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Masters of the Universe (1987)
29 Plays17 days ago
This week on the Everything Actioncast, Zach and Chris head to Eternia and discuss Cannon's take on Masters of the Universe as the new movie featuring He-Man and the gang hits theaters.
Dolph Lundgren stars as He-Man, who battles with Man-At-Arms (Jon Cypher) and Teela (Chelsea Field) to free their homeworld of Eternia from the grip of Skeletor (Frank Langella) and his minions. Coming across a Thenurian inventor named Gwildor (Billy Barty), he shows the group his Cosmic Key, which lets them teleport anywhere in the galaxy. Forced to flee Skeletor's forces, He-Man and his crew end up on Earth, and two high schoolers, Julie (Courtney Cox) and Kevin (Robert Duncan McNeill), get drawn into the fight. Zach and Chris discuss how Gwildor takes over the movie, the movie's original weirdo villains, Cannon's sinking finances, and the waning popularity of MotU, the last-minute addition of time travel, and more.
You can watch Masters of the Universe on Prime Video. Next week, we're discussing Super 8, which is turning 15, and as the movie's producer, Steven Spielberg, has a new alien movie hitting theaters, Disclosure Day.
We want to hear your comments and feedback. Send them all to contact@everythingaction.com. Also, let us know your movie suggestions for us to discuss.
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Transcript
Intro
Introduction and Overview of 'Masters of the Universe'
00:00:19
Zach Sheets
Hello and welcome to the Everything Action Cast back Podcast for the week of June 1st, 2026. I'm host, Zach.
00:00:26
Chris Prime
I'm your co-host, Chris.
Cultural Impact and Modern Relevance
00:00:27
Zach Sheets
And this week we're heading to Eternia and talking about Masters of the Universe, the 1987 movie, because as you're hearing this, there's a brand new Masters movie in theaters getting okay reviews. I actually saw they were recording this, so if you check out, check the site, there should be a review up there. If not right now, they'll be up there soon.
00:00:48
Zach Sheets
I had some some mixed thoughts about it.
00:00:51
Chris Prime
mean, I think based on the sales so far, people are just enjoying it just to us enjoy like a summer blockbuster. But I don't know if that means like return revenue. Like if people later on when it comes to streaming or like any kind of pop culture relevance where there's going to be like a He-Man kids meal or something.
00:01:13
Zach Sheets
Yeah, not like the original
Marketing and Tie-Ins of the Original Film
00:01:15
Zach Sheets
one. I think this movie had a Burger King tie-in, sort of.
00:01:18
Chris Prime
Oh, yeah.
00:01:19
Zach Sheets
You'd get a Gwildor pendant or something. like a pendant or something
00:01:24
Chris Prime
But I think a lot of companies are were back then were that was just a mandatory thing. If it was slightly something it meant for kids, like you got a toy, you got like another marketing push. But I mean, this would have been perfect to follow up on the Grogu meal, just like the He-Man combo or something.
00:01:45
Zach Sheets
Well, isn't it? It's IHOP, I think, right?
00:01:47
Chris Prime
It does for the Masters the Universe?
00:01:49
Zach Sheets
I think so. I think they have like a pancake that has like a scoop of mint ice cream on it or something.
00:01:54
Chris Prime
You're not going to look like He-Man going to IHOP.
00:01:56
Zach Sheets
because
00:01:56
Chris Prime
That's just...
00:01:57
Zach Sheets
yeah you want to look at He-Man? Here's pancakes covered in ice cream. like, it's Skeletor pancakes. They're green.
00:02:04
Chris Prime
Yeah, that would have been a good Dairy Queen thing, where it's like Skeletor Ice Cream or He-Man, like, Cosmic Power whatever.
Film's Relationship to Original He-Man Lore
00:02:11
Chris Prime
But, I mean, we're we're thinking about now with all, the like, the lore and the different versions of He-Man. In this movie, though, this was a... almost sequel to the cartoon, but kind of, but not really...
00:02:27
Zach Sheets
Yeah, it's it's interesting because like this movie, Skeletor is skeletors basically taking over. Human and Skeletor rules Eternia, and it's kind of like they're like the rebels trying topple the Empire. which is you know because Obviously, Star Wars is like a huge inspiration for this movie, along with many other things.
00:02:49
Chris Prime
And and like the way they set up this explanation, I guess it's for the parents who just never paid attention to the show. And also, if you like really break down Masters of the Universe, they don't really explain what being the Master of the Universe does besides hang out in Eternia.
00:03:05
Chris Prime
So it's not like they...
00:03:09
Chris Prime
there's like, I mean, they had a king, but that's not this movie. you know like
00:03:13
Chris Prime
There's a sword, but it doesn't do the power charge in in a way that the kids will recognize. And then, like,
00:03:22
Zach Sheets
He- He- meant He- meant his never prince adam he's only heman
00:03:25
Chris Prime
Yeah, and then it then they don't explain sort of like the different backstory of Skeletor. You know, it's like, was he like an out king? Was he a like a evil sorcerer? Like,
00:03:38
Zach Sheets
from ne planet
00:03:39
Chris Prime
from Yeah, it's like, why is his face a skeleton? Like they they and like different versions of the He-Man lore. They they always play with it.
00:03:46
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
00:03:46
Chris Prime
And honestly, him being like an evil sorcerer that like magic blew back in
Performances and Inspirations
00:03:51
Chris Prime
his face. And that's why he's able to just have like an actual skull for a head is like one thing. This is like it. Here he is.
00:04:00
Chris Prime
It's basically what if Vader and the Palpatine became one and then they introduce him in this as an aggressive like homage to Star Wars, even though it's like. A very budgeted version.
00:04:13
Zach Sheets
But with like Frank Langella doing these like long soliloquies and monologues and definitely not doing the cartoon like voice.
00:04:19
Chris Prime
He i mean, he.
00:04:22
Zach Sheets
He's doing like a very like operatic Shakespearean performance.
00:04:22
Chris Prime
No.
00:04:28
Chris Prime
I don't mind him. He's actually one of the good parts of this movie for most of it. There are parts where you definitely can tell like this was like this was his time to just shine and choose scenery. And this is just like the script director was just like, I don't know, say this
00:04:47
Chris Prime
It's like, but it you could tell, like, especially the end where it kind of falls apart, where it's like, all right, Skeletor, now you're in golden armor and you're just like having last words. But Frank Lagella can't fight because it's it's I'm not sure if they had a stuntman or Frank Lagella just, a yeah, I could swing a s stick.
00:05:03
Zach Sheets
why I think it's like the final fight I think is uh Anthony DeLongas who plays Blade he so he was Skeletor for the final fight because like basically like Anthony DeLongas like choreographed all the sword fights because he's like a master swordsman
00:05:18
Chris Prime
Hmm. Okay, that makes sense. But it's shot in such a weird way that it just doesn't showcase sword fighting.
00:05:28
Zach Sheets
because they had no budget they had
00:05:30
Chris Prime
Yeah, they're just like, we'll just zoom in and play with lights and shadows.
00:05:33
Zach Sheets
They had to go on they had to go on like an abandoned set and shoot it with like five people.
00:05:39
Chris Prime
I mean, when you say that, it definitely looks like that. Like, it just, you cannot see that now. But we'll we'll get into that part. But why don't you set up the story of He-Man?
Film's Score and Production Techniques
00:05:50
Chris Prime
The not-Superman intro.
00:05:53
Zach Sheets
Well, oh yeah, the credits are very Superman and the the score is very Superman.
00:05:58
Chris Prime
I mean, the rainbow font that shows up and introduces the like i guess the like title is very Superman.
00:06:05
Zach Sheets
Well,
00:06:06
Chris Prime
Is Bill Conti also the musician for Superman 3?
00:06:13
Zach Sheets
i mean, it was John Williams, obviously, for at least the first two. then Bill Cundey, I think probably most famous for Rocky. Rocky and Karate Kid are probably his two big things.
00:06:22
Chris Prime
Oh, really? Because this does sound like not an original song. Like usually he makes really good original eighty soundtracks, but this one he phoned it in a bit. He was just like, I don't know, take like the bits of Superman I like.
00:06:40
Zach Sheets
yeah just straight like oh I guess they did this for like you know like Quest for Peace, which came out the same year as this movie. said Man, that was one-two punch to canon.
00:06:51
Zach Sheets
But I guess they just used the John Williams score. It's like, we'll just use it.
00:06:55
Chris Prime
they reuse it?
00:06:57
Zach Sheets
The music for the film was a adapted and conducted by Alexander Courage based on existing and new music composed by John Williams. I guess i guess John Williams did give them some new new stuff for like even like Plus for Peace.
00:07:08
Chris Prime
And they just took, like, just the bridge or something? Like, some parts of this the score.
00:07:12
Zach Sheets
The main theme, yeah.
00:07:13
Chris Prime
Yeah, and then they just, like, chopped it. Because it just sounds so Superman-y that, like, it's distracting.
00:07:21
Zach Sheets
I wonder if it was just like either it was like rejected from Quest for Peace, or they're just like, eh, we're doing a Superman movie, just make it sound like Superman.
00:07:30
Chris Prime
You know, that it's like either one is a canon move.
00:07:33
Zach Sheets
Colin and Globus just smoking a cigar like, eh, Superman, whatever. We're
00:07:38
Chris Prime
It's like, would the kids care? No.
00:07:40
Zach Sheets
going to make so much money from both these movies, we're going to make Spider-Man finally.
Canon Films' Strategy and Franchise Development
00:07:45
Chris Prime
Yeah, I could definitely see the cockiness. And then basically once they record it, like the master soundtrack, they probably were playing it for like investors and like Broadwombs. Like, you know, there's like, oh, check it out. Yeah, that's a John Williams song. it's like, no, it isn't.
00:08:00
Zach Sheets
this Well, I mean, their go-to thing was like, just have a poster, make a poster. No movies, no nothing is else about the movie exists. And just be like, here, here's our movie. And they're going to get investors to invest in in it.
00:08:13
Chris Prime
I mean, some people still do that, but they were the like one of the best at doing that con.
00:08:20
Zach Sheets
Yeah, they just went to Con and like, Chuck Norris is a new movie. Give us money.
00:08:25
Chris Prime
Chuck's like, I'm in what now?
00:08:27
Zach Sheets
But yeah, so Masters of the Universe, obviously... So 1987, the cartoon was done. they were in We were in into like the She-Ra era. She-Ra also ended this this year, 1987. And then the toy line ended officially in the following year, 1988. So we're kind of like at the tail end of Masters of the Universe. we're not really striking it when it's red hot. It's still popular, probably, but not... like you know, 83, 84, like the hottest thing in the universe.
00:08:59
Chris Prime
I mean, it's better than nothing because sometimes they would pull this move in like, you know, sort of a surprise. Here comes the movie. No, we like lost the rights.
00:09:11
Chris Prime
But two years or so after like the popularity dips is such a weird move because they didn't follow up with anything because this is.
00:09:19
Zach Sheets
You know so you know it's where too it like This feels like a movie that they made with like with like barely any any knowledge of like what the thing was. like It was like, we're goingnna we're going to start this thing called Master of the Universe. Here's like a general idea of what it is. like like Make a movie based on it.
00:09:35
Chris Prime
Yeah, yeah. Like, if they just got the rights and then they're trying to do like, a multi-marketing campaign between, like, a comic, the show, and then the movie. This feels at home, where each version is its own, like, iteration, so they don't need to connect.
