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‘Masters of the Universe’ |
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Written by Larry Clow
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Wednesday, 30 August 2006 |
Canon Group, 1987
starring: Dolph Lundgren, Frank Langella, Courtney Cox and James Tolkan
directed by: Gary Goddard
the plot: A short time ago in Eternia, a planet in a galaxy not so far away, the villainous warlord Skeletor (Langella) battled with the forces of He-Man, champion of Eternia. Skeletor triumphed, and He-Man and his compatriots were accidentally transported to Earth by way of a mystical device called the Cosmic Key. On Earth, the Key makes its way into the hands of Julie (Cox), a teenage girl still reeling from the unexpected death of her parents. Meanwhile, Skeletor has sent his own minions to Earth in search of the Key, with which he will be able to conquer the entire galaxy. He-Man and his pals come to the aide of Julie and her boyfriend and find an unexpected ally in Lubic (Tolkan), a crusty old police detective who thinks the Cosmic Key is just a stolen Japanese musical instrument. When Skeletor transports He-Man and friends back to Eternia for a final battle, it’s up to Julie and her boyfriend to help save the universe.
why it’s good: The Saturday morning cartoon “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” was a fairly lame rip-off of Conan. The live-action version of “Masters” is similarly derivative, borrowing heavily from “Star Wars,” “Krull,” and every other sci-fi/fantasy movie of the 1980s. But “Masters” is still pretty awesome, and is a B-movie trivia goldmine. Frank Langella turned Skeletor, who in the cartoon was a whiny, incompetent villain, into a fairly scary bad-ass with some great lines. Dolph Lundgren makes a decent action hero, though hearing him stifle his Swedish accent with every line of dialogue is pretty painful. “Masters” is most notable for featuring Courtney Cox in one of her early roles, but it also boasts a formidable supporting cast, including Tolkan, who starred as Principal Strickland in the “Back to the Future Series,” Meg Foster from John Carpenter’s “They Live” and Hollywood legend Billy Barty.
why you should own it: If you grew up in the 1980s, “Masters” deserves a place in your library. However, try to find a cheap copy: Warner Home Video’s DVD features commentary by director Gary Goddard and nothing else.
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