Masters of the Universe: Revelation explained

Alt Name:Masters of the Universe: Revolution (Part 3)
Starring:
Creator:Kevin Smith[1]
Director:
  • Adam Conarroe
  • Patrick Stannard
Executive Producer:
  • Kevin Smith
  • Ted Biaselli
  • Adam Bonnett
  • Rob David
  • Christopher Keenan
  • Frederic Soulie
Country:United States
Language:English
Num Seasons:2 (3 parts)
Num Episodes:15
Producer:Susan Corbin
Animator:DR Movie
Powerhouse Animation Studios
Editor:
  • David Howe
  • Lauren Aptekar
Music:Bear McCreary
Company:
Runtime:22–32 minutes
Last Aired:present
Network:Netflix

Masters of the Universe is an American animated superhero fantasy television series produced by Kevin Smith and Powerhouse Animation Studios. A sequel to the 1983–1985 series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Filmation, while ignoring the events of The New Adventures of He-Man (1990), the plot of Revelation explores unresolved storylines from the original 1980s series.[2] Netflix released the first series, Masters of the Universe: Revelation, in two parts, with five episodes debuting July 23, 2021,[3] then five additional episodes on November 23, 2021.[4] In June 2022, Netflix announced a second series, Masters of the Universe: Revolution, which premiered its first part (the third overall) on January 25, 2024.[5]

Premise

Revelation

Skeletor's final assault on Castle Grayskull caused his demise, put an end to He-Man, and damaged the source of all magic in existence. After their battle fractured Eternia, Teela must solve the mystery of the missing Sword of Power to prevent the end of the Universe. Her journey will uncover the secrets of Grayskull at last.

Revolution

Following He-Man's return and Teela now assuming the mantle of the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull, Skeletor seeks revenge after being corrupted with a technological virus created by his master, Hordak. With his newfound power, Skeletor resumes his revenge on Eternos under the guise of his previous identity, Keldor. While Teela emphasizes her duties as the Sorceress by bringing the overworld afterlife of Preternia back after its evisceration from Evil-Lyn.

Voice cast

See main article: List of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe characters.

Episodes

Part 3: Revolution (2024)

Production

Development

Netflix announced two new Masters of the Universe projects to be in development in December 2019: an adult-oriented anime series described as a direct sequel to the 1983 He-Man and the Masters of the Universe television series, and a CGI series aimed at children.[6] [7] [8]

Kevin Smith officially announced Masters of the Universe: Revelation at the annual Power-Con convention in 2019, serving as showrunner and executive producer, writing for the series alongside Eric Carrasco, Tim Sheridan, Diya Mishra, and Fatman Beyond co-host Marc Bernardin.[9] [10] During promotion for the show, Smith said that Revelation came to be out of a desire to tell a story set in the world of Eternia, while also being able to resolve any lingering plot threads from the original series. He also said that the show is set up as if it were the next episode of the original series, while also still being accessible to those who have never seen the original show.[11] In November, ND Stevenson expressed interest in a potential crossover Christmas special between the series and their 2018–20 Netflix original series She-Ra and the Princesses of Power despite this being a sequel to the original series and a non-DreamWorks cartoon.[12]

In May 2022, Mark Hamill revealed he was recording more episodes of the series.[13] The following month Netflix announced the title to be Masters of the Universe: Revolution.[14]

Casting

The initial voice cast for the series was revealed, with Chris Wood as Prince Adam / He-Man and Mark Hamill as Skeletor.[15] Three weeks before the show's premiere, three additional voice actors were announced to join the series with one of them being Dennis Haysbert to voice King Grayskull.[16] In July 2022, Smith revealed that William Shatner had been cast in the sequel series, Masters of the Universe: Revolution.[17] In March 2023, it was announced that Melissa Benoist would replace Sarah Michelle Gellar as Teela for Masters of the Universe: Revolution.[18] In May 2023, a Mother's Day themed announcement revealed actress Meg Foster, who portrayed Evil-Lyn in the 1987 film, to be voicing Motherboard.[19] In July 2023, Smith announced Keith David would be voicing Hordak.[20] In January 2024, weeks before Revolutions release, Gates McFadden and John De Lancie were revealed to be joining the series, with McFadden replacing Alicia Silverstone as Marlena and De Lancie voicing Granamyr.[21]

Animation

Around the same time as the show's announcement, Powerhouse Animation Studios was revealed to provide their services to the series, taking inspiration from Japanese anime.