00:09:54
Chris Prime
But when, like, a massively popular series is, like, riding out its timeline, you do a movie to either wrap up everything that existed,
00:10:05
Chris Prime
and you put a nice bow on it, so it's like a send-off, especially when it's like, you know, the the this obviously didn't put, like, the movie title in it, you know? It's like, G.I. i Joe, the movie. It didn't do that.
00:10:17
Chris Prime
But, I think, like, the movie, this one, could have, I don't know, done better with that, where it's like, oh, if you watch all the shows, you collected all the toys, now, watch it all come together for one giant send-off or something, you know? Like,
00:10:34
Zach Sheets
except none of your favorite characters are here basically
00:10:37
Chris Prime
Yeah, like, and it's so weird to think that, like, in a pre-production thing, they would lay that out early, where it's like okay, what can we get? What can we do with this?
00:10:48
Chris Prime
Let's try to, like, either don't have new characters or, I don't know, show a headshot of a character. And then they just went, nah, like, we're just gonna skip all this lore. So if this is the first He-Man type thing you're watching, you're gonna be shit confused about the Eternia part.
World-Building and Lore Critique
00:11:05
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
00:11:06
Chris Prime
But,
00:11:07
Zach Sheets
Which, Turin also seems like a wasteland.
00:11:07
Chris Prime
I don't know.
00:11:09
Zach Sheets
i don't it's just because Skeletor took it over, but it's like a very like barren, like horrible-looking wasteland.
00:11:15
Chris Prime
I think they confused a lot. Like they con confused like between Castle Grayskull being but like they just looked at a photo of Castle Grayskull from like the cartoon where it looks like the evil place, but turns out they're the good place. And then Skeletor's lair is supposed to be like a barren thing or like very devoid of life.
00:11:36
Zach Sheets
like Skeletor's in Snake Mountain, right?
00:11:38
Chris Prime
Something like that. I always forget.
00:11:40
Zach Sheets
And then...
00:11:40
Chris Prime
It's weird because you think Castle Grayskull looks like an and in any other cartoon that's like the bad guy hangout.
00:11:45
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:11:47
Chris Prime
But it's like, no, this is our world. Our world is full of skulls. Skull castles. Skull villains.
00:11:52
Zach Sheets
Yep.
00:11:54
Chris Prime
But He-Man and them don't even have like a Castle Grayskull like armor. They're not wearing skulls. This isn't Skeletal Warriors.
00:12:02
Zach Sheets
And there's no... like the actual like kingdom or anything. There's no like where the king and the queen rule. There's no mention of that at all.
00:12:11
Chris Prime
Nope.
00:12:12
Zach Sheets
it's lo It's like a barren desert wasteland and then Castle Greyskull. That's all this exists on a journey
00:12:19
Chris Prime
Yeah, like that that's where i think if you really had to build the lore just to give you an idea of like what the castle is supposed to do, have it show like a little bit of it being in in prosper time.
00:12:32
Chris Prime
So the downfall is so much harder.
00:12:33
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
00:12:36
Chris Prime
You know, like they could have just had like a photo or like some sort of like I don't know, Renaissance fair archive footage thrown in there to show that this kingdom under the right rule is thriving.
00:12:50
Chris Prime
And then because for all we know, like if you really think about this, like for all we know, He-Man's rule wasn't any better than Skeletor's rule.
00:13:02
Chris Prime
You know, we are only picking one side because like, like, you know, Dolph Lundgren's nice to the one human girl he met. But there's nothing that's like, there's no other, like, they are war refugees, so they have to play it safe and and just do their best to mingle.
00:13:26
Zach Sheets
Well, they're like...
00:13:26
Chris Prime
But don't forget that they point their guns at everything.
00:13:29
Zach Sheets
Yeah. They're freedom fighters. They're like trying to like you know topple this evil regime.
00:13:36
Chris Prime
Yeah, but that's only it's freedom fighters to like us. But for all we know, like King Adam, like like whatever the king was, was just like terrible.
00:13:49
Zach Sheets
think is it Randor I think is yep
00:13:51
Chris Prime
Yeah, King Rangdor. But yeah again, I'm only saying that because of just like how we don't know what's going on. The movie drops you so far into a situation and and like any kind of like footing we have is just check out Dolph Lundgren being like jacked and ripping than he's ever been. And.
00:14:14
Chris Prime
I don't know, like he just, no pants like they could have gave no time to go.
00:14:14
Zach Sheets
almost Although still... Yeah.
00:14:18
Chris Prime
should wear pants like pants exist in his time.
00:14:21
Zach Sheets
Well, I mean, if he if he ever changed it to Prince Adam, he would have probably wore some sort of regular clothing. But it's he's never... Yeah, he's he's just He-Man. He only exists as He-Man.
00:14:32
Chris Prime
And I get it. If maybe say that like, oh, he can't during this time, like everyone knows he's He-Man. has to be basically become this like a soldier now, where instead of being the protector where he was, like he would be called and then show up, do battle and then leave.
00:14:50
Chris Prime
And then everyone be like, hey, Prince Adam, would you, you missed He-Man? He's like, oh, shucks.
00:14:53
Zach Sheets
Yeah. yeah
00:14:54
Chris Prime
Like i get that formula gets kind of like tiring after a while. And the fact that like, There's not another hero, you know, like it's not like there's another vigilante. And you think about it, like He-Man is supposed to be this like superhero in their own world of other superhero and like cosmic things.
00:15:17
Chris Prime
So, again, would appreciate a little build up on that before they instantly just go to California or whatever they go to.
00:15:24
Zach Sheets
Yeah. But yeah, Skeletor has, like, so he's ruling Eternia. He's captured the sorceress, who is, like, the the source of, like, the power of Eternia, or at least cast a great skull.
00:15:36
Zach Sheets
And he's, like, sucking her dry of all the power, and then when he, I forget what, it's some sort, there's some cosmic event, like a moon rising or something.
00:15:45
Chris Prime
The great eye.
00:15:46
Zach Sheets
Yeah, like, that'll be overhead at a certain point, and then that when it happens, they can do, like, this ritual to make him a god, basically.
00:15:51
Chris Prime
So, yeah, but okay. I got a question about that. and let's see if we can figure this out. So, the sorceress, it seems like her power, I mean, even in the lore, is that she's just, like, tied to the castle.
00:16:04
Chris Prime
Only her powers work in the castle. If you take her out of it, she's just, like, a regular person. or Like, she's, like, the cat, like, it's a weird curse that the castle's, like, whoever, like, is the sorceress for this building.
00:16:18
Chris Prime
Not the kingdom, just the building. Like, and you get the, like, powers, but... so yeah, that's, like, one thing. The second thing is, the cosmic event is just happening on its own.
00:16:29
Chris Prime
The, like, alignment. So it's more just waiting for it to happen. Then you need the sword to open up the the roof. Like...
00:16:40
Zach Sheets
Yeah, the observatory or something. like
00:16:42
Chris Prime
that That's sort of like, that's what they're hunting He-Man for. But I don't think they mention what it is. They just keep hinting like, oh, we just need to get him. And then they're like, no, we actually need to kill him. Because if not, he's going to stop us.
00:16:54
Chris Prime
Because of like, evil Lin's prophecy or something. She kind of has like a mention like, hey, like you have you have to kill him in order for like, or else he'll stop you. Skeletor is like, okay.
00:17:06
Zach Sheets
Well, I think she she she says, like, oh, the people still have hope because he's alive, he doesn't ever submit to you completely and, like, give up.
00:17:11
Chris Prime
Oh, okay.
00:17:14
Zach Sheets
So you have to kill him and show them, like, oh, I've killed He-Man. Like, there's no rescue coming. Like, it's bent to my neat will.
00:17:23
Chris Prime
how How scrappy is the Eternity? We never see the Resistance. That's another thing, too. like
00:17:28
Zach Sheets
You only you always see them, they cut to the same group of people that are just, like, being held captive, they got captured, because they have to watch, like, the giant, like, skeletal hologram.
00:17:38
Zach Sheets
But it's it looks like the same shot over and over again. It's just, like, it's like three four or five, like, attorney, like, firefighters, like, just, like, with their arms over their heads, like, captured.
00:17:47
Chris Prime
Yeah, they could have, I don't know, taken off some of the armor costume guys extras and just like repurpose them. But yeah, they they decided really budget this and
00:17:59
Zach Sheets
She'll like one village or something. One village that's like suffering under Skeletor.
00:18:05
Chris Prime
But you see what I mean? That's what i'm like, in my head, I'm just like, there's no establishing shots of the the like the good times, and then now it's under suffrage. You need that clash, because if not, you just get sort of restock footage, and again, I get it. Like,
00:18:24
Chris Prime
It sucks that this was a mega franchise, and for whatever reason, if this movie feels like a country that didn't understand He-Man at all made this.
00:18:27
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:18:33
Chris Prime
And it's like, this was a like a joint production.
00:18:37
Zach Sheets
who I mean, for a little bit, it a joint production. Until Mattel was like, we're going to take our money back.
00:18:42
Chris Prime
Well...
00:18:46
Chris Prime
That's true. I just think, like... No other investor wanted to step in and and sort of like, you know, this feels like, a like, if you think about all the other parts, it feels like a producer's thing where they were trying to do like a tax write off.
00:19:03
Chris Prime
By filming this and then watching the loss, but it backfired like hilariously on them. Look, back to back bombs and then probably putting down payments for Spider-Man stuff.
00:19:16
Zach Sheets
Well, I think the whole, Cannon's whole plan was that Masters Universe to be huge, Superman 4, Quest Peace was be huge, and then they were going to use the profits from those two movies to fund Spider-Man.
00:19:29
Zach Sheets
And then that all collapsed, and they're like, well, we've to make something, so I guess makes get y'all clever damn here and make Cyborg.
00:19:36
Chris Prime
Which is not a bad movie.
00:19:39
Zach Sheets
No, I mean, yeah at least we got Cyborg out of this whole mess. Yeah.
00:19:42
Chris Prime
Yeah, Cyborg, in comparison now, is like, you know, it was competent. The sets were exactly it. It probably takes place in the same set they did Eternia on.
00:19:52
Zach Sheets
Yeah, it was a set they built for Master's Universe 2, which they basically at That was like, as soon as this one it was like in theaters. And Dolph was just like, I'm not in that.
00:20:04
Zach Sheets
They got some... very who they got they get they got some Oh, a surfer was going to be the new He-Man because Dolph started in Red Scorpion instead.
00:20:15
Chris Prime
Oh, I think it was like... Yeah, it's a famous surfer.
00:20:19
Zach Sheets
laird Laird Hamilton.
00:20:20
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
00:20:20
Chris Prime
Yeah, yeah.
00:20:22
Chris Prime
Him and his wife were like famous athletes. I mean, they still are kind of fit for them being in their late 50s, early 60s, I think now. But yeah, they were like a power couple.
00:20:33
Chris Prime
She was like a big volleyball player, and he was a surfer. and like they they like that That would have been like a very interesting take where it's like, alright, well... We got this like natural athlete. you know Just an athletic dude.
00:20:47
Chris Prime
And he wasn't... I think and don't know. it's like It's already weird when you see a sports star like Bo Jackson. like Bo Jackson would have been... knowing The Boz.
00:20:56
Chris Prime
If the Boz was He-Man.
00:20:59
Zach Sheets
who
00:20:59
Chris Prime
It's like, alright, but he already looks like that. And then he's like, well, we got the surfer that happens to be like really ripped. It's like, all alright, guess that's He-Man now.
