Masters of the Universe: Revelation finally debuted on Netflix this Friday, delivering the first batch of episodes of Kevin Smith’s much-anticipated relaunch of the beloved franchise. Billed as a continuation of the original 1980s cartoon, the animated series is really much more subversive than the marketing may have suggested, serving up a mature, surprising revisionist take on this universe.
As with any bold reimagining of a popular IP, the show is generating a lot of discussion online. Some are loving the twists and turns of Revelation, while others were hoping for something more traditional. Critics are certainly loving it, though, and on the whole, Twitter users are mostly heaping praise on what Smith and his team have cooked up.
It’s beautiful – no doubt about it.
As well as the visuals, the all-star voice cast is receiving acclaim.
OK, so the crux of the problem for its critics is that Revelation puts Teela in the protagonist role, whereas the marketing emphasized He-Man’s importance. This is rubbing some up the wrong way.
On the other hand, there’s a lot of love for Teela going around, so it all balances out.
“A great sequel to the original”.
EPIC!
*Skeletor voice* Curse you, Kevin Smith…
While the series does make some huge changes to the lore, with episode 1 turning the status quo on its head in a major way, Smith has clearly approached it from a place of love for both the original and many other 80s classics as well, with this first season slotting in homages to everything from Superman II to Indiana Jones. Smith’s also revealed that Star Wars and Marvel were influences on the show’s style and approach.
You can find all five episodes of Masters of the Universe: Revelation Part 1 on Netflix now. Part 2 is due to follow sometime later this year.
Published: Jul 23, 2021 09:36 am