As the long anticipated series “Masters of the Universe: Revolution” launched on Netflix yesterday, fans have been raving about the latest installment in the MOTU Universe. But what are the critics saying?
Well wonder no more because we have complied the final thoughts from the professional critics that have reviewed this series so far. Did they love it? Did they loathe it? Find out below: (Click on the website names for their full reviews)
DECIDER:
Like its previous installment, Masters of the Universe: Revolution feeds memory and 80s animation into sleekly updated world building, adds depth to iconic characters, and crackles with bits of MCU-style team-up action as He-Man and his allies once again resist the machinations of Skeletor. Our Call: STREAM IT.
CBR:
While the hero appeared in all but a single episode of Revelation, some fans felt a bit cheated by how little he appeared in the show. In Revolution, Adam is He-Man more than he’s his scrawnier self. Yet, just as the previous series proved, Adam doesn’t need the Sword of Power or his bulked-up form to be a hero. Everything that makes the people of Eternia (and those here on regular-old Earth) love the character is present in every version. The animators, writers, and composers all turned in their best work. Masters of the Universe: Revolution is the show every He-Man fan has been waiting for all their lives. 9/10
SUPERHEROHYPE:
Perhaps Revolution is meant as a corrective to perceptions that Revelation and the CG show were too different from canon; if so, itās unsurprising that it leans into fan service so heavily. Sometimes less can be more, though thereās also a sense that Smith and his team suspect they wonāt get to do anymore, so they crammed in everything they wanted to get to. While this fan appreciates the desire to serve, itās hard not to wish for breathing room and the greater exploration of an entire world that should be more than just the royal palace, Castle Grayskull, and Snake Mountain. Grade: 3.5/5
IGN:
Masters of the Universe: Revolution is a great-looking show with a storyline and writing style that are comforting in their familiarity for long-time fans. However, some lackluster action sequences and its short length detract from what could have been a classic crowd-pleaser, even for newcomers. 6/10
411MANIA:
With all the dominoes falling, Revolution might be the last major piece of motion picture media to come out of Masters of the Universe for a while. Hopefully, thatās not the case. Revolution is merely the second chapter of a larger three-part storyline. One can hope the team behind this series and Revelation will have the opportunity to bring this animated saga to its epic conclusion. However, halving this season to only five episodes is not a good sign. Be that as it may, at least where Revolution is concerned, fans of Masters of the Universe, just this once, have the power. 9/10
NERDVANA:
Fortunately a few brief moments of surprise helped compensate for the marketingās near-full reveals of story and characters, including a mid-credits stinger that was as expected as it was finally exciting to see. As always, the fans have the power to proclaim if a third season is on the horizon for this incarnation of Masters of the Universe. The new status quo offers great potential for stories never told, yet we have enough of that original spirit of fantasy adventure to fuel the franchise in its fun, old school way. Of course, Iām a grown-up now, so Revolution didnāt have me running around raising aloft a wrapping paper tube and shouting, āBy the Power of Grayskull!ā Fortunately, it didnāt drive me to yell, āLet the power RETURN,ā either. Iām all for keeping it around, as long as it lasts. (No Rating)
THE COSMIC CIRCUS:
Overall, I enjoyed the series, as it hasnāt strayed at all from what made me enjoy Masters of the Universe: Revelation. The effect-heavy fights, uncovering mysteries, and all-star cast all did their parts to deliver another entertaining set of episodes. The ending does leave me a little anxious as it undoes some fundamentals of this universe. Iām no purist or long-time fan set in my ways either, they are simply a couple of decisions that I think are a tad unrefined. The short episode lengths make it a breeze to watch in one evening. It wonāt take long to see the culmination of Technology vs Magic wielded by its respective Champions. (No Rating)
JOBLO:
True to its title, Masters of the Universe: Revolution does try to upend the way warring factions exist on Eternia by resolving some conflicts, enhancing the powers and abilities of the heroes and villains, and resetting the board for a new battle in the expected third chapter of this saga. I had fun with Revolution, thanks to its blend of callbacks, homages, and connections to various He-Man properties over the years. The refocus on Prince Adam as the primary protagonist was a smart move, but I cannot help but feel that this short season feels like twice the amount of story that could fit in half the time. I am still a fan of what Kevin Smith has done with this series, and I am ready for more, but I wish this season had satisfied me the way the first series did. 7/10
FILMSTORIES:
Unlike Revelation, this series ties up most of its loose ends after these first five episodes. With the exception of a final scene teasing more to come, it feels like a completed story arc. Given that Revolution and its prequel series have been colourful, action-packed shows with great villains and some brilliant voice acting, I wouldnāt be opposed to seeing more of Kevin Smithās take on Masters Of The Universe. 3/5
BUTWHYTHO?:
Masters of the Universe: Revolution delivers lots of fun and surprises despite trying to do far too much. Its fantastic cast and sense of self-awareness manage to keep the viewer entertained, even when the plot points are flying by too fast to deliver on their promise. 6/10
DMT:
So, if you liked Revelation, youāll surely love Revolution. The length of the show can feel irksome, but every single second of the five episodes is used in an efficient fashion to give viewers the maximum amount of entertainment. The visuals are astounding. The music is pulse-pounding. The twists are jaw-dropping. And by the end, youāll forget how old you are, point to the sky, beckon the energy of Grayskull, and feel that you indeed have the power. 4/5
So far the general consensus from the professional critics is very positive for this second animated entry in the new Netflix Masters of the Universe continuity. Now let’s hope it is a success in terms of viewership, so they can continue making new installments! We’ll see you next time.