Music

Bear McCreary composed the score of the series.[22]

Other media

Comic book

Dark Horse Comics and Mattel released a Masters of the Universe: Revelation comic as a tie-in to the series.[23] [24] The four-issue comic miniseries served as a prequel to the series.[25] The first issue was released on July 7, 2021.[26]

Aftershow

An aftershow titled Revelations: The Masters of the Universe Revelation Aftershow premiered alongside the series premiere on July 23, 2021, with Kevin Smith, Rob David, and Tiffany Smith serving as hosts.[27] [28]

Reception

Part 1 of Masters of the Universe: Revelation holds an approval rating of 92% based on 47 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10 on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. The site's critics' consensus reads: "Armed with an incredible voice cast, Revelation smartly updates Masters of the Universe while retaining the quirky charms of the original to create a show that's bound to please fans and newcomers alike."[29] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 72 out of 100 based on 8 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[30]

Brian Tallerico, writing for RogerEbert.com, stated that "Smith and his team have threaded the needle that so many reboots fail to, making a show that feels both lovingly consistent with the source and fresh at the same time", and praised the show's visuals and voice acting. He concluded: "I think Masters of the Universe: Revelation will also send fans of it back to those originals as watchers of the '80s version show the new one to their kids".[31] Kevin Johnson of The A.V. Club gave the show a grade of B, writing: "Smith and the creative team wink at and play into He-Man's corniest, outdated elements, but with a surprising amount of respect and admiration, while retaining a darker, richer sensibility."[32]

Nick Schager, writing for The Daily Beast, said that the show "authentically resurrects the franchise's favorite characters while simultaneously updating them—and their adventures—for the 21st century", and concluded: "Masters of the Universe: Revelation is less about winning over newbies than about tapping into old fans’ cherished memories of childhood days gone by. In that respect, it accomplishes its mission—and there is, to be sure, some chance that Powerhouse's sterling animation will alone convince a few He-Man novices to take the plunge."[33] Amanda Dyer of Common Sense Media gave the series a score of 4 stars out of 5, describing it as "exciting and action-packed" and said that it "makes a smooth transition into a more female-centered cast by following a new journey led by Grayskull Guardian Teela."[34]

Brian Lowry of CNN described the show's tone as "edgier and clearly more ambitious, beginning with the fact that there's actual fighting", and added that Smith "approaches it all seriously -- or at least as earnestly as you can when a guy hoists a sword and shouts "By the power of Grayskull!"". Lowry wrote: "For those expecting something truly boundary-pushing, rest assured, no one will confuse this with Clerks."[35] Zaki Hasan, writing for the San Francisco Chronicle, said that "while it's invigorating to see this world and its characters gussied up with a 2021 coat of paint, the whole venture does threaten at times to stumble under the weight of its own oppressive grimness", also adding: "It's as if Smith was so determined to emphasize how grown-up the new show is he forgot that this was originally a story for kids — and that it's OK for that to still be the case."[36] Variety noted some fans had reacted negatively to the show compared to the overwhelmingly positive views of critics.[37]