00:21:08
Zach Sheets
Get the guy for like the stage tour. the but The Meisters of the Universe power
00:21:13
Chris Prime
Yeah, that those guys are like almost like American Gladiator, like levels of Jack and Fit.
00:21:21
Chris Prime
i don't know, but like it shows you you just can't be like
Casting and Performance Challenges
00:21:23
Chris Prime
a Jack guy. You need to also act because it's just like stilted if that doesn't happen.
00:21:30
Zach Sheets
I mean, this is very early in Dolph's career. so so this is like, you know, he still has a very thick, sweet accent, apparently, at the time of this. And then they want to dub him over, but there was some sort of like contractual obligation that they couldn't dub him over.
00:21:45
Zach Sheets
So then Dolph just like re-recorded his lines again to make i make uss make it clearer.
00:21:52
Chris Prime
I mean, yeah, you could tell like what was a like re-dub and then what is going to be like a... What they filmed just like on the set and went, all right, have a budget to like fix this, which is so we can't ADR it. But to be honest, for a guy that didn't speak English fluently at the time, like he just did phonetically. Probably someone just said, this is how you say it. He's like, okay.
00:22:17
Chris Prime
He just repeated the lines.
00:22:17
Zach Sheets
Especially for like Rocky IV, I'm sure like they just like gave him his like four lines phonetically.
00:22:23
Zach Sheets
but yeah, this this is this is his first like big role.
00:22:24
Chris Prime
you didn't He didn't do a bad job.
00:22:25
Zach Sheets
yeah first this is This is his first leading role. And then, we yeah, we's not we just have to like talk. We're just doing like action stuff. Obviously, he's great.
00:22:34
Chris Prime
Yeah.
00:22:34
Zach Sheets
And he looks the part of you, Yeah, I don't know.
00:22:38
Chris Prime
the I'm not sure if that was his real hair or that was a wig.
00:22:43
Chris Prime
It's so like... early like Hulk Hogan doll blonde hair but then there's like obviously like roots in there so I'm like can't tell if it was like cheap 80s wig or good 80s wig
00:22:58
Zach Sheets
but yeah but when when you think we think of like who who who should be hey man in the 80s like yeah delph lugger
00:23:06
Zach Sheets
And then he's so then his only his only allies are Man-at-Arms and Tila.
00:23:10
Chris Prime
Thank
00:23:12
Zach Sheets
But then they come across Gwildor, everyone's favorite new character.
Introduction and Role of New Characters
00:23:20
Zach Sheets
Who, instead of Orko, that like was a fan favorite for the for the cartoon, they had because he'd be too complicated to have like a floating character in the 80s, guess.
00:23:31
Zach Sheets
They came up with Gwildor, who's played by legendary Billy Barty.
00:23:36
Zach Sheets
And he he basically comes and takes over the entire movie. like he like like Everyone is just like revolves around Gwildor at that point.
00:23:45
Chris Prime
Yeah, as a kid, you really don't notice it, or at least I didn't notice it until this rewatch. But, Goldor is basically the the but like plot MacGuffin.
00:23:57
Chris Prime
It's not really...
00:23:57
Zach Sheets
he's like He's like the Poochie. He's the Poochie of the movie.
00:24:00
Chris Prime
I mean, not only that, like they really try to hype up this like cosmic thing, but you realize without Goldor's bantering, and then just like...
00:24:14
Chris Prime
I don't know, like... Sneakiness? Like, the group wouldn't have made it this far. It is literally just like, alright, we gotta revolve, every scene needs Gordor. And then...
00:24:25
Chris Prime
the fact he's like an original character, so it's like not what you want. You know, it's it's not even like anyone that would recognize this. for Like, this probably frustrated kids who saw this movie their parents. who Like, the parents were like okay, like, who's that?
00:24:39
Chris Prime
And they're like, well, I don't know. They're like, well, I don't know either. You know mean? Like, then it's this awkward, like, huh. i Like, you're just...
00:24:45
Zach Sheets
It's like, Mommy, Mommy, where's Orko?
00:24:49
Chris Prime
I don't know what orco is, but then you could, there's a chance you might see a pitcher or a PSA back when orco used to do that, like no drug PSAs. And then it's like, well, it's Gordor. And I'm not sure after that.
00:25:02
Zach Sheets
It's Gwildur. Everyone loves him.
00:25:04
Chris Prime
And you know, it's funny, like in the beginning of the movie, they did mention that it's like, oh, there might be a trick. There's a traitor within their rebel group that let them know about the ambush and all that.
00:25:16
Chris Prime
Wouldn't there have been a twist at the end that Goldor was actually the like the villain?
00:25:19
Zach Sheets
The villain.
00:25:20
Chris Prime
like Secretly, he's been orchestrating behind the plot to eliminate the rebellion.
00:25:27
Zach Sheets
He's...
00:25:27
Chris Prime
Eliminate Skeletor's army. And then Goldor can like rule. Unopposed.
00:25:33
Zach Sheets
he transformed like He's Hordak. He transforms into Hordak. He's like, haha, I was Hordak the entire time.
00:25:41
Chris Prime
Where's Hordak from again?
00:25:42
Zach Sheets
think got introduced to She-Ra, but Hordak was like the like emperor to Skeletor Darth Vader.
00:25:50
Chris Prime
Oh. I kind of forgot that. like As much as i were I remember a lot about Masters the Universe, there's so much like overlapping. There's so much like other things that happen.
00:26:01
Chris Prime
And then I just stopped at the original. And then the only time I know enough is that He-Man... Was it like the...
00:26:12
Zach Sheets
Like the Netflix shows, like Revelation and Revolution.
00:26:13
Chris Prime
but But it was like... The thing is, like Revelation, the prequel comic... like, recontextualized a lot about Eternia and then, the like, the society it built. Like, I learned a lot from that. And then, but, like, you need to kind of remember the 80s version to, like, now put in the new context because, like, Relevation is, like, tied to the original because it's like, okay, or it's like a, it's the next, like, saga for that group. But you have establish the first story.
00:26:45
Chris Prime
Especially where it's like, oh yeah, like almost, I don't know, half the main good guys didn't know that He-Man was He-Man. They're like all butthurt because like they figured out Prince Adam was He-Man, and it's like, really?
00:26:57
Chris Prime
He's
00:26:59
Zach Sheets
He's got the same haircut.
00:27:01
Chris Prime
got the same haircut. Unless it's a common haircut, but we never see the people. Anyway. the With this, it's like, okay, Gulldor is like an original character. So, like, you could have played it so many different ways where, you know, there could have been another, like, evil Gulldor.
00:27:19
Chris Prime
And this is, like, you know, the good Gulldor or something. You know, like it could have been a whole thing where it's like, is he from Eternia? Because we don't, he doesn't look human. Like, he doesn't look Eternia.
00:27:32
Zach Sheets
He's a Thanarian, whatever that means.
00:27:36
Chris Prime
mean for I guess he's from another world, but it's like his... I think...
00:27:43
Zach Sheets
Maybe teleported there with his Kazuki.
00:27:45
Chris Prime
Right. It's like he shows up, it introduces like another thing where both sides, the Rebellion and Skeletor, are like, we gotta get that guy. like We should convince him to come to our side. you know like Then it's like a fight for Gildur's attention.
00:28:01
Zach Sheets
Yeah, so he yeah he has the cosmic, he's invented the cosmic key, which would teleport you basically to anywhere in the in the universe. And then He-Man and his crew use it to like teleport into like the throne room against the Great Skull to try to rescue the sorceress.
Plot Developments and Earth Scenes
00:28:16
Zach Sheets
And that fails spectacularly, so then they have teleport out of there, and then they end up on Earth.
00:28:23
Chris Prime
Should we mention the cosmic key is just like the cosmic synthesizer?
00:28:28
Zach Sheets
Yeah. It just it it just makes... you know It reminded me... know if it was the same tones, but it was definitely similar tones like Close Encounters, the third kind. It's like... bow bowrow brow bow But yeah, it's just like... It's just yeah just it's just like synthesizer noises.
00:28:45
Zach Sheets
And...
00:28:45
Chris Prime
mean, it's very eighty s
00:28:45
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:28:48
Zach Sheets
And there's a whole running thing where people like and our on Earth find it and be like, oh, this must be Japanese. It's like one of those crazy new Japanese synthesizers.
00:28:56
Chris Prime
You know, they're always making ones that shoot holograms and can get your fingers caught in like this like the spikes it has.
00:29:05
Zach Sheets
yeah
00:29:06
Chris Prime
i also thought, I think, in one of the first times I watched this movie I thought it killed Skeletor. I thought it was like one of those is' like classic MacGuffin things where the device itself, if used properly, can kill the villain.
00:29:26
Chris Prime
and you find out it doesn't. It's more like. Literally is just like a key. Like it opens doors.
00:29:33
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
00:29:34
Chris Prime
And then. I don't know. Like even at the end. It's not like they use it. And then they send Skeletor out with it it. You know like I just. Alright well that's done.
00:29:48
Zach Sheets
Yeah, they did they just escaped. this like i think I don't even think they... under like It's just a random like like coordinates because they don't really know. They want just just need to get out of there because they're getting beaten by Skeletor's forces. They're just like, get us out of here, Gwildor!
00:30:03
Zach Sheets
so yeah, they ended up in I guess California? Like the California suburbs?
00:30:09
Chris Prime
that or like well yeah i think i think it has to be california it's like it's that mix of like perfect hometown suburbs but it's not l la it's like maybe like san fernando or just the outskirts of san diego before like it really became terrible
00:30:24
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
00:30:28
Zach Sheets
Wherever... what it was What's the restaurant? Robbie's Barbecue? Wherever that place wherever that place is.
00:30:34
Chris Prime
I know, we're thinking it's Californians. like It turns out it's Tennessee.
00:30:40
Zach Sheets
Well, I think Julie, who's by Courtney Cox, is going to drive to New Jersey. Because she is like dealing...
00:30:48
Chris Prime
No, I think she's flying to New Jersey or something.
00:30:50
Zach Sheets
Flying dude, well, but why would she fly? Because her parents died in a plane. I don't know if she wanted to fly anymore. but
00:30:56
Chris Prime
Oh.
00:30:58
Zach Sheets
her yeah Her backstory, her like kind of setup when we meet her in this movie is like insane.
00:31:03
Chris Prime
Yeah, that's like another movie. Like, it's it's it's a plot from a different movie that happens.
00:31:08
Zach Sheets
so Her parents have died in a plane crash. She is not going to graduate from high school. She's quitting high school. She's, I guess, and she's been living in, like, on her own in her house. Like, no one's, like, become, like, a gardener. just like, I just own my parents' house now, and I'm selling it. And I'm also going to break up boyfriend, and I'm going New Jersey and start life anew. like, all right, that's a lot.
00:31:35
Zach Sheets
And then her boyfriend, Kevin, is a musician. And then, so and it's it's like, when meet them, it's like their last day together, basically. Like, Julie's leaving that day. she's like, well, let's have one last day together, and I'm to go to New Jersey.
00:31:50
Zach Sheets
And I...
00:31:50
Chris Prime
It's not as sad as it seems, alright?
00:31:52
Chris Prime
Jersey isn't that depressing. It seems like she's passing on to the afterworld.
