Cert - 12, Run-time - 2 hours 21 minutes

Director - Travis Knight

AFTER 15 years, HR worker Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) returns to his home planet to find it nearly destroyed, the Prince of Eternia must lead the fight against its scourge, Skeletor (Jared Leto).

Director Travis Knight is living out his childhood fantasies. With his live-action projects, outside of his work for animation studio Laika, he's made his action-figures and Saturday morning cartoons bigger and grander, keeping the same imagination and spirit of adventure undoubtedly present when making up storylines as a kid.

Masters Of The Universe, following 2018's Transformers spin-off Bumblebee, feels like a feature-length version of the Toy Story sequences showing the fantasies of Andy or Bonnie's mind before fading to the child gleefully running around their bedroom.

There's a self-awareness to this 2020s take on He-Man and co.

Keeping some of the 80s style in tone and score, with Brian May helping Daniel Pemberton, there's an acknowledgement of character names as summaries of a ten-year-old remembering his homeland.

While Skeletor appears to be the villain's birthname, names such as Ram Head and Fisto are heard with raised eyebrows as Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) returns to the planet of Eternia after 15 years on Earth, growing up and working in HR while trying to find the sword he lost on the way.

The biggest sign of the film's self-awareness is in arch-nemesis Skeletor.

Voiced by Jared Leto, sounding like Jemaine Clement, there's a petulance to the character who knows he's the villain, knows he's evil and enjoys that.

Feeling like a threat while still effectively sharking his fist at the returned prince of Eternia whilst making frustrated exclamations.

Just a few steps away from shouting “I'm going to get you He-Man!” this iteration of the character is pure 80s cartoon villain and he, and the film, are all the better for it.

While the fantasies on display could be trimmed closer to two rather than two-and-a-half hours there's still a solid entertainment factor to them.

A consistent family entertainment landing the right kind of 12 rating preventing a dive into silliness of unfitting ultra-seriousness.

Knight is in touch with what this film should look and feel like, along with the co-writing team.

The imagination on display in the life of Eternia's medieval meets futuristic feel is treated with seriousness in order to capture that sense of fun.

He-Man is very much a product of the 80s.

The film knows this yet the action and self-awareness - four non-blinds gets a more than welcome needle drop, one of many which bring a big smile - bring things to the modern day.

It's part of the overall enjoyment and fun to be had.

When mixed with the action, with its own mixture of weapons and ships that fit into the setting with coolness and suspense, there's a good deal to like about this updated throwback which lives in the minds of those who, at heart, are still creating adventures with their cherished action-figures.

Four stars