Should it ever be made that, is.
More than likely, you remember the Dolph Lundgren version that was released in 1987. And while I'm sure that there were more than a few who enjoyed that movie, for the most part, it was pretty lackluster.
Granted, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was a cheesy show, but there was potential and that potential just wasn't met. So, here are a few tips for the filmmakers to keep in mind when producing the new flick:
- Come to grips with the fact that we liked the cartoon series as it was. Yes, it was cheesy. Yes, it made little sense, but we loved it. Try to stay true to the series and not go and do your own thing. If you want to do your own thing, make your own movie.
- Don't strip the color. Sure, you don't have to make the costumes and sets look garish, but you don't have to go for that muted stuff either. With the 87 movie, all the costumes and characters lost their uniqueness. Enough of that. Be bold.
- Orko. Love or hate him, he has to be in there. You've now got the technology to make him realistic. Make sure he makes an appearance.
- Skeletor needs to be frightening, but he needs to be as close to the original as well (I can't stress how much this needs to rely on the original material). Think of the 2002 cartoon series. They kept Skeletor virtually the same, but made him more menacing.
 Skeletor in the original series |  Skeletor in the 2002 Cartoon Network Series |
- Don't develop new characters. Give us the canon characters. They are unique, interesting and with the right writing, give a great skeletal (hee hee) structure for truly developing the character for the film.
- We want the sword and, as cheesy as it may be, we need Prince Adam. It was a staple of the series. Prince Adam held aloft his magic sword and said.... Seriously, do I even have to repeat it?
- Speaking of that, don't give us a He-Man who we can't fathom taking on Skeletor. Instead of making He-Man look like he just doused his blond locks in Aquanet, give him a little credit. Take a cue from 300. Men in leather panties who we knew could stomp us into the dirt. That's what He-Man needs to be.
- This is fantasy. Not full-on Sci-Fi. The '87 flick relied too much on conventional sci-fi movie trickery instead of the sword and sandal fantasy that the film should have been. With the CGI of today, there's no reason why we can't see Castle Grayskull, Snake Mountain and the rest of Eternia just as if a filter had been lifted from the toon and the scenery made real.
Overall, listen to the fans. They'll be the ones taking their kids. And as for the kids, chances are their parents - the ones who loved the series - have either shown them the DVD or the toys. They know what's up.
Here's to hoping we get a truly fantastic He-Man film and not a complete waste of celluloid.
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