Power of Grayskull: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – Review

If you were a He-Man fan in the 80s – or, I suppose, at any time afterwards – then you’ll probably enjoy the next few years, with Netflix’s She-Ra and the Princesses of Power series already airing, the Kevin Smith-scripted Masters of the Universe: Revelation coming soon, and a live-action Masters of the Universe set for a 2021 release. Personally, I have zero prior experience with He-Man, but that proved to be no issue whatsoever, for the newly-produced documentary Power of Grayskull: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe makes things accessible for fans and non-fans alike, detailing the history of the character and his ever-expanding universe, from his inception as a toy made off the back of the unexpected success of John Milius’ Conan the Barbarian film, through the cartoon series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and the later (and, most interviewees here agree, better) spin-off She-Ra: Princess of Power, and the 1987 live-action film Masters of the Universe, starring Dolph Lundgren as He-Man and Frank Langella as Skeletor.

These three phases of the franchise’s evolution – toy, cartoon, film – are given three roughly equal chunks of the film’s runtime, with a shorter coda detailing the various attempted relaunches of the property since the end of the 80s. Curiously though – perhaps simply due to how long it takes to get a feature film shot, edited and released – there is no mention of the Netflix series or upcoming film. Still, that’s a tiny curio in what is otherwise a wonderful documentary, with the best parts coming early on as we see the development of the toy line. Not only are the crafters of these toys the best interviewees – balancing a passion for craft and a clear sense of the joy of childhood play with a knowledge of the cynical, ephemeral nature of the business of mass-market toy production – this is also the part where the film is at its deepest, really investigating the nature of childhood fantasy and where the mass appeal of these toys comes from. But that’s just me. Others might appreciate the sheer fannishness of the second section, or the many great behind-the-scenes stories that come from the third. I think to any He-Man fan this film will be a blessing – nothing short of required viewing – but it’s highly recommended to anyone with an interest in fantasy fiction, the toy business, or popcultural phenomena in general.