Part 2 has an approval rating of 92% based on 12 reviews, with an average rating of 7.40/10 on Rotten Tomatoes.[38] Matt Fowler of IGN gave it 7 out of 10 and said it "continued on its path of rich characters, eye-popping animation, and terrifically twisted tweaks to the old He-Man formula."[39] Chris Jackson for Starburst Magazine, giving it 2 out of 5, noted "concerns over its ham-fisted handling of certain characters" and wrote that "overbearing exposition and a lack of action combine to take away any sense of urgency from what should have been the beginning of a non-stop five-episode thrill ride"[40]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: July 22, 2021 . Adlakha . Siddhant . Netflix's He-Man series radically re-imagines a 1980s world . Polygon . showrunner Kevin Smith touted it as direct sequel . January 22, 2023 . January 22, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230122145530/https://www.polygon.com/22588730/masters-of-the-universe-revelation-review-netflix . live .
  2. Web site: Fuster . Jeremy . Kevin Smith Announces New 'Masters of the Universe' Netflix Limited Series . . August 19, 2019 . February 15, 2020 . May 15, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210515150430/https://www.thewrap.com/kevin-smith-announces-new-masters-of-the-universe-netflix-limited-series/ . live .
  3. 'Masters of the Universe: Revelation' unleashes the powah! with first look at Kevin Smith's series . May 13, 2021. .
  4. Web site: 'Masters of the Universe: Revelation' Part 2: Netflix Sets Premiere Date. Deadline Hollywood. Rosy. Cordero. October 12, 2021. October 12, 2021. October 12, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211012205946/https://deadline.com/2021/10/masters-of-the-universe-revelation-part-2-netflix-premiere-date-1234854841/. live.
  5. Web site: Masters of The Universe: Revolution Unveils Skeletor's New Form, Release Date. ComicBook.com. October 12, 2023. October 12, 2023.
  6. Evershed . John . 2020 . Adult Animation Finally Breaking Free of its Comedy Shackles . . 29 . November 2, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201103023954/https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5daf57aecd04c82eed72aa1a/t/5e8643ba226c066acaa235b2/1585857472073/Adult+Animation+White+Paper.pdf . November 3, 2020.
  7. Web site: Motes. Jax. December 18, 2019. Netflix Is Delivering A SECOND 'He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe' Cartoon. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20221013192605/https://sciencefiction.com/2019/12/18/netflix-is-delivering-a-second-he-man-and-the-masters-of-the-universe-cartoon/. October 13, 2022. ScienceFiction.com.
  8. Romano . Nick . He-Man returns... again! Masters of the Universe CG animated series revealed for Netflix. December 18, 2019. Entertainment Weekly.
  9. Web site: Nickolai. Nate. August 18, 2019. Kevin Smith Announces Anime 'He-Man' Series for Netflix. May 13, 2021. Variety. July 22, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210722173533/https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/kevin-smith-masters-of-the-universe-revelation-netflix-he-man-series-1203305649/. live.
  10. Web site: Power-Con 2019 - A Conversation with Rob David, Moderated by Kevin Smith. YouTube. August 26, 2019. June 21, 2021. July 25, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210725143026/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gzj0siMhPok. live.
  11. Web site: Hibberd. James. July 2, 2021. Netflix's 'Masters of the Universe' Reboot Releases Official Trailer. July 2, 2021. The Hollywood Reporter. en-US. July 2, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210702210142/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/netflix-masters-of-the-universe-trailer-1234977201/. live.
  12. Web site: Freeman. Molly. She-Ra Showrunner Wants Christmas Special With Kevin Smith's Masters Of The Universe. Screen Rant. November 5, 2019. February 15, 2020. January 4, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200104002007/https://screenrant.com/she-ra-masters-universe-crossover-netflix-christmas-special/. live.