00:31:54
Zach Sheets
But... Yeah. It's like, like hey, i need to go say goodbye to my parents, their graves. And then they find the cosmic key in the graveyard. And then Kevin's like, oh, it's it's one of those like crazy new Japanese synthesizers that I've heard about. It's...
00:32:12
Zach Sheets
And then he's, i think he's he's playing the prom, I think, or some sort of like so high school dance with his band.
00:32:19
Chris Prime
I think, yeah, it's like he's still a student there, even though he's clearly not a teen.
00:32:24
Zach Sheets
Yeah, I think, yeah, I think, yeah, he's, they're they're both seniors, but she's not going graduate. She's just like, i'm I'm out of here. I'm done.
00:32:32
Chris Prime
And I think it's the fall, so it's not like the year is almost over. She's just like, two months is good.
00:32:40
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:32:41
Chris Prime
I have to leave.
00:32:45
Chris Prime
and i guess she's And she's like, i Robbie, i'm like Kevin, as much as i enjoy your band, I have to go.
00:32:50
Zach Sheets
yup
00:32:52
Chris Prime
It's like an excuse to just avoid seeing him play. Because we never see him play.
00:32:55
Zach Sheets
m
00:32:57
Chris Prime
It's just hinted at that he knows music. And you're like, okay, but play something.
00:33:00
Zach Sheets
when you We never see any of his other band members. or It's just him. It's like, oh, the band will be here soon. You'll meet those guys.
00:33:08
Zach Sheets
But he takes he takes the like synthesizer, quote-unquote, to like his friend Charlie who runs a music store. And he's like, hey, he'll know what this is.
00:33:18
Zach Sheets
And i was i was actually I was shocked that they were able to like license Jimi Hendrix for that scene.
00:33:24
Chris Prime
Was it really cheap at the time? Because I feel like it isn't any anymore.
00:33:25
Zach Sheets
I don't know. Yeah, it's they're they're playing like, and i think they're playing like Purple Haze or something. It's like like not like it's not like an obscure Jimi Hendrix song.
00:33:29
Chris Prime
Yep, they are. That wasn't cheap. See, you like, i
00:33:35
Zach Sheets
Can I Can Afford Jimi Hendrix?
00:33:37
Chris Prime
Maybe for some weird reason it fell into, like, their lap. Like, oh, we own the song. But we only own the first two minutes.
00:33:46
Zach Sheets
Yeah. Well, they they also like they had a second license song. There's a song called Living in a Box by the band Living in a Box. and That was like when like we frit when like Julie good goes into like Kevin's van and they're like, hey, and brought you some chicken or whatever.
00:34:02
Chris Prime
Robbie's. Robbie's chicken. Or Robbie's ribs.
00:34:03
Zach Sheets
Robbie's chicken. Rob's eat ribs and chicken.
00:34:08
Zach Sheets
But be it because because everyone everyone's been say messing with like the Cosmic Key, though, Skeletor can like track it. So he dispatches like his... It's basically the Star Wars bounty hunters. It's like all like the Empire Strikes Back crew.
00:34:22
Zach Sheets
Darth Vader assembles the bounty hunters. It's all these like weirdos that Skeletor assembles to go get the Cosmic Key back.
00:34:30
Zach Sheets
And it's and like Beastman, who is a character from from like that people would know, and the rest of the world is like these like new Toka and Reza-esque weirdos. It's like Karg, who's like a bat with a shock of white hair and like a hook hand. He's like he's like a pirate bat.
00:34:47
Chris Prime
like They went too hard on his design.
00:34:51
Zach Sheets
And then Sarad, who's iur like a lizard snake man. And then Blade, who... Everything about his blades. Like, he has blade headpiece and blades on his shoulders. And then he wields two swords. He shoots blades.
00:35:06
Chris Prime
Is Shikin' Blade not a real character?
00:35:09
Zach Sheets
I think...
00:35:09
Chris Prime
he only...
00:35:10
Zach Sheets
I mean... i think eventually some of them did become, like, in other things. But... I think all three of those guys were like created for the movie and then like, maybe they got put in other things later.
00:35:22
Chris Prime
Yeah, yeah. he He shows up in the Relevations prequel comic. I thought like he was always there. i wasm just like i never cause i never I never collected He-Man toys.
00:35:35
Chris Prime
i was just like i It wasn't my thing. Me and my family went all in on G.I. Joe, though. just like there's you know like It's not like toys where like the He-Man and the T-U and T-Toy are somewhat somewhat the same scale, so you can kind of like collect and do really cool battles.
00:35:52
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:35:53
Chris Prime
No, like none of the He-Man toys would fit anything I own. So like, i'm like, uh.
00:35:58
Zach Sheets
You have to put him up against WWE figures or something.
00:36:01
Chris Prime
Yeah, yeah. It's like I didn't collect those either. So it's just like I just missed out on the muscle guy collections.
00:36:11
Zach Sheets
But yeah, this but yeah this this like crazy quartet of guys shows up, and they they burn burned down the school, and then Julie manages to escape, and then she like runs into He-Man, who's stalking like the alleyways. Because He-Man, Man-at-Arms, Teela, they all like end up on Earth are like, hey, split up, we'll hunt down these sectors, we'll try to find like the cosmic key, because need to get back to Eternia.
00:36:37
Zach Sheets
And yeah, so then He-Man has like a a fight with like all the all the guys and beats them all.
00:36:45
Chris Prime
I mean, what help of Julie? Because she shoots a warning shot.
00:36:51
Zach Sheets
Yeah, He-Man gives her like a laser pistol is like, hey, here, defend yourself.
00:36:57
Chris Prime
You got this, right? And then just goes and fights.
00:37:00
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
00:37:02
Zach Sheets
Yeah, so Karg and that crew are all forced to like retreat. But then, you know obviously Skeletor's just like, you idiots, get back there! then also sends Evil Lin to like lead them and like like make sure they do it right this time.
00:37:15
Chris Prime
Did they also forget that, like, how accurate do they want to portray the He-Man stuff? Because He-Man has that classic Hanna-Barbera thing where, like, the villains go do things, but then, like, no one really gets hurt.
00:37:31
Chris Prime
No one, like, they retreat at the end of the episode.
00:37:32
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:37:35
Chris Prime
And then, if anything, it's them, like, trying to trap the villains. And then, if there is a tussle, it's usually, like, one guy being thrown... somewhere or like they they trip.
00:37:47
Chris Prime
You know, it's like it's fighting the three stooges.
00:37:48
Zach Sheets
yeah
00:37:51
Zach Sheets
Well, I think there was, like, Mattel was, like, very strict about, like, like he man cannot kill people in this movie. he And he can't do anything that's, like, morally wrong. Like, he must be morally good and, like, not, like, kill people.
00:38:03
Zach Sheets
That's why, like, all of, like, Seltor's minions are, like, most them are, like, robots or something. Or, like, armored guys.
00:38:07
Chris Prime
Oh.
00:38:08
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:38:09
Chris Prime
and it's funny, like, now that you mention that, like, really two people get killed, I think, in this movie?
00:38:18
Zach Sheets
Well, when Kargan, those guys that retreat back Skeletor, he like vaporizes Surad.
00:38:26
Chris Prime
I know, the fan favorite, Surad.
00:38:28
Zach Sheets
It's like, not him. He's my favorite.
00:38:31
Chris Prime
But he's, it's done in such a, like, safe Disney PG-13 way, like, it just, like,
00:38:37
Zach Sheets
Like the 80s glowing energy and just kind of like purchase like like a like ashes.
00:38:39
Chris Prime
Yeah.
00:38:42
Chris Prime
yeah Not even ashes, just like Tron colors and that's it.
00:38:45
Zach Sheets
yeah is
00:38:47
Chris Prime
And the kid can't complain about nightmares about that where, I don't know, rewind the clock a few years and kids movies were able to show basically like Indiana Jones level things of like gore.
00:38:59
Zach Sheets
faces melting.
00:38:59
Chris Prime
Yeah, I'm just like, oh my god.
00:38:59
Zach Sheets
mean, if I could have given... He's a lizard guy. It's like, they but they could just have, like, green slime and, like, he's, like, face it face melting and tod be like, oh, it's he's not human.
00:39:06
Chris Prime
Green blood. Yeah.
00:39:10
Zach Sheets
It's fine.
00:39:12
Chris Prime
Yeah. I mean, I don't know why. i get it that, like, it's been a bit since Conan and Conan did the whole, like, it's not as gory when it's a monster, but monsters aren't.
00:39:25
Chris Prime
You're supposed to like, not be afraid. You're supposed to be afraid of monsters of the idea, but, like, an alien snake man isn't real. Yeah.
00:39:34
Zach Sheets
Especially when it looks as goofy as Surad looks.
00:39:36
Chris Prime
Yeah, like, it for the time and for the budget, you have to consider that it did look okay when he's not moving. In fact, if you look at Surah's photos now, it doesn't look bad.
00:39:49
Chris Prime
like It looks like cosplay, really good cosplay, but nowhere near the like level of what the classic He-Man toys or like the the designs.
00:39:51
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
00:40:03
Chris Prime
It looks very like Battlestar Galactica.
00:40:08
Chris Prime
meets, like, universal horror creatures. Like, you could definitely feel that it's a man in a rubber mask. But Beastman, don't know. they I don't like his ponytail.
00:40:19
Chris Prime
Like, he put his hair up.
00:40:20
Zach Sheets
Yeah. And I guess i guess also like the teeth that the actor's wearing was like, that's why he couldn't talk. He just had to make like like weird noises because they were too big.
00:40:29
Chris Prime
yeah I could see that. I could see that, basically, they just went, it's gonna look cool, but, like, it's not practical. In fact, like, every time you put it on, it's like 200 degrees in this fursuit. So, like, get filming or going to get, like, heat stroke.
00:40:45
Zach Sheets
Well, think, like, Anthony DeLongis, who played Blade, apparently, like, his costume weighed, like, 50 pounds, or he said. And then, like, every day, just had, like, pour, like, buckets of sweat out of his boots.
00:40:54
Chris Prime
Ugh.
00:40:55
Zach Sheets
It kind of, kind of feel like, it seems like this like, this shooting with this was nightmare. Yeah.
00:41:00
Chris Prime
I mean, yeah, the financing, this is a nightmare. Shoes is a nightmare. the only enjoyable part is that like now that time has passed, it's not the worst adaptation of things to see.
00:41:13
Chris Prime
You know, like it could have really been weird where it starts like a normal He-Man movie where like, you know, there's a there's a He-Man character and whatnot. And then he just like doesn't do anything.
00:41:25
Chris Prime
This one, like he actually does do. a lot like he he meets like the major characters he he gets kidnapped he he has a battle yeah like he also rides a hoverboard but yeah well let's get into like after the villains show up and then i don't know julie's just like all right let's just like drive around town
00:41:35
Zach Sheets
He's story fighting and shooting guns.
00:41:41
Zach Sheets
Oh my god, yes.
00:41:55
Zach Sheets
Well, I think we to mention, like, Evil Lynn, yeah, Evil Lynn takes command, and then she brings in a bunch of, like, one-time-use devices that you never see again. but she's she's got, like, a thing that, like, looks in the past and shows you what happened in the past.
00:42:10
Zach Sheets
And she only uses, like, an insult card, and then I'm like, oh you guys were outnumbered, huh? It was just He-Man. Pathetic. And then they have, like, the truth collar that they put on Kevin.
00:42:25
Zach Sheets
that forces them to tell the truth.
