually grew a cult following over the decades.
Since then, there haven't been any more Masters of the Universe movies for over four decades, despite attempts to reboot the franchise. The project has been in development hell since 2007, as many studios tried to move the project forward, which even included a rumor with Netflix involved. Finally, in 2024, a Masters of the Universe movie finally made progress with Galitzine helming the iconic character, while Knight took over directing duties.
Despite a reported $170 million budget, box office projections indicate a $35 million debut for the fantasy movie, while facing off against the sixth Scary Movie installment. However, the hype for Masters of the Universe may improve now that the first reviews are generally positive and proving to be the best movie adaptation in the franchise.
Alongside Galitzine, the Masters of the Universe cast features Camila Mendes as Teela, Jared Leto as Skeletor, Allison Brie as Evil-Lyn, Morena Baccarin as Sorceress, and Idris Elba as Man-At-Arms. The movie follows Prince Adam, who has been away from his home planet for 15 years. As he witnesses Eternia being taken over by Skeletor, he tries to save the world and reclaim his family legacy with the help of allies like Teela.
Masters of the Universe will be released in theaters on June 5, 2026.