  13. Web site: June 8, 2022 . Andreeva . Nellie . 'Masters Of the Universe: Revelation' Gets He-Man Vs. Skeletor Season 2 On Netflix Titled 'Revolution' . Deadline Hollywood . June 9, 2022 . June 9, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220609205046/https://deadline.com/2022/06/master-of-the-universe-revelation-renewed-season-2-netflix-revolution-he-man-skeletor-1235041098/ . live .
  14. Web site: Villei . Matt . June 8, 2022 . 'Masters of the Universe: Revolution' Announced at Netflix . June 8, 2022 . Collider . June 8, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220608231825/https://collider.com/masters-of-the-universe-revolution-anounced-netflix/ . live .
  15. Web site: Petski. Denise. February 14, 2020. 'Masters Of The Universe: Revelation': Mark Hamill, Lena Headey, Chris Wood, Sarah Michelle Gellar Among Voice Cast For Netflix Anime Series. June 21, 2020. Deadline. en. June 21, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200621233315/https://deadline.com/2020/02/masters-of-the-universe-revelation-mark-hamill-lena-headey-chris-wood-sarah-michelle-gellar-cast-netflix-anime-series-1202860165/. live.
  16. Web site: Petski. Denise. 'Masters Of The Universe: Revelation': Kevin Smith's Netflix Series Adds 3 To Cast, Unveils New Trailer. Deadline. July 24, 2021. July 2, 2021. August 2, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210802080832/https://deadline.com/video/masters-of-the-universe-revelation-kevin-smith-netflix-series-cast-trailer/. live.
  17. Web site: Dinsdale . Ryan . July 21, 2022 . William Shatner to Appear in Masters of the Universe: Revolution . July 22, 2022 . IGN . en . July 22, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220722004918/https://www.ign.com/articles/william-shatner-to-appear-in-masters-of-the-universe-revolution . live .
  18. Web site: Knolle. Sharon. March 8, 2023. Melissa Benoist to Replace Sarah Michelle Gellar as Teela. TheWrap. March 8, 2023. en-US. March 8, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230308163417/https://www.thewrap.com/melissa-benoist-masters-of-the-universe-revolution-teela-replace-sarah-michelle-gellar/. live.
  19. Web site: 'Masters of the Universe: Revolution' Brings Meg Foster Back to the Franchise in 2024!. John. Squires. May 14, 2023. May 15, 2023. May 15, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230515212352/https://bloody-disgusting.com/tv/3762004/masters-of-the-universe-revolution-brings-meg-foster-back-to-the-franchise-in-2024/. live.
  20. Web site: Kevin Smith announces at #SDCC that Keith David will be joining "MOTU: Revolution" as the villain Hordak . Twitter .
  21. Web site: January 11, 2024 . Diego . Peralta . First 'Masters of the Universe: Revolution' Trailer Puts He-Man in the Path of Destiny . Collider .
  22. Web site: Valdez. Nick. Netflix's Masters of the Universe Anime Debuts Score with Kevin Smith. February 8, 2021. February 8, 2021. ComicBook.com. en. February 8, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210208161216/https://comicbook.com/anime/news/he-man-netflix-reboot-first-look-kevin-smith-masters-of-the-universe-revelation-anime/. live.
  23. News: Price . Matthew . 'Masters of the Universe' returns in Dark Horse Comics comics, Netflix series . June 8, 2021 . . May 2021 . July 12, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230712221605/https://www.oklahoman.com/story/entertainment/2021/05/21/masters-universe-returns-netflix-series-dark-horse-comic/5136803001/ . live .
  24. News: Trent . John F. . New Masters Of The Universe: Revelation Tie-In Series Announced . The Mix . June 8, 2021 . June 7, 2021 . July 12, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230712221607/https://www.themix.net/2021/06/new-masters-of-the-universe-revelation-tie-in-series-announced/ . live .
  25. Web site: Dark Horse Comics . MATTEL AND DARK HORSE COMICS TO RELEASE "MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION" COMIC SERIES . . June 8, 2021 . April 22, 2021 . June 8, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210608173541/https://www.darkhorse.com/Blog/3315/mattel-and-dark-horse-comics-release-masters-unive . live .
  26. News: Schedeen . Jesse . Masters of the Universe: Revelation Prequel Comic Revealed by Dark Horse . June 8, 2021 . . April 22, 2021 . June 8, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210608173540/https://www.ign.com/articles/masters-of-the-universe-revelation-prequel-comic-he-man . live .