00:42:27
Chris Prime
Before that, what about the the like tracker device that blows up a microwave?
00:42:33
Zach Sheets
Oh, yeah, because, it well, I think that that was when they were trying to, like, get the accordance again of the Cosmic Key. It's like, oh, there's interference. And then it's because Kevin and, we we haven't mentioned yet, but James Tolkan as Hugh Lubick, the police detective, like, running around with them.
00:42:51
Zach Sheets
Basically, as Strickland from Back to the Future would like as a cop.
00:42:55
Chris Prime
Yeah, it's like he's too hard-boiled for this small town. I don't know if he's like... he They brought in this detective from like the nearest city, but he is an aggressive kind like detective for what is... like He's the only one that dresses like himself like that.
00:43:12
Chris Prime
Everyone else is patrolmen, if you do see them. And then it's like he's he's just like... He's like he's almost like ready for retirement, but we have no idea how old he is.
00:43:24
Zach Sheets
yeah He could be 40, he could be 60. We don't know.
00:43:29
Chris Prime
We don't know. That guy actually was pretty good at aging. You know? And it's like... This movie took place before Top Gun. But he looks younger than... I mean, he looks like the same than he was in Top Gun.
00:43:41
Zach Sheets
i mean, i think you I think you look the same basically for like many, many years.
00:43:46
Chris Prime
Yeah, yeah. But, like... It's like this movie is also packed with too many characters because it's it's not really necessary.
00:43:53
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
00:43:55
Chris Prime
His thing is just like an extra person with a gun. And he essentially plays the same role as Kevin and Julie where like they're not from that world. So they're just like caught in the middle.
00:44:06
Zach Sheets
Just trying to understand like what the hell is happening, who are these people, what's going on.
00:44:10
Chris Prime
But like you already have a pair of characters that ask all those questions. And it's like, yeah, do it again for a guy who completely like I don't know, like, just doesn't accept it for a while. Like, there's a point later where they go for his gun.
00:44:29
Zach Sheets
Well, yeah, that's crazy. Like, Wildor just, like, takes, like, they take his, I think Teal takes his gun and, it's like, gives it to Kevin, like, i trust you, Kevin, not this guy. Like, hold the gun on him and then make make sure, like, Wildor does the key. Because there's a big, like, siege on the music, they all, like, go to the music store and then, like, fortify themselves in there. And then it's, like, the full, like, Evil-Lynn brings, like, the full, like, battalion of Skeletor troopers to, like, attack them.
00:44:54
Chris Prime
They attack them, but they only go through the front. Like, they don't flank them. They're just like, alright, everyone just wait outside and start shooting at whatever moves in there. And then, like, granted, a lot of the mercenary guys that they had, like, whoever's left from that group, they're all close-range fighters.
00:45:14
Zach Sheets
Yeah, mm-hmm.
00:45:15
Chris Prime
Like, yeah, and they're just like, alright, well, you wait here.
00:45:15
Zach Sheets
Real melee guys, yeah.
00:45:19
Chris Prime
And then, like, the scene in the back where all the other characters who don't have a gun are just talking in the back room. it's It's not like they're trying to defend another position. They're just having a conversation long enough that there's a standoff.
00:45:35
Zach Sheets
Grydor needs to put the code like like the coordinates in so they can get back to Eternia. And then James Tolkien and Kevin are having a battle fight for like the the gun. Who controls the gun? And then Charlie the Music Store guy is just back there just like freaking out.
00:45:51
Zach Sheets
And then Julie sees like her mother in the alleyway. He's like, oh, my mom's out there. That's not weird. I'm going to go talk to her.
00:46:02
Chris Prime
I thought it it was like, if I remember this movie the way I did, it's like, I thought that scene went on for such, so long. Like, I thought that she sees her mom for more than that one scene.
00:46:14
Chris Prime
But it, because like later on, there's like a devastating part where Julie just couldn't get over it. She's just like, oh no.
00:46:22
Zach Sheets
well yeah she goes she she goes talk to her mom her mom's like oh hi honey like your dad and i faked our desks we've been working for the government
00:46:30
Chris Prime
Yeah, it's like, what?
00:46:32
Zach Sheets
they're like they're like uh peter parker's parents
00:46:36
Chris Prime
And the mom's just like, right go go steal the cosmic key.
00:46:39
Zach Sheets
We need that. We're working on that. That's part of our research. Like, go get it for us. It's like, okay.
00:46:46
Chris Prime
Well, and it's so funny that she just grabs it.
00:46:47
Zach Sheets
it's
00:46:49
Chris Prime
There's no, like, struggle with her. She's just like, oh, hey, Gilda, just give me that. And, like, runs out.
00:46:54
Zach Sheets
Yep.
00:46:55
Chris Prime
They don't run after her. Like,
00:46:56
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
00:46:57
Chris Prime
They really give her like a moment where it's like, did she really just do that?
00:47:02
Zach Sheets
And I don't even think it's like, I don't think she's like under a spell. I mean, obviously it's like an evil Lynn spell of like projecting herself to look like her, like Julie's mother. But it's not like she's like mind controlling Julie.
00:47:13
Zach Sheets
I think Julie's just like, oh, it's my mom. I'm going to do whatever she says.
00:47:16
Chris Prime
see, I thought that she was. That's why I'm like, when I watch it now, you realize this force ghost... was just like, hey, I'm back.
00:47:27
Chris Prime
Steal that shit.
00:47:29
Zach Sheets
like, sure thing, mom. Yeah, they're hugging and it turns to Evil Lynn and she's and like, yeah, Courtney Cox like freaks out.
00:47:35
Chris Prime
But like, in the terms of the freakout, I feel like there should have been a longer relationship, like a reconnection that turns out to be false. Like, yeah.
00:47:45
Zach Sheets
Like she actually goes with her or something and then and like...
00:47:47
Chris Prime
And then it's a bigger betrayal halfway through the third act or something, or even at the beginning of the third act, where She's like, oh, mom, like tell me where you've been. like I miss you so much. she're like, yeah, yeah, yeah, shut up. like And then, you know, the big reveal. And then Julie's kidnapped and put into like a prison.
00:48:05
Chris Prime
But are we going to mention that the sorceress is still like just standing in the throne room of Castle Grayskull? Yeah.
00:48:11
Zach Sheets
in in the In the force field, quote-unquote force field, it's just like a beam of light.
00:48:15
Chris Prime
Yeah, see, like, that's another thing. This movie has too many, like, overlapping characters that are very similar. Like, she's, there's already a captive princess, so the movie, like, a captive person, like a woman a damsel in distress.
00:48:29
Chris Prime
So there's that one. But then they get Julie, who almost becomes a damsel in distress, and then she just becomes, like, regular distress. Like, she's just a stress there. like I thought she would get captured.
00:48:40
Zach Sheets
Well, eventually...
00:48:42
Chris Prime
I thought there would be some sort of, like, heartbreak reveal that, you know, maybe she's from Eternia. Her parents didn't die. They got teleported to Eternia.
00:48:48
Zach Sheets
that
00:48:51
Zach Sheets
No, she just gets, like, poisoned. And it's like, well, she's out of the rest. She's, like, sleeping for rest of movie.
00:48:56
Chris Prime
yeah Yeah, it's not even like, you know, the, the like, the ghosts took over her mind. Like, Evelyn tried to, like, possess her.
00:49:06
Chris Prime
It was just like, go to bed.
00:49:07
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
00:49:10
Zach Sheets
like know she's been She got hit by whatever thing. like The Skeletor did some sort like poison on her. and it's like well you The only cure is to bring her back to Eternia.
00:49:21
Chris Prime
do they but like Did they give her anything when she was there? I don't remember her like eating anything.
00:49:26
Zach Sheets
and I think the Sorceress can cure it. that's That was like the whole thing. it's like Our Sorceress is the only one that can help her now. we have to free her.
00:49:33
Chris Prime
Oh. I think that's also He-Man's bullshit reason to be like, we just have to go back. like We to leave this place. Or like whatever whoever's left.
00:49:42
Zach Sheets
Well, there's so there's the whole... we Now we can talk about like the the hover bike chase. That is absolutely insane.
00:49:49
Chris Prime
I wouldn't call it a bike. It's just hover plat- hover disc, yeah.
00:49:52
Zach Sheets
hover disc?
00:49:55
Chris Prime
A bike implant you could sit on it.
00:49:55
Zach Sheets
I got...
00:49:56
Chris Prime
You have to stand.
00:49:58
Zach Sheets
I got very big Megaforce vibes from it. you know Remember Megaforce, the end, where he's on the flying motorcycle?
00:50:04
Chris Prime
Yeah, but you see that actually had like a seat and handles.
00:50:04
Zach Sheets
And it looks terrible?
00:50:07
Chris Prime
This is just- it's like a skateboard, but not quite.
00:50:11
Zach Sheets
is
00:50:13
Chris Prime
And it's just like superimposed Dolph Lundgren floating.
00:50:18
Zach Sheets
Well, if it's when it's close-ups and it's kind of like he's pretending to be on it, that's fine. But when they do like the full shots, like you see like someone like a full body shot of them on the hover disc thing. Yeah, it's it's not good
00:50:29
Chris Prime
The illusion breaks. And I think.
00:50:31
Zach Sheets
Yep.
00:50:33
Chris Prime
Yeah, that's where the budget comes in. And it sucks because like they they this is a night scene. Usually the bad CGI happens when it's like not quite dark. And it's like this is supposed to be I don't know, matching the tone. Again.
00:50:51
Chris Prime
We use for once because I think Return the Jedi had a chase scene. So they're just like that made money. So we'll have a chase scene on some sort of futuristic vehicle.
00:51:02
Zach Sheets
And it it they had to get some vehicles in there because like, like, Master's Universe, along with the figures, like, the big thing was like vehicles, like, they had all kinds of like different, like, tanks and flying discs that people fly in.
00:51:15
Zach Sheets
So like, when we need some sort of like vehicle toys.
00:51:19
Chris Prime
Yeah, it's like, do you want, I don't know, Evelyn's mini floating carriage?
00:51:24
Zach Sheets
want evil Do you want Evil Lin's barge or Skeletor's barge?
00:51:29
Chris Prime
Yeah, it's it's just barges. And it's like...
00:51:31
Zach Sheets
i guess <unk>ter I guess Skelter is more like a flying throne, but they're both basically the same thing. It's just like a big like hovercraft with like an open deck hovercraft.
00:51:40
Chris Prime
Again, it's because Return the Jedi a barge with a deck.
00:51:45
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
00:51:46
Chris Prime
So they're just like, that made money.
00:51:46
Zach Sheets
Yep.
00:51:48
Chris Prime
So we'll do the same thing. And my my Return the Jedi references do not stop because i think the final battle between Skeletor and He-Man is basically the same like Emperor's Throne Room battle like Duel of Fates happening again.
00:52:04
Zach Sheets
Yep. Yep.
00:52:08
Chris Prime
Which I think we could just, like, we did mention that this whole thing leads to He-Man being captured.
00:52:14
Zach Sheets
Well, he he he willingly gives himself up because Skeletor's like, come back to me, my slave He-Man, and then I'll let your friends live here on this primitive slop world.
00:52:14
Chris Prime
And then..................
00:52:28
Zach Sheets
And then he's like, yeah, this i I have no choice. I'll i'll i'll go with you and they make my friends safe. And then I think Skelter also blows up the power source of the like prototypes.
