MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION Review - Kevin Smith's Revival Takes The Story In A Bold New Direction

Masters of the Universe: Revelation Part 1 will be available to stream on Netflix from this Friday, and you can find out what we made of Kevin Smith's take on the classic animated series right here...

Review Opinion

By MarkCassidy - Jul 21, 2021 07:07 AM EST

Filed Under: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

If you grew up in the '80s, there's a very good chance you were a He-Man fan. The Saturday morning animated series was based on a best-selling Mattel toy line, and followed the adventures of a muscle-bound warrior who, along with his various allies, fought to protect the secrets of Castle Grayskull from Skeletor and the forces of Snake Mountain.

If you watched an episode now, chances are you'd find the whole thing more than a little silly, but for an entire generation, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is fondly remembered as a captivating introduction to the world of sci-fi/fantasy.

Kevin Smith's Masters of the Universe: Revelation serves as a sequel (of sorts) to the classic series, as Skeletor continues his attempts to overthrow Grayskull and defeat He-Man once and for all. But whereas the original show took a "rinse and repeat" approach to He-Man foiling the villain's schemes, the first episode makes a bold narrative decision which takes the story in an entirely new and unexpected direction.

This will hardly be considered a spoiler at this stage, but yes, Teela does wind up emerging as the main focus of this show. Prince Adam's protector was one of the few major characters to be kept in the dark about her charge's secret identity, and Revelation deals with her reaction to learning the truth.

How Masters of the Universe: Revelation Updates He-Man for 2021

Teela abandons her responsibilities as the King's new Man at Arms, and when we catch up with her some time later, she's working as a mercenary with Andra (a brand-new character). However, a plea from the now diminished Sorceress forces her to rejoin old friends - and a few foes - on a mission to restore magic to Eternia.

Some are bound to take issue with this, but it really was the smartest decision Smith and his team could have made. He-Man is an all-powerful archetype, and while that worked for the basic premise of the '80s show, it simply makes more sense to spotlight the more well-rounded - and, let's face it, far more interesting - Teela for this revival. Also, it's not like He-Man/Adam is completely absent (it'd give too much away to elaborate, but he's still an important aspect of the story).

From a tonal standpoint, Revelation is undoubtedly more "grown-up" than its predecessor. That's not to suggest that it's unsuitable for kids, but it is a little darker, and explores more adult themes. We also say goodbye to a few beloved characters, and while we don't know for sure if those deaths will stick, they certainly pack a wallop in the moment.

The show does still retain a sense of fun, though, and Smith doesn't completely abandon the wholesome kitsch of the original. As for the voice-cast, Buffy alum Sarah Michelle Gellar does most of the heavy lifting as Teela, but pretty much everyone is on-point - though some may feel Mark Hamill channels a little too much of his Joker as Skeletor!

Masters of the Universe: Revelation retains much of the hokey charm of the '80s cartoon, while introducing some much-needed dramatic heft. Some old-school fans may not be overjoyed with the story choices, but most would agree that this franchise was in need of a fresh coat of paint, and the show succeeds in adding new dimensions to its characters.

The first 5 episodes ("Part 1") will be available on Netflix from this Friday, and if you were one of those kids glued to his TV all those years ago, we highly recommend checking it out.

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19 Comments

LiteraryJoe - 7/21/2021, 8:03 AM

I'm sure this will do really well but I wish they would have given Oppenheimer a chance to reprise Skeletor. I get that he's in his 90s, but if you're replacing him anyway then you could replace him if he died, however, his health is great and he's still a working voice actor, and he still leaves Skeletor voice-mails for fans.

Hammil is a legend but I think if he and Smith weren't friends it might be different. Smith usually seems to respect those who preceeded him in his profession.

Anyways, here's hoping everyone enjoys it!

EZBeast - 7/21/2021, 8:15 AM

I wasn't even the biggest he-man as a kid but I absolutely loved the trailer so I can't wait to check this out!

AnthonyVonGeek - 7/21/2021, 8:19 AM

Andra is not a new character. She’s another ginger that’s been changed.
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTzrnCnaHoTlQzZp_YScVy2w-7YWsD8hhiN0A&usqp=CAU

CorndogBurglar - 7/21/2021, 8:43 AM

@AnthonyVonGeek - Geez....they're even changing gingers in animation?

storyteller - 7/21/2021, 8:29 AM

Not sure how He-Man and Prince Adam can't be far more interesting(I thought they worked well in the 2000's show) but it's a good thing if your supporting characters are more then wallpaper.

If Eternia can't survive without He-man, then maybe Eternia shouldn't exist.

globaltravels - 7/23/2021, 3:54 AM

@storyteller - now its He-ma'am

JonC - 7/21/2021, 8:39 AM

Teela, the more "rounded"... duh!

thundershocked - 7/21/2021, 11:29 AM

IGN's review is also up. "Basically, this is Teela's show".

Sorry for you he-man fans. Why do this? They already have a She-ra show. Makes me worry about Netflix's tmnt. I can hear it now.

"We really wanted to flip the story on it's head and explore April's journey. What if she has to stop shredder and save the turtles. How does she deal with that burden"

louielouie51 - 7/21/2021, 8:24 PM

Smith is full of crap and lied boldface on his show along with his guests who lied with him. This article is garbage also….no child of the 80’s supports this heresy but agenda woke people…the reviewers can’t bash it cause they don’t wanna look bad or get blackballed….a He-Man show…He-man has the power…not everyone else all inclusive can have the power….what a waste…very disappointed He-Man takes a back seat to a non binary looking character….and some blackwashing taking place…

globaltravels - 7/23/2021, 3:53 AM

Reading this 'review' is painful at best. What a waste of my time. Between the virtue-signaling, Smith blatantly lying to everyone, neutering He-Man and making him a background character, forcing an all-female cast on us without one single male main or side character... what a joke. I won't even illegally download this piece of garbage.

MarkCassidy - 7/23/2021, 8:17 AM

@globaltravels - Soooo, you haven't watched it?

WackyBantha - 7/23/2021, 5:23 AM

Everyone in this comments section is a complete and total PERSON! Yeah, I'm talking to you, you PERSON!

Tpo81 - 7/23/2021, 3:19 PM

This show was pretty decent but definitely not what I expected or wanted.Definitely a little irked that they pulled a bait and switch on me.I would’ve watched a Teela show if they marketed it that way but instead they duped me with the promise of He-Man & Skeletor only to have them be little more than cameos.When it came out that it was a Teela show Smith came out and squashed it putting us at ease but he was pretty much lying.Weird way to go about it.Even the toys they’re selling for the show are He-Man & Skeletor.Hopefully part 2 will be different.Not that it wasn’t a good show though just was looking forward to a He-Man show.Not Teela the rebellious lesbian who is so angry at everyone.Decent show just not the one that was promised.And what’s up with random 5 episodes?Seems odd.

MrDandy - 7/28/2021, 9:16 AM

I actually don’t mind they made this almost a Teela show….it’s more how hard they lied about it

bkmeijer2 - 7/28/2021, 2:47 PM

Finally got around to watching it, and I quite liked it. I don't mind moving away from He-Man (since it's not like the show carries his name), but there are some narrative choice that felt easy. For example how easy they gained access to the next places they needed to go.

Anyway, since I haven't seen the previous shows, read any comic books (I assume there are some) or had the toys, so this is really my first exposure to it. It succeeded for the most part, but it could've explored the lore a little better for newcomers like me.

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