  27. Web site: Perry. Spencer. Masters of the Universe: Revelation Teaser Trailer Released, Netflix Aftershow Announced. June 10, 2021. ComicBook.com. en. June 10, 2021. June 10, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210610162509/https://comicbook.com/anime/news/masters-of-the-universe-revelation-teaser-trailer-released-netflix/. live.
  28. Romano . Nick . He-Man and Skeletor collide in first epic 'Masters of the Universe: Revelation' trailer. June 10, 2021. EW. en. June 10, 2021.
  29. Web site: Masters of the Universe: Revelation: Part 1 . . December 6, 2021 .
  30. Web site: Masters of the Universe: Revelation: Season 1. Metacritic. July 23, 2021.
  31. Web site: Tallerico. Brian. July 22, 2021. Kevin Smith Reboots Masters of the Universe with New Netflix Series. live. July 31, 2021. RogerEbert.com. en. July 31, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210731024353/https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/kevin-smith-reboots-masters-of-the-universe-with-new-netflix-series.
  32. Web site: Johnson. Kevin. July 21, 2021. Kevin Smith bridges the past and present of Masters Of The Universe. live. July 31, 2021. The A.V. Club. en-us. July 31, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210731024352/https://www.avclub.com/by-the-power-of-grayskull-kevin-smith-s-masters-of-the-1847301692.
  33. News: Schager. Nick. July 23, 2021. By the Power of Grayskull, 'He-Man' Is Back—Beefier and Better Than Ever. en. The Daily Beast. July 31, 2021. July 31, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210731025553/https://www.thedailybeast.com/by-the-power-of-grayskull-kevin-smiths-new-masters-of-the-universe-really-is-a-revelation. live.
  34. Web site: Dyer. Amanda. July 26, 2021. Masters of the Universe: Revelation - TV Review. live. August 12, 2021. Common Sense Media. en. August 12, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210812032948/https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/masters-of-the-universe-revelation.
  35. Web site: Lowry. Brian. July 22, 2021. 'Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins' and 'Masters of the Universe' roll out old toys in new packages. live. July 31, 2021. CNN. July 30, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210730212547/https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/22/entertainment/snake-eyes-and-masters-of-the-universe-review/index.html.
  36. Web site: Hasan. Zaki. July 22, 2021. Review: On Netflix, Kevin Smith offers a stark 'Masters of the Universe' for adults who never outgrew He-Man. live. July 31, 2021. San Francisco Chronicle. July 31, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210731025553/https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/review-on-netflix-kevin-smith-offers-a-stark-masters-of-the-universe-for-adults-who-never-outgrew-he-man.
  37. Web site: Vary . Adam B. . Kevin Smith Made Netflix's 'Masters of the Universe: Revelation' Specifically to Please 'He-Man' Fans. Some Got Mad Anyway. . Variety . July 24, 2021 . there is no denying that He-Man isn't around all that much, but some of the backlashes could also be a misread of the final moments of the first half of the series . January 3, 2022 . December 24, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211224050727/https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/he-man-masters-of-the-universe-revelation-kevin-smith-netflix-1235026831/ . live .
  38. Web site: Masters of the Universe: Revelation: Part 2 . live . . February 6, 2022 . January 21, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220121201603/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/masters_of_the_universe_revelation/s02 .
  39. Web site: November 1, 2021 . Fowler . Matt . Masters of the Universe: Revelation Part 2 Review . . February 11, 2022 . January 3, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220103211928/https://www.ign.com/articles/masters-of-the-universe-revelation-part-2-review-netflix-kevin-smith . live .
  40. Web site: Jackson . Chris . November 27, 2021 . Masters of the Universe: Revelation (Part 2) . May 22, 2022 . May 22, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220522223112/https://www.starburstmagazine.com/reviews/motu-revelation-2 . live .

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