Yeah most if not all seems to agree it is better than Revelation, I am glad to see Hordak, Grizzlor and Leech again. š»
Disclaimer: Any opinions held by force captain Catra is 200% pro evil Horde.Ā
I don’t give an F about critics……………
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but its cool that they like it š¤£
As a newer fan to Masters of the Universe I am not as firmly tied to the canon/lore as long standing fans might be so the direction they are taking MOTU is all new and exciting for me. I absolutely loved and adored Revelation. It is the show that brought me into the fandom, so I was highly anticipating Revolution. For me personally, I love it for what it is, but to be 100% honest I was a little disappointed. With the show reduced to only 5 episodes the story felt rushed. There just wasn’t enough time to flesh out the story and character development AND include all the action. The writing team for MOTU Revelation/Revolution is absolutely superb and I feel like the abbreviated episode count didn’t let them fully shine as they could. So, while I do love Revolution I was left wanting more. Hopefully the next season, and I am hopefully anticipating another season, will be able to contain more episodes and bring a balance between action and story.
I’ll say this…(SLIGHT SPOILERS TO FOLLOW!)
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After “The Kiss" (My eyes may or may not have puddled up) and duel transformation scene I was doing a very passable impression of Tom Cruise on Opra’s couch. Whooping like an 8 year old! I “rewound" (yep. I’m one of the old fans) that sequence 3 times. It got better each time.
I watched it all in one sitting. I was not capable of pacing my viewing to “save some for the weekend". It just kept on going and I was along for the ride. Due to the truncated episode run count the pacing was obviously rushed. Especially during the “King Keldor" plot point. Some rando blue dude just shows up claiming to be a long lost uncle (bruh…not even a DNA quick-test?), fights ONE battle with very similar techno-capabilities as the bad guys, and Adam is like,"Word. Ok, Bruhuncle. I know you only been around like 10 minutes. But it’s cool. You be King". And afterwards Andra was all,"You like me!? REALLY!? Ok GREAT! I’m pretty starved for attention nowadays so let’s team up! I like experimenting on people so let’s chip the entire populace with an experimental prototype techno-sacrament! Sounds like great fun! LET’S GOOOOOOOOOO!"
Skeletor whippin Hordak’s ass was unexpected and pretty great. Lena Hedley absolutely devoured every scene she appeared in. Lyn’s character went through the most profound metamorphosis of all the characters in the series. And Hedley handled it masterfully. Her range was impressive. She may be remembered more for this role than Cersi Lanister. At least she will to me.
All in all I LOVED it. It felt more like a very epic movie than a “series". And I would like to see a “director’s cut" film that added some content without episode cuts.
AJ, was right. We’re hopefully gonna get like 15 new figures out of this.
T. Baserelli (I can’t spell it!) said on the For Eternia podcast that this was a smaller story, meant to be five episodes. As quickly as Adam gives up the crown to his uncle, this is kind of in keeping with established story decisions in mini-comics, etc. I agree that the “epic binge watch" format of Netflix doesn’t constrain the writers and animators in the same way that something like a 8-page mini-comic or a 22 minute 1980’s episode, but the swiftness that this story moved on the point mentioned seemed like a call-out to the past sort of to me. We can tell that he really doesn’t want to stop being He-Man. I like how he has the conference room meeting with Keldor to investigate further his claims. He should have vetted Keldor a little more, but the act that he put on seemed genuine, and he didn’t seem to have usurping motives. Of course, I suspected exactly what happened…That he was somehow really Skeletor, Demon-from-another-dimension regardless. I didn’t call the mind wipe idea, and found this to be an interesting compromise on the mini-comics/200x story.
For the first time in eons I was like ok. I hope they come out with this toy or that toy! Lol like I loved the dragon.
And Iā desperately would love to have a Megaconstrux modified skelly grayskull. Doubt that ever happens thou lol
@zukny Would you be there for a Mattel Creations Masterverse Granamyr crowdfund?
@firmpulse sounds like a good idea! My main collection lately has been all the megaconstrux. Ā But I dive into other pieces too.