Masters of the Universe Is the Lost Prince Portal Fantasy You've Been Waiting For!

The "lost princess" trope is among the most popular when it comes to princess stories, but due to the last decade's rise of princesses as powerful warriors, it's fallen a bit out of fashion. With the decline of princes as love interests and their lack of opportunities to defend their now stronger female counterparts, there isn't much left for men to do in fantasy movies. That's where the latest Masters of the Universe movie comes in. Based on the '80s toy line and cartoon franchise, this movie is a throwback to a time when fantasy films were meant to be pure escapism and not about delivering an agenda. Its hero, Adam, takes on a similar role to classic princesses of the past, while his female counterpart, Teela, embodies the stoic warrior role that modern female characters have been relegated to.

The movie tells the story of Prince Adam of Eternia, who was sent through a portal to Earth by the Sorceress for his safety after his kingdom was conquered by the wicked Skeletor and his armies. The Sorceress entrusted Adam to protect the Sword of Power, which escaped his grasp when he entered the portal as a child. Now a 25-year-old man, he spent 15 years of his life in Oklahoma City trying to recover it. This gets in the way of his office job in Human Resources when his toxically positive boss gives him an ultimatum to give up his search. He finds the sword, is reunited with his childhood friend, Teela, and enters a magic portal back to Eternia in a stunningly breathtaking visual sequence.

Returning home is only the beginning for Adam, when he learns his kingdom has been ravaged by Skeletor's forces during the time he was away. He must use the Sword of Power to transform into Eternia's champion in another breathtaking visual sequence and lead his people to take back his kingdom. However, he is not quite the leader they were hoping for with his pacifistic nature, emotional sensitivity, and childhood nicknames for everyone. Still, he is the only one capable of defeating Skeletor thanks to the Sword of Power, so they must learn to work together and do things his way.

Since princesses are rarely allowed to show emotion or weakness in movies anymore, Adam is given the freedom to be the relatable character that modern-day princesses are no longer allowed to be. He is extremely vulnerable and talks often about how he misses his home even when other people advise against it. This is one of the only "lost prince" movies I've seen in recent memory, and it does an excellent job of conquering the trope that makes Tangled and Anastasia so beloved. The cultural rejection of romance is the only sour note of the film. Teela's role as a modern-day heroine prevents her from taking any interest in Adam outside of friendship, despite his obvious desire for more.

Overall, Masters of the Universe is a cinematic masterpiece that hearkens back to a time when movies didn't need to conform to political agendas. It takes advantage of the fact that princesses are no longer allowed to be relatable by giving us a relatable prince who embodies kindness, resilience, and staying true to oneself against all odds. The movie is a visual feast with gorgeous imagery of fantastical worlds and epic battles of good vs. evil. If you miss the days of classic fantasy fun and need a temporary escape from reality, I strongly recommend seeing Masters of the Universe while it's still in theaters.