But back to Masters of the Universe. The trailer left me cold.
Same.
A lot of actors I like involved, and er... Jared Leto, who is a giant red flag in human form.
But the whole thing looks bland and sauceless as as hell, and the heavy use of cheap CGI is definitely part of that - it's both a difference in look and a difference in mindset. Even if you don't go full physical, going at least as physical as you practically can (as the D&D movie arguably did) gives a different vibe, and tends to be linked to movies which have more sauce, more vim, more vigor, more je ne sais quoi (the D&D movie had sauce, not buckets of it, but it had it - Jarnathan, completely insane Bradley Cooper cameo, etc. etc.). It's just like, the sort of producers and directors who sign off on going that hard on CGI... they're just not people with sauce.
I know this is not a cogent or rational argument note. This is vibes baby, but what ever was He-Man beyond vibes and selling toys?
Also Alison Brie is great casting but what a terrible outfit for Evil-Lyn, just looks cheap and generic.