Masters of the Universe (2026) Trailer - Review

In the continuing revival of 80s properties, we get our first look at the upcoming He-Man film. From casting to production design, the trailer suggests a project that understands both the mythology and the escapist spirit that has made the franchise so beloved across multiple generations of fans. 

Check out the trailer below:

I am liking the casting so far. The central trio — He-Man, Teela, and Skeletor — stand out immediately. He-Man carries the physical presence and heroic gravitas expected of the character, while Teela comes across as capable, grounded, and emotionally anchored to the world around her. Skeletor, meanwhile, oozes menace and looks like he means business. Together, they give the impression of characters who belong in a mythic conflict rather than a purely nostalgic revival. All three look and breathe the part.

Visually, the trailer leans heavily into world-building. The sets, costumes, and props reflect a deliberate attempt to make Eternia feel expansive and tactile. Guy Hendrix Dyas (Inception, Superman Returns and X2:X-Men United) seems to be delivering his best work yet.

A notable moment features Teela piloting a hovercraft with Adam as a passenger, underscoring his unfamiliarity with this larger world and its advanced technology. Plus Adam reunites with his mother. All these aspects reminded me of Aquaman and I am hoping that these actors will do a better job with their roles.

The science-fiction elements are handled with clarity and scale, once again evoking comparisons to the underwater kingdoms of Aquaman.

Musically, the score in the trailer is serviceable and supports the imagery without overpowering it.

I obviously liked the much expected “I have the Power” scene.

The only thing that bothered me is the look of Cringer. Hopefully the movie will deliver once he transforms into Battle Cat.

This trailer managed to hold my attention at a time when most others have failed. If the final film can capture the pure joy of adventure, optimism, and the heroic spectacle that has always defined He-Man at its best, it may well deliver the kind of pure escapist entertainment that the property and the fans deserve.

Image Sources: Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures Releasing International 

You might also like:

Superman: The Movie (1978)

Man of Steel (2013)

Thor: Ragnarok Trailer - Review and Reaction

We have our latest trailer of the next Marvel Cinematic Universe offering - Thor: Ragnarok.

Taika Waititi (Boy, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) takes the directorial duties for the first time in MCU and looks to have done a great job. In addition to the  regulars (Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Jaimie Alexander, Idris Elba, Ray Stevenson), we have a few newcomers: Cate Blanchett as Hela, Karl Urban  as Skurge and Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie.

Check out the trailer below:

The trailer succeeded in selling the movie as a colorful and fun joyride with characters we are familiar with. The color palette looks very similar to Guardians of the Galaxy. This is a movie I would spend money to watch in the theaters.

There is no grim mood or overly serious faced actors populating the screen. Plus the movie is shot in glorious colors that prevents the movie from being an eyesore. In short, this is NOT a DC Films movie.

Speaking of colors, the movie sports a strong hue of green. Hulk is not getting his standalone movie - Mark Ruffalo confirmed this recently. So Marvel Studios decided to make what should have been a solo Thor adventure into a Thor/Hulk buddy movie. Marvel Comics fan would be able to identify the “Planet Hulk” storyline. 

An animated movie of the same name was also released in 2010. That movie was fantastic and if this movie is even half as entertaining as the animated version, then Marvel has a huge winner on their hands.

Chris Hemsworth is his usual self as the never-too-serious but noble God of Thunder. Towards the end of the trailer, Thor looks like Raiden (with his white eyes) from the Mortal Kombat game. Raiden himself is based on Raijin, the Japanese God of Thunder.

Cate Blanchett seems to be having fun as the villain. And she has the reliable Karl Urban in sidekick mode. If this is not enough, Loki is back and this time Loki has not only applied his usual hair gel but also some kind of facial lotion that make his face look weird.

The movie introduces another character: Valkyrie, played by Tessa Thompson. Tessa shot to prominence after her performance in Creed. No doubt, Valkyrie will play an important part as the events unfold in the movie.




Yet another character of note is Dr Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). Though not featured in the trailer, I am sure he will make an appearance since his magical powers will fit in nicely within this universe of Gods and Monsters.

The special effects are done well. In a nutshell, this is the typical Marvel movie that respects the source material and gets the much deserved love from fans and critic alike.

