The following review was made possible by Netflix providing advanced screeners of Masters of The Universe: Revolution.
Just a few years ago, Kevin Smith and company decided to take us back to Eternia and further expand upon the legend of He-Man and the Masters of The Universe. Of course, the big thing was that He-Man was nowhere to be seen, sending many into a frenzy over Teela’s newfound leading role in the series, however, what they didn’t count on was just how good it was going to be. Fortunately, the initially thought-to-be two-part return was extended, with Masters of The Universe: Revolution, once again continuing the story and setting the heroes of Eternia against Mistress Motherboard and Hordak’s horrible horde, and a whole lot of expectations.
Taking Eternia To New Heights
One of the best parts of this sequel series is the bold choices they’ve made to evolve the show to fit to a modern audience and also keep things interesting. The series continues to flesh out its supporting cast and give them their own unique storylines with interesting new ideas and concepts.
One of the stand-outs of the series continues to be Teela, whose journey to becoming the best sorceress she could possibly be has been the best of the bunch. One thing that I think a lot of people overlook is that this isn’t called He-Man & The Masters of The Universe, It’s just Masters of The Universe, allowing it to grow beyond just having He-Man as its central protagonist and has helped the series for the better.
A Voice Cast Fit For A King
One of the show’s standout aspects is its voice cast, from the beginning fans knew they’d be in a treat when Mark Hamill was cast as Skeletor, made famous for his work as the clown prince of crime on Batman: The Animated Series, fans knew they’d get an equally unhinged yet hilarious portrayal of the character and Hamill continues to deliver on that.
Of course, we can go on without shouting out our leads, Melissa Benoist and Chris Wood as Teela and Prince Adam. Both continue to be fantastic in their respective roles. Benoist really was able to make the role her own and yet still keep things familiar, picking up the reigns of Teela from Sarah Michelle Gellar, who voiced the character back in the first season. Wood is as energetic as Prince Adam/He-Man, bringing such an even performance between the two. Hearing him say those magic words never gets old.
The final stand-out has to be the legendary Keith David as Hordak, whoever came up with that casting needs a raise because he is outstanding. David brings a wicked energy to the role and is so excellent with his delivery, he really plays the character perfectly.
A Short Stay
One of my gripes with the seasons would have to be their length, While I feel that overall they were able to deliver a satisfying story with the five episodes this season, I can’t help but feel there was more to do here. Once you finally settle into the season, it’s basically time to start packing things up.
Earlier I’d talked about how I appreciated the show’s willingness to make bold choices with its characters but just wish we’d spend a bit more time with these revelations made here before wrapping up a story or undoing it before we can have some real fun with it all.
Some of the film’s most built-up moments can fall a tad bit flat when they’re wrapped up quickly, A lot of the bigger moments feel as if there could be more to do, but the series is looking to move on to the next bigger and better thing. I feel like I was promised a much more threatening foe at the tail end of last season but feel as if they never real lived up to the hype promised.
Never Looked Better
One thing this show never had a problem with was its animation, and here it’s even more impressive. This season deals with a lot of different styles such as the tech and the show balances these differences well. They get very creative with their different depictions of magic in the series as well.
At one point in the show, a character finds themselves dealing with an overwhelming amount of magic and the animation is stunning. The entire sequence itself and what follows in its aftermath is nothing short of great work.
‘Masters Of The Universe: Revolution’ – Final Thoughts
Masters Of The Universe: Revolution is yet another fantastic continuation of the franchise. Filled with fantastic voice performances and stellar animation, the series manages to tell a satisfying story while sometimes faltering in its storytelling and pacing. The series continues to make bold choices and reinvent and build upon a story that many thought ended long ago.
Check out the trailer for Masters Of The Universe: Revolution below! The series premieres on Netflix on January 25.
