Masters of the Universe: Revolution is all about selling action figures, but that’s how He-Man stories should be

polygon.com:

In the year that Greta Gerwig and the Mattel corporation got a postmodern comedy movie about Barbie dolls nominated for Best Picture, here’s another tribute to a famous Mattel toy line that’s maybe a little less sophisticated but, in its own way, no less genuine or self-aware. Masters of the Universe: Revolution, a five-part animated special on Netflix, is an enjoyably over-the-top celebration of the kitschy 1980s action figures.

Revolution is also a continuation of, or sequel to, Revelation, a 10-part series that aired in two chunks in 2021. Both series were masterminded by nerd maven Kevin Smith, and picked up the adventures of He-Man, Skeletor, and their various outlandish pals more or less directly from where they were left off in the hit mid-’80s animated show.

Revelation’s genius was to revel in the unapologetic, heavy-metal excess of the Masters of the Universe… universe, and pay tribute to the look of the original toys and cartoon, while using a soapy, turbo-charged plotline to fully refurb the tone, continuity, and characters for the 21st century. Audaciously — in a move that one could claim was inspired by Twin Peaks: The Return without sounding completely silly — the first five episodes dispensed with He-Man and his meek alter-ego Prince Adam almost entirely, instead following the quest of He-Man’s friend Teela to save a threatened Eternia, resurrect He-Man, and realize her own potential.

By the end of the show, Teela had assumed the mantle of Sorceress and far exceeded her predecessor (and mother) in power, while erstwhile villains Skeletor and Evil-Lyn had swapped sides multiple times. Perhaps empowered by the fact that no one takes He-Man lore all that seriously, Smith delivered a reading of the material that was joyous, progressive, and even a little bit romantic. He focused on having fun with the characters, and gleefully upended the hierarchy of power on Eternia over and over as he did so.

In short: Revolution is no different. If you thought the