00:52:36
Chris Prime
protype
00:52:38
Zach Sheets
they they They lost the coordinates. They can't get back home now. But then luckily Kevin has he has perfect pitch. And they jerry-rig a new cosmic key with like a synthesizer and like cables running up to like the power like the power grid of the city.
00:52:58
Zach Sheets
And he's able to, like, because he heard the the song a bunch of times, like, he knows it now.
00:53:04
Zach Sheets
So that's how they're, like, all, like, the group that got left behind on Earth is able to, like, go back to Eternia. And teleport right back in the throne room.
00:53:12
Chris Prime
Oh yeah, like they're not even off coordinates. They just a straight up where they almost they left.
00:53:18
Zach Sheets
i do i do I do like that like like they bring like a chunk of like earth. It's like it's like a Terminator thing where the bubble like brought whatever was it like they were sitting in with them as part of the brick wall in half the car.
00:53:31
Chris Prime
Yeah, I think it's because like it big whatever like garbage version that they did, it's just like the area where the other versions is actually like a legit portal ring.
00:53:42
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
00:53:43
Chris Prime
and I did like that. It's it's a funny like like you know composition of a little bit of Earth showed up, and then it just now you're in this like shootout.
00:53:53
Zach Sheets
yeah James Tolkien just like has a shotgun. He's like blasting away Skeletor troopers now. And then, yeah, He-Man breaks loose from his... cat tip like He's locked in his chains. He breaks out of those. And then, yeah, it's the big final battle between him Skeletor. And then, Skeletor's also... the Whatever the ceremony was with cosmic eye or whatever it was going on, he has fulfilled it and he's he's become like a golden god.
00:54:24
Chris Prime
So, is that just what happens when you... Like, the golden armor, does would that appear on anyone? Or that was, like, a specific, like, this is the max level Skeletor. Like, he filled out all his stats, and so...
00:54:37
Zach Sheets
i guess I guess if you, so if someone else was there and absorbed like the power of the cosmos or whatever what was going on, like they would get like some sort of like special armor or become like a new form.
00:54:46
Chris Prime
Gold. But it's, like... But it's, like, yeah, like, the new form godlyhood of his is, like...
00:54:53
Zach Sheets
He looks like Shao Kahn.
00:54:55
Chris Prime
Yeah, yeah.
00:54:56
Zach Sheets
Like a golden Shao Kahn.
00:54:58
Chris Prime
It does look like a character skin he unlocked. But, like, it doesn't really do anything different for him. It's not like suddenly he's more powerful. I think he just has a golden staff, which is different from his regular staff.
00:55:11
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:55:12
Chris Prime
And... Again, it's not like, okay, now you're the most powerful being, he can float and do whatever. Like, he still chooses to, like, have a melee duel.
00:55:22
Zach Sheets
Yeah. A mano a mano battle with He-Man.
00:55:26
Chris Prime
Which I don't understand. It's like, you're, you're, you aren't known for your fighting, Skeletor.
00:55:31
Chris Prime
Unless he is in other versions, so he's also like a master swordsman, but he always carries a staff.
00:55:31
Zach Sheets
Yeah, you
00:55:37
Zach Sheets
you Yeah, you you would think he would get, like, whatever power he just absorbed, like, it would give him some sort of new powerful spells or something, or, like, an energy blast or something that he could, like, use against He-Man, that He-Man has, like, deflect or absorb or something with the sword, but it's like, no, it's like, I'm attacking with my staff, let's go.
00:55:55
Chris Prime
even bit crazier, but a cool thing is like now he wields the sword.
00:56:01
Chris Prime
you know He grabbed the sword, now it's like, oh, that's part of the thing. You just can't have the sword like power. it's like You also have to hold the sword. So He-Man has to fight a against like basically version of himself.
00:56:13
Zach Sheets
has to get yeah He has to get it back.
00:56:16
Chris Prime
And he has to realize that you know the power wasn't really about the sword. It's about it iss really not about the man. It's about being I don't know. Like, he.
00:56:27
Zach Sheets
Oh, i think I think we should probably mention, too, like I think it's right before this final flight. is like it's So it's an hour and, what, 30 minutes at the movie is finally when He-Man says, I have the power.
00:56:35
Chris Prime
Oh, yeah. It is a long time waiting for this one moment. And I...
00:56:41
Zach Sheets
But it's also weird, because he doesn't need to transform, he's already He-Man, so I don't know why he needs to, like...
00:56:45
Chris Prime
Say that?
00:56:46
Zach Sheets
say that yeah
00:56:48
Chris Prime
No idea. See, that's what i was like, i don't understand. And then it's like, is it supposed to imply that He-Man... is on the same power level as the golden god Skeletor.
00:56:59
Chris Prime
He is then, right? Like, it's, like, he was a...
00:57:02
Zach Sheets
mean, he's fighting it pretty handily, so...
00:57:05
Chris Prime
Yeah, so, like, he's the... So it didn't matter? like, it... The power scale's off. So you mean to tell me that He-Man was always as powerful that he could take on the golden god version of Skeletor?
00:57:16
Chris Prime
Or is the golden god version of Skeletor just, like, not as good?
00:57:23
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:57:25
Chris Prime
That's what confused about. it's not like It's not like he shouts that and absorbs the power from Skeletor.
00:57:32
Chris Prime
He just...
00:57:32
Zach Sheets
Something yeah so these should happen like that, yeah.
00:57:34
Chris Prime
See? And it's like... I thought the Eye of the Power, he absorbs the power, and now it's like gonna be an unfair fight, or it's gonna be an even fight.
00:57:46
Chris Prime
like He had to depower. And like... they probably would have swapped another body double instead of, like, jacked off London, which has been completely, like, a different actor.
00:57:56
Chris Prime
And then he, like, pumps back up. And now he can take on Skeletor. Like, that kind of makes sense, you know? Like, the Eye of the Power gives you a temporary boost so you can then take on magical creatures.
00:58:09
Chris Prime
But the movie just forgets that.
00:58:11
Zach Sheets
Yeah, the torture should have like trained him on his powers or something and made him like Prince Adam again.
00:58:18
Chris Prime
Or just like, yeah, just depowers him. You don't have to make it seem like, you know, he changes muscle size.
00:58:20
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
00:58:23
Chris Prime
Just say, okay, you've got the regular strength of like, less than like, you know, what you are. And just say that, or just make him look weak. And then, when he gets the sword back and shouts, I have the power, like, recharges him, it maybe heals a wound. That would have been fine. Actually, yeah, and the more I'm thinking of that, that totally makes more sense, because it's basically just like going Super Saiyan
00:58:47
Zach Sheets
is
00:58:50
Zach Sheets
But yeah, I think we think we mentioned that the final battle is takes place basically in like the dark because they had literally no money left. Like, I think the director, like Gary Goddard, the director had like funded with his own money.
00:59:02
Zach Sheets
and then it was like a very limited crew. And then like, it was Dolph Morgan. And then like, I think it was Anthony DeLongas who played Blade had the, was like the stunt double for Golden God Skeletor.
00:59:15
Zach Sheets
and So this is this is this is like, they're trying to make it like stylized, like, oh, there it's like, <unk>re they're in like this void, like this final battle is taking place in this like dark void.
00:59:24
Chris Prime
Yeah, where like basically everyone's just watching and no one's interfering, but just...
00:59:29
Zach Sheets
i think they tried to do something, I think they tried to do something with like them, cla when they clash like their store the sword and the staff together, there's like this like like but energy blast.
00:59:38
Chris Prime
Oh, that's what they're implying?
00:59:39
Zach Sheets
And then it's sort of like, oh, and then i don't know it teleported in different like plane, or if there's like so something about that like made it like, an now we're now we're in like the dark, because it's like stylized fight scene.
00:59:53
Chris Prime
I feel like there's another movie that kind of does something like that, where when they fight, they it's basically a different set, but they want to make it seem like it's just these two things.
01:00:04
Chris Prime
It's a very like classic, alright, we gotta save the budget scene. But...
01:00:09
Zach Sheets
Well, I mean, a Ghost Rider last week, we talked about it. like When like Blackout was fighting somebody.
01:00:11
Chris Prime
Yeah.
01:00:14
Chris Prime
But that was a style scene. like That was like not a budget. They were just like, this is cool, right?
01:00:19
Zach Sheets
who
01:00:20
Chris Prime
yeah, I guess like when they fought their swords, their powers clash, all the colors disappeared.
Final Battle and Budget Constraints
01:00:27
Chris Prime
All the light goes to them.
01:00:29
Zach Sheets
they blew out all the lights. They blew out the electricity.
01:00:31
Chris Prime
This is what so this is what it really means be masters of the universe is you control light particles.
01:00:38
Chris Prime
Because again, I think i mentioned earlier in this pod, I was like, they don't really explain what being the master does.
01:00:44
Zach Sheets
Well, I think Skeletor says it at one point He's like, i will be a master of the universe. i think like I think right before like the the ritual or something, or when he's talking about like how he's going absorb the power.
01:00:59
Zach Sheets
so he So he gets the titular line. And yeah, he may get to say, I have the power with like 10 minutes left in the movie.
01:01:06
Chris Prime
Yeah, the pacing for this is awful. like Just to get to the parts where kids are recognizing it or like what's the series known for.
01:01:13
Zach Sheets
But yeah, so they fight, and then, like i think like mention you mentioned, Chris, like it's Return of the Jedi. He-Man throws Skeletor into like this pit. That's basically the Emperor getting thrown into the pit.
01:01:23
Chris Prime
Which, wait, wait. What pit? Why do they have a pit in Castle Grayskull? Like, why does it need that? Like, it's supposed to be a friendly castle. What? what Put it. What?
01:01:33
Zach Sheets
Yeah, it's just it's like a like a bridge or something over... like I don't it know if it's lava. It's like slime.
01:01:41
Chris Prime
Their waste? that Their byproduct?
01:01:42
Zach Sheets
It's like corrosive slime. or Yeah.
01:01:46
Chris Prime
See, that's i mean. Like, I don't think He-Man and his family were the good guys either. They had a moon door or whatever.
01:01:54
Zach Sheets
we We have this pit of industrial waste from like...
01:01:57
Chris Prime
Yeah, it's like, well, wait, what is, and then later, one of the human characters should have asked that, and like, wait a minute, like, what is that? It's like, oh, that's a Charneo's nuclear waste program. Like, what?
01:02:06
Zach Sheets
what's what's your What's your industry here at Eternia?
01:02:08
Chris Prime
It's like, music, and cosmic instruments, and then like, I don't know, and like, melting people?
01:02:18
Zach Sheets
Arms. We made we make all all all those guns that Skeletor's Armies had, we made them.
01:02:25
Chris Prime
Again, if you're the human, you're just going off this one group and you just don't have any other information. You should be questioning this. You're like, really? Like, that's what detective... Okay, now i take it back.
01:02:36
Chris Prime
The detective part should have been like, hey, what is this pit? Like, asking all those other questions that the, like, the law the romantic duo don't bother to to know. Because they're kids. So I get, like, they got kid things. therere One of them was easily fuel fooled by a ghost woman. So, like...
01:02:54
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
01:02:56
Chris Prime
I think the detective should have been like, I'm actually a detective. Like, what's up with this? I've got questions.
01:03:01
Zach Sheets
But then Lubix is like all in. I was like, I'm staying here, man. i'm done. I'm not going back to Earth. I'm staying on journey
01:03:07
Chris Prime
See, then it makes it seem like is Lubick staying here because like he's running debts? Did he murder someone? Was he a corrupt cop? It would have been better if basically he was a corrupt cop in that town or in whatever that city is.