Click here to read all my posts related to Marvel Comics.

Image Sources: Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Pictures 

You might also like:

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Review

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) - Review

Movie Review: Pacific Rim (2013)

Earth is under attack by Kaijus, monsters that have arrived via a recently opened portal in the Pacific Ocean. Human beings all over the world have united as a race and have built gigantic robots called Jaegers. Jaegers are operated by two human beings (and sometimes three), connected to each other thro via their thoughts and memories. This concept referred to as "Drifting", enables these Jaeger drivers to manage the task of operating these towering machines.

Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam) and Yancy Becket (Diego Klattenhoff) are brothers who make an excellent team of Jaeger drivers. In one such Kaiju encounter, Yancy is killed and Raleigh leaves the Jaeger program. He still suffers from nightmares.

Meanwhile, Kaijus are becoming more tougher to beat and the humankind is losing the fight. Marshal Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba), in charge of the Jaeger program wants Raleigh back and has his worn out Jaeger, Gipsy Danger rebuilt with the help of his protege, Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi).

Two scientists, Dr. Newton Geiszler (Charlie Day) and Gottlieb (Burn Gorman) are figuring out a way to defeat the Kaijus. Both of them have different theories and bicker constantly.

Herc Hansen (Max Martini) and Chuck Hansen (Robert Kazinsky) are a father-son duo, who operate Striker Eureka (Australian Jaeger).

Also in the mix is Guillermo del Toro regular Ron Perlman as Hannibal Chau, a shady dealer of Kaiju body parts.

The human interaction sequences that occupy a major section of the movie can get boring sometimes, thanks to pedestrian dialogues and cardboard characterizations. Specifically, the Russian Jaeger drivers are extreme stereotypes and reminded me of Drago (Dolph Lundgren) in Rocky 4.

The acting varies from being good to intolerably bad. I was expecting a Henry Cavill kind of handsome looking-but-bland and uninvolving performance from Charlie Hunnam. But Hunnam proved to be surprisingly good in his role. Rinko Kinkuchi and Robert Kazinsky are also impressive.

Idris Elba and Max Martini are adequate as senior and strict officers. Ron Perlman is a hoot as Hannibal. He has a charismatic screen presence.

Burn Gorman is OK. The least satisfying performance comes from Charlie Day. He is in a shouting mode for most of the movie and grates on the nerves. His work as the "likeable but goofy comic relief" makes Richard Pryor's Gus Gorman (a computer nerd), in Superman III (1983) look superlative by comparison.

Guillermo del Toro is well known for his love of horror/cult movies. His movies have been excellent, whether they are in the horror genre (The Devil's Backbone and Cronos) or superhero genre (Hellboy movies and Blade 2) or fantasy genre (Pan's Labyrinth). He puts in a lot of work in preproduction and his movies are always a work of passion.

I am sure he would have put his heart and soul into this movie too. The design and execution of Jaegers and Kaijus are proof of this fact.

Click on the link below to buy your copy of the movie:

The special effects are very well done and are easily the best parts of the movie. The fight sequence featuring Crimson Typhoon (Chinese Jaeger) and Cherno Alpha (Russian Jaeger) is quite entertaining.

But the movie stretches on far longer than needed. The movie would have been great if it had ended with the battle sequence in Hong Kong. The "climax" that follows is just a big letdown, compared to the superbly rendered showdown between Gipsy Danger and a couple of Kaijus.

As Sherlock Holmes states in The Adventure of the Norwood Builder: "But he had not that supreme gift of the artist, the knowledge of when to stop."

Despite the amazing action sequences and the expertly executed machines and monsters (by ILM), the movie lacks much of the fun quotient of the Hellboy movies and is also predictable. It is not as bad as Man of Steel, but is still a disappointment considering the previous milestones in del Toro's career.

Fans of summer blockbusters/science fiction/action movies will enjoy Pacific Rim. My suggestion to fans of Guillermo: Watch the movie with reduced expectations and you might like it.

If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to this blog by clicking here. 

Image Sources: Warner Bros., Legendary Pictures

You might also like:

The Wolverine

Man of Steel