Trailer Masters of The Universe – Official Trailer

[overgeeked]

That actually looks kinda fun. Way better than the Dolf version from the 80s.

I don't care about "canon" or whatever changes they've made. It's live-action movie based on a kids cartoon from that 80s that was nothing more than a long commercial for toys.

 

[DammitVictor]

Generally I do not like it when they mess with the canon in a fundamental way and Adam growing up on Earth is definitely that. But it definitely looks pretty enough to give it a fair shot.

Yeah. Like, the really hardcore MOTU fanbase more less expects this the way hardcore TMNT fans do, but it's always a bone of contention until the new adaptation either proves itself or falls on its ass. A lot of it depends on how the rest of it feels as an adaptation, and a lot of it depends on how they're faithful to the source material in the minor ways.

You know what will make "Adam grew up on Earth" land a lot better with me? If they tease that Adam growing up on Earth had a lot to do with Adora growing up on Etheria. Even if it's just a post-credits stinger, tying those bits of lore together will help.

 

[DammitVictor]

Once I grew comfortable with the truth that my beloved childhood cartoons were just commercials, I stopped being concerned with what anyone did with the properties.

I don't care about "canon" or whatever changes they've made. It's live-action movie based on a kids cartoon from that 80s that was nothing more than a long commercial for toys.

Not gonna lie, I low-key hate this. The cartoons were created and designed as 22 minute commercials for the toys... with ad blocks built in to show commercials for other toys and breakfast cereal.

But that's also what drove the cartoons to develop so much of the lore that future adaptations relied on. Almost every new toy had to be represented by a new character that uncovered a new corner of these settings... which made them vibrant and textured in ways that a lot of children's properties never got to be. Some of the best visual SFF storytelling of the 80s and 90s came out of these toy commercials and gave some of the best adult SFF screenwriters and performers their starts. J Michael Straczynski wrote for He-Man and the Masters of the Universe before creating Babylon 5.

And because the cartoons were "just" commercials for the toys... the producers were often inclined to let the authors and artists cook as long as they included the characters and setpieces they were told to include.

 

[Deset Gled]

Not gonna lie, I low-key hate this. The cartoons were created and designed as 22 minute commercials for the toys...

I say, embrace the medium. The idea that being "artistic" is somehow defined by independence is a false narrative. Art has always been defined be outside influences controlling the artist, whether it's commercial, political, or religious.

A Tale Of Two Cities is renowned as one of the best novels of all time. But the reason it's so long is that Dickens was paid by installment. He was commercially incentivized to draw everything out longer because it made him more money, not because his artistic vision required that many chapters tell the story.

The Mona Lisa, possibly the most famous and most valuable painting of all time, wasn't born of artistic inspiration. It was a commissioned portrait.

Maybe the best stories of the 80s are from long form toy commercials. So what? They're in good company.

 

[overgeeked]

Not gonna lie, I low-key hate this. The cartoons were created and designed as 22 minute commercials for the toys... with ad blocks built in to show commercials for other toys and breakfast cereal.

But that's also what drove the cartoons to develop so much of the lore that future adaptations relied on. Almost every new toy had to be represented by a new character that uncovered a new corner of these settings... which made them vibrant and textured in ways that a lot of children's properties never got to be. Some of the best visual SFF storytelling of the 80s and 90s came out of these toy commercials and gave some of the best adult SFF screenwriters and performers their starts. J Michael Straczynski wrote for He-Man and the Masters of the Universe before creating Babylon 5.

And because the cartoons were "just" commercials for the toys... the producers were often inclined to let the authors and artists cook as long as they included the characters and setpieces they were told to include.

Exactly. The characters had to be inherently interesting and visually distinct because they would be toys. Or, they were visually distinct and inherently interesting toys, therefore they were represented as such on screen. This also lead to not giving a damn about a lot of conventions, especially genre conventions. They all just smashed whatever looked cool together and called it a day. Man, I love me some gonzo science fantasy because of all these insane cartoons. I wish we had more of that.

 

[bloodtide]

Well, at least they are not going the "he does not know about the world" or the worse "he hates the world and wants to hide out on Earth".

Still, I worry like 2/3 s of movie will be set on Earth. Then just a quick 3rd act of 'pew pew, good always wins'.

And lots of CGI spam. Not so excited to see that mess.

So the story is He-man abandons his world, skeletor takes it over....and He-Man sits on Earth eating avocado toast?

And guess they don't have the rights to Orko?

 

[Alzrius]

And because the cartoons were "just" commercials for the toys... the producers were often inclined to let the authors and artists cook as long as they included the characters and setpieces they were told to include.

This. I read Flint Dille's book, The Gamesmaster, and he talks about this exact thing with regards to G. I. Joe. So long as they included the characters and vehicles and whatever else was being released in the next line of toys, the people making the cartoon had near-total carte blanche to do whatever they wanted (notwithstanding broadcast standards and similar content guidelines).

The idea that "the cartoons were just commercials" is very reductive.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

And guess they don't have the rights to Orko?

Orko got really political during the pandemic and they don't need the media remembering that by including him in this movie.

 

[Morrus]

So the story is He-man abandons his world, skeletor takes it over....and He-Man sits on Earth eating avocado toast?

Sure, if you like. You're so cool.

And guess they don't have the rights to Orko?

He's in it.