01:03:22
Chris Prime
And then in order to do like a clean slate, he's going to bring justice to like Eternia. It's like, OK. I actually do enjoy being a cop. I'm here to like help put some order back in this land now.
01:03:37
Chris Prime
But it seems like he's there and he's just like, i don't know, it's vacation. I get to live like a Greek god.
01:03:43
Zach Sheets
Yeah, I've got this, I got like a bodacious babe, I'm like, I'm a hero of these people now.
01:03:49
Chris Prime
And then when... Watch, he regrets this. Watch when they when it's like, oh yeah, no, like you can't eat meat. You can't drink.
01:03:56
Zach Sheets
the second, the second, like, Julie and Kevin leave, there's, like, he finds out the the true nature of Eternia, and it's like, here' oh, if you're gonna live here, here's our laws. It's like, no
01:04:07
Chris Prime
It's like...
01:04:07
Zach Sheets
<unk> It's like the Twilight Zone.
01:04:08
Chris Prime
Yeah, no, that's on my way. way He makes it seem like... but there's not enough time has passed. It seems like this is the next hour where like they defeat Skeletor. And then it's like, let's do a ceremony.
01:04:23
Zach Sheets
It's
01:04:25
Chris Prime
I understand they were here for like a week to like, kind of, they show them the like, okay, Hey, we got some rebuilding to do. We got rebuild the travel device and like, let's celebrate this victory.
01:04:35
Zach Sheets
going to take a few days to heal Julie because she has this like horrible poison in her. Sorcerer
01:04:41
Chris Prime
literally there's like the next minute they're like alright time to send you back
01:04:45
Zach Sheets
just like waves her hand over it. You're healed. You're healed.
01:04:49
Zach Sheets
Yeah, Julian Kevin are going to head back to Earth. They get like this like pendant to remind them of their time in Eternia. And then we get one of the best bits of just thrown away dialogue ever in a movie where Goulders is like, hey, you want to go a different time when you go back?
01:05:05
Zach Sheets
You can time travel now.
01:05:09
Chris Prime
Yeah, consequences mean nothing.
01:05:11
Zach Sheets
And then they're like, and we're fine, we're good.
01:05:13
Chris Prime
But he's just like, okay, but I'm goldor i'm Gildor.
01:05:18
Zach Sheets
i don't think I don't think that's really what you want, so I'm going to do it anyway. but but but but Boop,
01:05:24
Chris Prime
Then you find out that, like, Julie killed her parents, like, on purpose.
Time Travel and Plot Twists
01:05:29
Zach Sheets
I didn't want to go back. didn't to go back now.
01:05:32
Chris Prime
Well, I thought, okay, in a weird way, I thought this movie but for Julia was her accepting, like, death.
01:05:40
Zach Sheets
Repairs to death. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
01:05:41
Chris Prime
And the way Man-at-Arms and Tila give her a goodbye, it's like, we don't say goodbye, we say good journey. Because like every departure is like a moving on to the next adventure.
01:05:47
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
01:05:53
Chris Prime
or like you know every It's like some like doorway thing they say. Some metaphor for like moving on is like the next step of life. So there's no goodbyes.
01:06:01
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
01:06:03
Chris Prime
It's very poetic. actually It's really like nice to hear something like that, where it's like, goodbyes aren't forever. like It's always like the next thing. then and then it's thrown out the window completely when gildor is just like yeah he's like and you know what we are the masters of the universe it's just like whoa whoa whoa you can time travel now masters and that's the thing that's nothing to do with the damn sword that has nothing to do with the power that is just the device that gildor invented
01:06:16
Zach Sheets
Gro's like, fuck that.
01:06:33
Zach Sheets
Yeah. he He invented the most powerful thing in the universe.
01:06:36
Chris Prime
Yeah, you control time. You control everything like the sword golden God.
01:06:41
Zach Sheets
Time and space. Yeah.
01:06:42
Chris Prime
Yeah, like like power up Skeletor and He-Man just had a sword fight and then that was it. And then like they didn't fix or break anything. It was just like a fight.
01:06:54
Chris Prime
Kildur is a time wizard. he He was just like, hey, we can go fuck.
01:06:56
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
01:06:58
Chris Prime
We can mess with your planet's timeline because knowing what you know, we can send you back. But like, we don't understand the rules. Does this mean that there's two Julia's running around that same timeline?
01:07:11
Chris Prime
Why is it a conscious that goes back? No idea.
01:07:15
Zach Sheets
but well which by speakbook like Yeah, so Julie julie wakes up. Her parents are are alive. It's the day they were going to fly the plane and crash. then she's like, you get you can't fly that plane. She steals her keys. And then she runs on the street. Kevin's running into like her house. And he's like he remembers, too. yeah and he knows that they've time traveled. And he's like, oh my God. it's We time traveled. like Here's that pendant that they gave us.
01:07:39
Zach Sheets
that everything what It was real, but but now we're like now we have like a second chance to like do whatever.
01:07:45
Chris Prime
But does that mean like Detective LeBloc doesn't exist any anymore?
01:07:50
Zach Sheets
is is is he yes Is he not an attorney anymore? Because they they're trying to travel back, and then like is Skeletor... Are they going to attack it? Is it all going to happen again?
01:08:01
Zach Sheets
Because...
01:08:02
Chris Prime
Well, no, I don't know if they get sent in the past in their own dimension. Does it matter to the other dimension? Because it's like. running in parallel. Like, for all we know, Eternia is basically future Earth.
01:08:16
Zach Sheets
Mm-mm.
01:08:16
Chris Prime
And then they basically went back in time.
01:08:21
Chris Prime
time Like, the dimensional portal isn't dimensional portaling. It's actually a time machine already. Like, you know what I mean? Like, it they didn't travel to another, like, parallel universe. They literally were just like, oh, we went back.
01:08:37
Chris Prime
Like, this movie is actually a time travel movie all along.
01:08:41
Zach Sheets
it's It's so insane just to throw it in, like, the last, literally the last minute of the movie. It's like, oh, by the way, time travel. See ya!
01:08:46
Chris Prime
Yeah, you mess with sci-fi. Then you mess with like time sci-fi, like like high fantasy sci-fi. So like just this is ships. These are monsters.
01:08:57
Chris Prime
This is technology that doesn't exist. Fine. But it's like you understand some sort of practicality. Last five minutes of the movie, time travel exists.
01:09:08
Chris Prime
Gildor is a time wizard. And then we brought back dead parents. And then it's like, you want to throw an extra twist? It's like, maybe Julia's the one that cut the bricks to her parents, like, airplane.
01:09:22
Chris Prime
Or it was Kevin.
01:09:24
Zach Sheets
yep
01:09:24
Chris Prime
Because Kevin is like, really like, oh, I love Julia. It's like, I don't want you to go. and it's just like, why not? that's What did you do?
01:09:33
Zach Sheets
there's There's kind of a weird thing early like when they they're talking about they're at the grave and Julia's like she's explaining what happened and she's like Oh, i was supposed to I was supposed to go the beach with them, but then I told them I was going to be home studying, but I was actually hanging out with you, and then they went on plane and died.
01:09:46
Chris Prime
hang out with. Yeah.
01:09:50
Zach Sheets
was kind of like blaming him for the plane crash.
01:09:53
Chris Prime
Yeah. Yeah. That's why she can't like be with him. She loves him, but she's like, I think like, I don't know. Like what does she blame? What happens on him? Like fully?
01:10:04
Chris Prime
Like,
01:10:04
Zach Sheets
Part of it, I guess, yeah.
01:10:06
Chris Prime
But they really don't explore it because the movie just is so cram full of other things that, again, would have been hilarious if Kevin, at the like, he actually has, like, i don't know wire cutters in his pocket. And it's like, he looks at the camera, it's like, shh.
01:10:21
Chris Prime
So instead of, like, the surprise post-credit ending, it's Kevin that looks at the camera.
01:10:27
Zach Sheets
I'll be back!
01:10:29
Chris Prime
It's like, oh, I'll have you, Julia. I'll have you all to it myself. I'm your master of the universe.
01:10:37
Zach Sheets
But yeah, the time travel just opens up a whole can of worms, though. like why didn't like If Gwildar could time travel with the Kazuki, why not go back and stop Skeletor from taking over in the first place?
01:10:49
Zach Sheets
Or if Skeletor knew that he could time travel, why didn't he go back time and do over the...
01:10:53
Chris Prime
I don't think he knew because he didn't have Gildor to explain.
01:10:55
Zach Sheets
He definitely did. I think he would like, Saletor would have been like, oh i can time travel. I'm going go back and like kill baby He-Man or something. Like, do something horrible.
01:11:01
Chris Prime
But it's also one of those things where if you think about causality, i think Gildor made the device for the war, right? So if you stop the war, you don't have the device.
01:11:16
Chris Prime
So like you need certain events to happen in order for the consequence to happen.
01:11:21
Zach Sheets
I wonder, you know, there's that one theory where like you can't go to a time where time travel hasn't invented yet. <unk>s like There's like a theory where like you can only go back, part that you can go back is like when time travel first got created.
01:11:33
Chris Prime
Like, up until?
01:11:35
Zach Sheets
Yeah, like if you're in the future, you you can only go back in the past until there's like, where there's still time travel like machines. Because like if you go before that, there's no there's not a time travel device like let you time travel.
01:11:46
Chris Prime
But no, i don't I don't understand that one. So, like, i if I have a device, I can only time travel up until that device existed and then in the future. Like, from the past to that point where got created.
01:12:00
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
01:12:01
Chris Prime
But time travel shouldn't work like that. It's like a rewind completely. So like, it doesn't matter if your time device didn't exist at that point. the The thing allows you to bypass that rule.
01:12:13
Chris Prime
so you can just go back. And then it's like, if you mess up and let's say you drop that device, then that's like whatever the plot of the movie would be. We're like, does the device show up later? Does it inspire? Like who made what first? Yeah.
01:12:29
Chris Prime
Like, that's usually the paradox of, like, which one.
01:12:31
Zach Sheets
Mm-hmm.
01:12:32
Chris Prime
It's the... Some movies do it well, and some movies don't. But this movie just does introduces sort of, like, the idea, and then just backs out. Like, you know what mean? It mentions it, and then goes, don't worry, maybe the sequel explain. And you're like, I don't believe it. there' That should have been, like, the sequel. Like, that point with the time travel...
01:12:54
Chris Prime
Should have been the sequel where something goes wrong. They go back to Eternia. Gilder goes mention, I made some improvements. Now we can time travel. Let's try to let's do a Bill and Ted.
01:13:03
Zach Sheets
make it and Make it Back to the Future 2, yeah, where they they like they like see themselves from the first movie.
01:13:08
Chris Prime
Yep. And i'm like, I would been down with that. Like, it's such a silly idea of a sequel premise where it's like, now it's got time travel. It's like, okay, I get the stretch, but at least you have time to groom it out.
01:13:24
Chris Prime
You just can't be like, it's time travel. Or was it all a dream? Because it's also kind of like in my head. Because they like have the like the little like trinket from Eternia, they're like, it was real the whole time.
01:13:38
Zach Sheets
Yep.
01:13:39
Chris Prime
But in in in terms of if you see the movie and you saw the last 10 minutes, this would have been it. Like, it's a short story where, like, Julia wakes up and she's like, wait, look at all. I went on a crazy adventure. And then it's like my my parents were gone, but they're here now. Everything's OK. And it's like.
