Kevin Smith, the reknown director of Mallrats, Clerks, Dogma and various Jay and Silent Bob movies, is a bonafide He-Man fanboy. In 2021, he was given the keys to Mattel's Masters of the Universe Grey Skull Castle and created Masters of the Universe: Revelations. The 10 part series aired on Netflix and was an interesting show that tries some daring things. It featured He-Man but he is not the main focus of the series as he was taken out of the equation pretty quickly. Instead what we had was an intriguing character study of those left behind with a special emphasis on Teela.
I thought it was a brave move that expanded on the lore and motivations of the stable of characters but knew it would upset some of the fanboys who were looking for a more action-oriented, boys-own adventure featuring the main man, He-Man. Similar to Batman: The Dark Knight Rises, the focus of the story was on deconstructing the idea of what a hero is, looks like and does. The fellowship rallys after falling apart and takes on Skeletor and his army, seeing Adam and He-Man return in dramatic fashion. The show ended on a huge cliffhanger as Skeletor is defeated and possessed by Motherboard and Hordak.
MOTU: Revolutions sees the story continue from where we last left it; He-Man and his fellowship go to Subternia, the Eternian version of hell, to regain the souls of his fallen friends Fisto and Clamp Champ. They hope to revive Preturnia, their version of Heaven, to allow the souls of all the fallen (and gravely ill King Randor) to ascend. They succeed in regaining the two souls but upset the Scare Glow, the Hades like figure of the underworld, who vows revenge.
Teela, who is now the Sorceress, wants to revive Preturnia but needs to go on a mission for 3 maguffins that will synthesise the magic of the world into one. Meanwhile, Skeletek, the Hordak hacked Skeletor, becomes an acolyte and recruits new members to the Horde Army, giving them a Motherboard glow up as part of the recruitment process to take over and leech the magic of Eternia for their own nefarious purposes. However, the complex origins of Skeletor is revealed and it seems he is more connected to the royals of Eternia than first thought. Throw in some Techno Titans, high tech mech creatures revived from Eternia's past, doing battle with the people of Eternos and we have a heck of a series where various storytelling strands weave and intertwine in intriguing ways.
There is strong character development, especially of Prince Adam who becomes King after his father dies. Can he manage the intricacies of diplomacy that Kingship requires whilst balancing the role with He-Man? Evil Lyn shows growth as an anti-hero but, once again, Teela bears the heavy burden as her responsibilities as Sorceress and love for Adam conflict.
The final battle is suitably dramatic and ends on a note of optimism with democracy declared in Eternia. There is also a stinger at the end hinting at another season, which I hope happens as this has been a great show moving along at a cracking pace. To all the naysayers I’d say, give it a chance as it is more intelligent and nuanced that the original series with much better characterisation. I enjoyed my time and look forward to the next season (if we are so blessed).
LINK- She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Complete Season 1 Review
LINK- She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Complete Season 2 Review
LINK- She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Complete Season 3 Review
LINK- Gravity Falls Complete Series Review
LINK- Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated Complete Series 1 Review
LINK- Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated Series 2 Review
LINK- ‘Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire’
LINK- The Rise of Retro Gaming During Covid
LINK- Blood, Sweat and Pixels- Book Review