Sci-Fi Bulletin: Exploring the Universes of SF, Fantasy, Horror and Spy-fi!

We’ve got a second trailer for the new big screen version of Masters of the Universe. Alasdair Stuart journeyed to Eternia and all he got us was this trailer breakdown. And a fridge magnet.

0.13 – The Gang

I can see Mek-A-Nek and Ram-Man for sure as well as Teela and Duncan. Oh, and Fisto!

0.22 – Theme

God help me the ‘slow, mournful version of poppy song’ always works and it works surprising well for the MOTU theme. Also, judging by the bars in the background this is a prison break. Also how good does Cringer look?!

0.28 – Grayskull

They seem to be imprisoned in Castle Grayskull which says a lot about how things are going. Also, notice the spiral staircase turret to the right and what looks like someone in a window to the left maybe?

0.32 – THERE IT IS!

The MGM lion replaced by Eternia’s best kitty!

0.47 – Red Weed?

This might be something, it might be nothing but the ruined city we see is covered in red plants. There’s a forest of it outside the walls so it’s probably that, but it may end up being a plot point. Also note the horse statue in the top middle of the screen. It’s a tiny thing and way too early to guess it’s a She-Ra tease but it’s interesting that that’s the only one we seem to see.

0.51 – Prismatic flashback effect

I love the ‘jet fighters! Cyborgs! Wooden siege ladders!’ aesthetic. Also this prismatic effect is, I  think, something the original show played with.

0.54 – James Purefoy as King Randor

One of the best character actors to ever do it, all the time in the world for Purefoy. He’ll be in this for a few minutes, doing the modern equivalent of Brian Blessed in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves but he’ll be good for the two minutes he’s on screen.

1.02 – Allison Brie

Brie’s always fun, and looks to be having a blast as Skeletor’s chief Sorcerer, Evil-Lyn.

1.09 – ‘I know how it feels to fail.’

This feels like the start of a longer speech and it’s also a powerful thing to have a character in a story like this say. Eighties cartoons catch a lot of justifiable flak for the PSA minute at the end but a lot of the time it worked and it’s nice to see this vital element in the new incarnation.

1.14 – Trapjaw

A better look at Trapjaw, always one of the gnarlier bad guys, played by Sam C. Wilson.

1.33 – He has the power

This looks like the first time Adam changes in the movie and it’s a nice effect, lots of weight to the energy. Also, if you look closely, his clothes disintegrate which is new, and may be a set up for a gag.

1.40 – Snake Mountain

What a gorgeous shot! This is Skeletor’s base in the cartoon and it looks just the right amount of ludicrous and awesome.

1.47 – Voice

And there’s Jared Leto’s voice as Skeletor. Which sounds a lot like a more toned-down version of Alan Oppenheimer’s original. Which is fine but given Leto’s fundamental unlikability on screen (and off), he’s still the part I’m most concerned about.

2.07 – Cringer takedown

Yeah! Get ’em, Big Kitty! Also, interesting that Adam seems to be riding him as he lands on that poor henchperson’s entire body.

Roboto

The big, very cool looking robot we see in several shots is called, brilliantly, Roboto. It’s actually a really lovely redesign of the original toy, with the slightly weird drop-down visor of the toy reimagined as Roboto’s optic sensor. They’re being voiced by Kristen Wiig which is a fun choice.

Masters of the Universe releases on 6 June. The various cartoons are available to buy digitally and via the second-hand market on Blu-ray and the original, weird, movie is also streaming.