01:13:57
Chris Prime
Yeah. So none of that happened.
01:13:58
Zach Sheets
if it it kind It kind of feels like like they came up with the ending where like Julie's parents are alive and then someone's like, wait, how are they alive? And then they're like, Gilderoy to something about time travel.
01:14:09
Zach Sheets
But give him a line about time travel. Just like, have just like toss that out like randomly. Yeah.
01:14:15
Chris Prime
Yeah, it can go either way. i can think, like, they mention the time travel because they filmed the ending, or they had the parents come to life, like, Gildor, like, resurrected the dead, and they're like, no, it's too much.
01:14:29
Chris Prime
You know?
01:14:29
Zach Sheets
That's too dark. yeah
01:14:30
Chris Prime
It's, like, too dark.
01:14:32
Chris Prime
I can see that, where it's like, okay, well, we took some DNA from your parents, and then we cloned them. But...
01:14:39
Zach Sheets
they really were They really were working for the government.
01:14:41
Chris Prime
Yeah, they show up at the end and go, well, we came out of hiding because like a lot of radiation came from this town and we wanted to protect you from it. You know, it can go either way. like In a weird way, it could have gone either way with like enough of the insanity. But like this is a fantasy kids property. You can go any direction with it. And they what they chose was to like do like a Twilight Zone thing.
01:15:07
Zach Sheets
is
01:15:09
Zach Sheets
And then one would let one last I have the power just like get in there just like alright we didn't we didn't do enough here's a random one for you.
01:15:17
Chris Prime
And it's like a dream sequence.
01:15:19
Zach Sheets
in like it like the pen Inside the pendant, I guess, is like a little like hologram or like a little He-Man that yells, i had the power.
01:15:27
Chris Prime
Yeah, is he independent? Is the Pendant viewing He-Man anytime he does that? Is Eternia independent too? Like, it's a, like...
01:15:36
Zach Sheets
It's men in black. It's like the galaxy inside the pearl.
01:15:36
Chris Prime
Yeah.
01:15:39
Chris Prime
Did they travel outside the Pearl into the real Terria? Like, into the real Earthrealm? Like... I mean, I'm looking too deep, but I mean, you just introduced time travel and then like my, your brain, at least like a nerd brain like this doesn't shut off. It's just, you know, you're like, what is the Eternia thing? Like a like an actual beacon. If you hit it, what happens? like
01:16:03
Zach Sheets
It's a walkie-talkie. You can talk to He-Man on it. He-Man, we need you.
01:16:08
Chris Prime
I mean, I could see that was like, whenever you need us, like hit this pendant and we'll like come running and kick ass. And it's like, okay.
01:16:15
Zach Sheets
That might be what happened the planned sequel of like, oh, they need to contact He-Man and Teela and them again. So they use the pendant. They figure out the pendant is like a communicator or something.
01:16:29
Chris Prime
yeah but That's like a totally like early 80s or early 90s kind of plot device.
01:16:36
Chris Prime
It's like, oh, you are now the champions of Earth, Mighty Julia Kevin.
01:16:43
Zach Sheets
And skeleton we know
Impact on Canon Films and Movie Critique
01:16:44
Zach Sheets
Skeletor was going to be back. Because he pops out of the sludge and yells, I'm back.
01:16:48
Chris Prime
mean, because i don't know if like that fall can kill him. It obviously didn't.
01:16:57
Zach Sheets
he's also a skeleton, man. So I don't know. Like, he's kind of already dead.
01:17:01
Chris Prime
Does he... Yeah, like...
01:17:02
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
01:17:04
Chris Prime
He's magic.
01:17:05
Zach Sheets
Yeah.
01:17:07
Chris Prime
Pretty sure you need to use other magic things to stop magic.
01:17:11
Chris Prime
Not just shoving.
01:17:26
Zach Sheets
films.
01:17:29
Chris Prime
Yeah, it took like a triple threat to finally topple them.
01:17:33
Zach Sheets
They bet too big on certain things and it really backfired on them.
01:17:41
Zach Sheets
like Everyone loves Superman. but We'll make the worst Superman movie of all. Everyone loves He-Man. We'll make one four years three or four years after it's like hit its peak. It's peak popularity.
01:17:56
Chris Prime
Yeah, it's just like late to the ball, and then what they presented wasn't subversive enough. They're like, oh, you thought it would be taking place on Eternia? Wrong. It's Earth. And then it's like, okay, so what do they do on Earth? Well, they just go to like a high school.
01:18:11
Zach Sheets
They run around the suburbs. The abandoned streets of the suburbs.
01:18:15
Chris Prime
Well, it's like one street, a high school, a music shop, and then like Julia's house.
01:18:21
Zach Sheets
A park. Yeah.
01:18:23
Chris Prime
Yeah, yeah, I got parked.
01:18:23
Zach Sheets
like like Like a town square.
01:18:23
Chris Prime
So That's it. like And and like no one's there to witness. There's no bystanders like pointing and like going, oh no, what's this? or like It's ruining like a town parade or something.
01:18:37
Zach Sheets
and an army is evading our town. Like an army of weird robots.
01:18:41
Chris Prime
and And like...
01:18:42
Zach Sheets
in a skeleton man
01:18:45
Chris Prime
Is also, is it prom night too? Or whatever? Is like a dance night?
01:18:49
Zach Sheets
it was gonna be yeah until a school burned down one crazy night
01:18:53
Chris Prime
Everything happens in one day.
01:18:58
Chris Prime
It really is just one night of like non-stop like go to here, go to there, go to there. Alright, go to Eternia.
01:19:04
Chris Prime
Yeah, you need like a pause. you needed it This movie needed a heart-to-heart where Julia kind of opens up to He-Man and and he does one of those like PSA talks. He's like, hey now, everyone it's okay to feel sad.
01:19:20
Zach Sheets
your parents live in here, and points to her heart.
01:19:23
Chris Prime
Yeah, and then
01:19:23
Zach Sheets
They're always with you.
01:19:25
Chris Prime
And then he mentions his parents, but like he doesn't.
01:19:28
Zach Sheets
i might have parents. Maybe, in this Witness universe.
01:19:31
Chris Prime
I might be King Adam. I don't know. I might be a prince.
01:19:35
Zach Sheets
Am I, like, is this alternate universe? Probably.
01:19:40
Zach Sheets
yeah so i mean, so some things this movie did become, like, you know, showed up in other things later on.
01:19:45
Chris Prime
Yeah, a few of the villains finally like appeared in other things.
01:19:50
Zach Sheets
Like, I think, i especially in, like, the Kevin Smith show, that I think, like, Gwildor shows up, and, like, I think Blade does, and does Karg show up in that?
01:20:00
Zach Sheets
I know, i know eventually, like, a bunch of them figures, too, so
Nostalgia and Casting Reflections
01:20:05
Chris Prime
Yeah, that's for like the diehard...
01:20:08
Zach Sheets
Yeah, think I think it was like especially the like the like the collector edition figures that like Patel puts out. Like the Die Hard collector's like, oh, you want Karg from the movie? here Here's a Karg figure, finally, in like 2018 or whatever it was.
01:20:24
Zach Sheets
But yeah, I mean, I think it's it's still, it's got like a, you know, it's got a weird charm to it.
01:20:32
Chris Prime
Yeah, it like it doesn't hold up in a like, hey, I want to throw this on be like entertained by like our standard movie. This feels like a
01:20:45
Chris Prime
more of a like classic, like nostalgia trip where you need to be in that like you had to have some He-Man experience from that error or else like it falls flat to like know all this.
01:21:00
Chris Prime
where Yeah, like
01:21:00
Zach Sheets
and i was was And obviously Dolph also got like way better after this. But his movies got like progressively better like in the years after this one.
01:21:09
Chris Prime
like it's still like a not a bad Dolph Lundgren movie. it It's like it's compy or it's campy. It's also like bloated and just sort of like plot and characters, but it's like not boring.
01:21:26
Zach Sheets
No, yeah, there' there's a a bunch of crazy stuff happening. Frank Langella is, like, doing Shakespearean monologues as as in a skull mask.
01:21:36
Chris Prime
I think, but was this Courtney Cox? Like there's like her third for her first movie.
01:21:44
Zach Sheets
I mean, I think she did a bunch of TV stuff, like, before this. Like, she was on, like, Well, I canceled show called Misfits of Science. That was like her first like big starring role.
01:21:57
Zach Sheets
She's like one of the leads on that show.
Comparison with Newer Adaptations
01:22:00
Zach Sheets
But then it was like...
01:22:02
Zach Sheets
yeah You know what I mean? It was like a movie called Down Twisted.
01:22:06
Zach Sheets
And of course the Bruce Springsteen Dancing in the Dark music video. That was probably the biggest thing she was in before this.
01:22:17
Chris Prime
I mean, she's not terrible. It could have been way worse for a whiny character, but it's the totally mid-performance for like a team or like wanna be teen, teen.
01:22:35
Zach Sheets
And then the new one, i would say, is like the polar opposite of this one, where it's like everything is like cartoon accurate but as far as like the looks everything, but then also like the tone is completely different from this movie. where it's It's
Podcast Updates and Future Content
01:22:51
Zach Sheets
a much more humor-leaning new movie. so i don't know. i pretty i pretty I'm kind of mixing the new one.
01:23:00
Zach Sheets
i Look for a review on the site, but it's you can probably wait until it's on Amazon because it's obviously it's it's an Amazon movie, so it'll be on Prime sometime later this year. so you can just like check it out there. i don't know if need rush out to the theater to see a new one.
01:23:16
Zach Sheets
But it it it is very, at least visually, it's very accurate to the cartoons and the toys. So it's got that going for it.
01:23:26
Chris Prime
Hey, better than just introducing new characters we have no idea who they are.
01:23:33
Zach Sheets
and uh yes i think they'll do is for this week uh said head over site i if it's not up there but right now review of the new messages will be up there soon and uh all kinds of other stuff we got uh there's tons of trailers that going on and not just movie trailers but uh video game trailers because it's I think it's summer summer of games. Is that the official or summer games fest is going on as you're hearing this? So there's like a Sony presentation. They had a bunch of new stuff there. There's like the Jeff Keighley hosted presentation. I think if you're hearing this, like it and's today when you're hearing this, if you're here listening, it's Friday.
01:24:10
Zach Sheets
And Xbox is like this weekend. So if like those, we'll probably have those presentations up or a challenge for those up on the site. So have check those out.
01:24:18
Zach Sheets
And you can also listen to our most recent commentary still, the Hitman 1847 commentary that's up on the site. And all the other user stuff is up is that there. Well, head over to check all that stuff out.
01:24:32
Zach Sheets
Oh, and then next week, come back, we're diving into Super 8, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary. And also it kind of ties into Disclosure Day, which is, you we're getting a new Steven Spielberg alien movie.
01:24:43
Zach Sheets
And Super 8 is a very heavily Steven Spielberg inspired alien movie. i think yeah i think he produced I think he was the producer on that, which is why it feels like so Steven Spielberg-y.
01:24:55
Chris Prime
Yeah. It's like J.J. Abrams wants to make a Steven Spielberg movie with Steven Spielberg.
01:25:01
Zach Sheets
so All right, I'll help you. Ambulin will make it. So we'll we'll dive into all that next week. So come back for that. And yes, for Chris, I'm Zach, and we'll see you next time.