Season Review: Masters of the Universe: Revelation Part One

 

 

The original He-Man and the Master of the Universe cartoon premiered way back in 1983. For those of us old enough to remember back then, the powerful artwork and wide array of characters was a thrill compared to the other things available on television. It was not long before He-Man and the Guardians of Grayskull were everywhere, including comic books, video games, and books. The mid-80s was full of the Master of the Universe.

Unfortunately, the sword-and-sorcery theme did not help the franchise to maintain popularity. It was only a matter of years before He-Man was viewed as a cheesy ploy to sell action figures. Plus, there was the fact that other franchises like Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were finding more success at consumer-driven content. And in 1987, a terrible Masters of the Universe live-action film bombed at the box office, putting the He-Man craze to bed.

However, despite the lacklustre love for the franchise through the 90s, eventually, He-Man and company began to find a cult following from the adults that remembered the flashy original series. By the new millennium, The Masters of the Universe were seeing a resurgence with new toy lines and comic books. Still, nobody expected the outrageous characters and corny premise of the show to find any real new popularity.

Thankfully, we live in a new era of television, where literally everything you can think of has a place. It was only a matter of time before one of the hot new streaming services was going to take a swing at the classic Matell-driven series. And if there are viewers to watch, you can believe that Netflix will have a stab.

In 2019 a new Masters of the Universe animated series was announced by the king of pop culture, Kevin Smith. Best known for his live-action Jay and Silent Bob films, Smith was still not a surprise choice to produce and write our revisit to Eternia. However, his promise to tie up loose plot holes and continue the story as told in the original series was enough to get fans excited.

Still, no one expected what was about to happen when the new series final dropped.

Masters of the Universe: Revelation came out trying to do a lot of things. This was a chance to reinvigorate a franchise long thought dead and reinvent it for a mature audience and new viewers. And it is clear from the first episode that this series hit all its targets.

The premiere edition, “The Power of Grayskull”, instantly delivers everything that fans want to see. 

For the first time on screen, there is a physical battle at the doors of Castle Grayskull. All of the most memorable characters make their appearance and have a chance to showcase their individual abilities. Most exciting is the one-on-one battle between He-Man and Skeletor in a manner that has only been dreamed of. But ending the first episode with the death of Prince Adam was a telling move that this series was going to be something different.

Taking the intrigue over the top is the endless roster of talented voices. Masters of the Universe: Revelation is performed by an all-star cast. Naming everyone is near impossible, but names like Sarah Michelle Gellar, Lena Heady, Liam Cunningham, and Alicia Silverstone are enough to power any series. 

Additionally, there is a slew of Kevin Smith’s known friends joining in the fun, including Chris Wood, Justin Long, Harley Quinn Smith, and Jason Mewes. But there are some major surprises as well, including Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy sharing a scene for the first time since Batman: The Animated Series, as well as the original voice of Skeletor, Alan Oppenheimer, returning for a new role in the franchise.

The bulk of the five-episode collection features Teela and the new(ish) character Andra attempting to save a universe without He-Man. Tasked with reuniting the two fractured pieces of the power sword, the heroes face a ticking clock as Eternia runs out of magic. Without magic, the entire universe is at threat of falling apart. These powerful women will have to connect with old friends, enemies, and some surprise allies if they hope to save everyone and everything.

By tearing the entire world apart, viewers are given a chance to explore the world of Eternia once again in new eyes. With the power structure held by King Randor and Skeletor now fallen apart, all of the colourful characters of this franchise have found a new purpose and place. And the show does well to remind viewers of who the players were and are in this world.

But leave it to Kevin Smith to pull out the big pieces. Episode five, “The Forge at the Forest Forever”, plays around with the lore of He-Man in a new original light. The befallen Prince Adam now lives in the afterlife world of Pretoria. He was included in the Hall of Heroes of those that came before him, including He-Ro and King Grayskull himself. The new ideas give life to the franchise and grant the series so much more to explore.

The conclusion of the five-episode collection is a jaw-dropper. Surprise twists lead to one of the most significant moments to happen in any of the Masters of the Universe canon. A major storyline is presented for the potential second part of this series. And it is guaranteed to be even bigger than this season was.

Honestly, Masters of the Universe has no business being this good. The concept of He-Man alone is as corny as they come, and about half of the supporting characters do not fair much better. However, this five-part series managed to make not only He-Man cool again but this entire franchise. Connecting with memorable characters again is a wonderful treat for the old nostalgia brain. But finding them in a new light as an adult and being as exciting as this exceeds any hopes and expectations.

Masters of the Universe: Revelation not only deserves a second part but should be signed on to continue for years. As cheesy as the sword-and-sorcery themes may be, He-Man has earned the chance to be in the spotlight once more with this stellar new series. Outstanding performances, powerful writing, and a collection of interesting characters make this one of the best action-themed animated shows in North America.