He-Man Is Finally for Kids Again

As He-Man and the Masters of the Universe debuts on Netflix in the present day, it’s going to mark the third present to bear the identify. The first was the basic ‘80s cartoon that made the franchise and accompanying toyline a mega-hit. The second, in 2002, tried to get kids interested in the character of He-Man again but failed by stepping almost solely in the shoes of the 20-year-old original. The new, CG-animated He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series has not made that mistake.

While the show has reinvented He-Man’s core idea, it definitely hasn’t reinvented fashionable cartoons. It feels, and appears, like a modern-day, CG-animated youngsters’ sequence like Star Wars Rebels, the Lego cartoons, and others. There’s the identical mixture of kid-appropriate motion, drama, and humor; nothing is so dire {that a} one-liner can’t be dropped. The transformations are pure anime, whereas each the heroes and villains have “special moves” that would have come proper out of a online game. While many of the first season’s 10 episodes have their very own particular person adventures, there’s sufficient serialized storytelling that ought to maintain youngsters .

The operative phrase there being “should.” For me, the present’s largest flaw was that the ten episodes of season one really feel extra like a prologue to the present somewhat than the present itself. Plenty of main developments are parceled out very slowly, or saved for the two-part finale, which could—would possibly—frustrate its younger viewers. However, it’s fully attainable that that is solely a grievance from an old-school He-Man fan who has sure expectations of the place the story goes to go or is “supposed” to go. The youngsters whose first expertise of Masters of the Universe is that this cartoon won’t really feel just like the present is dragging its heels within the slightest.

If the character designs or the trailer hasn’t clued you in, this new sequence will not be for longtime He-Man followers (that’s the different Netflix present). It’s tailor-made to the preteens of 2021 and has up to date the franchise accordingly. The present has saved its fundamental premise—Prince Adam has a magic sword that enables him to show into the buff, highly effective He-Man, and he and his heroic associates battle Skeletor and his evil minions—and that’s nearly fully it. It’s unattainable (for me, anyway) to speak about this new sequence with out speaking about all of the methods it deviates from the unique, so permit us to get into some spoilers.

When the sequence begins, Prince Adam is not any prince (not less than so far as he is aware of). His first recollections had been being adopted into the Tiger Tribe, a forest-dwelling individuals who coexist alongside a pack of inexperienced, yellow-striped tigers. His greatest associates are Krass and Cringer, the latter of whom is a full-sized tiger and no scaredy-cat (having earned his identify for a really cool purpose). When we meet the witch-thief Teela and tech man Duncan—no relation—they’re each working for the unhealthy guys, Evelyn and Kronis, though that doesn’t final lengthy. In quick order, the 4 teenagers and tiger are defending Castle Grayskull and the folks of Eternos from Evelyn, Kronis, the poacher R’Qazz, and the newly resurrected sorcerer Keldor, who has a connection to Adam old-school followers received’t be shocked by.

If you’re questioning the place the normal heroes like Man-at-Arms and villains like Beast-Man are, I can guarantee you they’re nonetheless a part of the present. It simply occurs to be by He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’s largest, greatest, and most fashionable replace. When Prince Adam transforms into He-Man, he doesn’t simply change Cringer into Battle Cat. He also can energy up Teela into Sorceress, Duncan into Man-at-Arms, and Krass into the splendidly named Ram Ma’am. All 5, in impact, have the ability in addition to the flexibility to turn into Masters of the Universe. It’s a way more egalitarian He-Man cartoon, and since Skeletor (ultimately) can equally increase his minions into basic foes, it’s plenty of enjoyable. And if the present needs to have an opportunity at getting youngsters curious about He-Man once more, enjoyable is way, far more vital than a singular devotion to the unique sequence.

Regardless of whether or not this Masters of the Universe sequence succeeds or fails with its supposed viewers, I’m nothing however impressed. Netflix and Mattel have managed to reinvent He-Man for 2021, a feat that I actually thought was unattainable. It’s dared to drop all of the elements of the ‘80s series that had become dead weight, and wise enough to emulate the cartoons that kids today are watching. Maybe He-Man and the Masters of the Universe won’t be sufficient to hook a brand new technology of viewers, but it surely’s lastly received an actual shot—and that’s one thing He-Man followers of all ages ought to be completely happy about.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe stars Yuri Lowenthal as Adam/He-Man, David Kaye as Cringer/Battle Cat, Grey Griffin as Evelyn/Evil-Lyn, Antony Del Rio as Duncan/Man-at-Arms, Kimberly Brooks as Teela/Sorceress, Trevor Devall as R’Qazz/Beast Man, Judy Alice Lee as Krass/Ram Ma’am, Roger Craig Smith as Kronis/Trap-Jaw, Ben Diskin as Keldor/Skeletor, Fred Tatasciore as King Randor, and Tom Kenny because the robotic Ork-0. Bryan Q. Miller (Shadowhunters, Smallville) is the story editor for the sequence, which was created and developed for TV by Rob David, with animation by CGCG (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) and House of Cool (Trollhunters).

Season one is now streaming on Netflix.

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