Masters of the Universe review – Amazon’s He-Man misfire

Amazon’s big‑budget Masters of the Universe revives He‑Man but mostly feels like an outdated exercise in IP mining. The film, budgeted at $200m, fails to explain why so much time and money was spent on a toy‑line premise that few modern audiences seem to care about, especially when recent hits have tended to come from properties people actively love or from original ideas.

Bumblebee director Travis Knight’s picture can’t decide whether to mock its own silliness or take it seriously, and that indecision infects every scene. There isn’t enough wink to make it a knowing parody or enough earnestness to make it a rousing adventure; the film’s four writers often seem to be working against one another, leaving lines, performances and story turns crippled.

Watching its world being built is mildly fascinating in parts, but early tracking suggests this will be one of the summer’s biggest flops.

masters of, he-man, amazon, travis knight, bumblebee, 200m budget, ip mining, toy line, tone issues, summer flop