Writers: Dean Stefan, Michael Reaves, Brooks Wachtel, Larry DiTillio, William Cluverius, Mark and Michael Edens, Len Uhley, Erik & Lara Runnels
Directors: Jong-Sik Nam, Gary Hartle
Cast: Cam Clarke, Gary Chalk, Brian Dobson, Scott McNeil, Kathleen Barr, Lisa Ann Beley, Michael Donovan, Nicole Oliver, Gabe Khouth, Paul Dobson, John Payne
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Navarre Corporation
Release Date: February 19, 2008
Growing up, I loved He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. My brother and I played with Castle Grayskull. I remember having figures for Prince Adam who turned into He-Man, Cringer who turned into Battle Cat and Skeletor. We probably had other figures, but those are the ones I for sure remember. We lived happily in the land of make believe as we played He-Man for hours at a time. Fast forward nearly twenty years and a new generation is exposed to a new He-Man and a new series aptly named, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.
The animation for this version of He-Man was updated for a 21st century audience. Now, like other 80s cartoons that are being reinvented, I had to decide whether recreating one of my very favorite childhood cartoons was a good thing or not. I had avoided watching the show on television unintentionally. My son was watching it and I didn’t even realize it. So, when I was told I had the chance to review He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - Volume One I mustered up my strength and courage, hoping for something at least somewhat entertaining. I haven’t seen any type of He-Man cartoon since what…1987? I was expecting the worst. What I ended up with was a happy surprise.
Release Information:
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - Volume One is the first 13 episodes of the first season. This series first aired on August 26, 2002. It lasted for two seasons. Due to poor advertising on the part of Cartoon Network (according to fans) the show was canceled before an extended second or third season could be produced. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is now somewhat of a cult favorite, much like its predecessor series.
On February 19, 2008, Navarre Corporation released He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - Volume One. Released in a three-DVD set, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - Volume One, is available both online and offline, for purchase. The He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - Volume One DVD is available at Amazon, for $16.99.
The He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - Volume One Plot
This He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is fun entertainment for the whole family. Parents who enjoyed the original series, as I did, will enjoy a look back at a remake of a series they remember fondly. Children get to see a new, fun adventure series that parallels the story of a cartoon they never really knew existed. I recommend this series for kids between the ages of 5-14 though plenty of “big kids” will love it, too. The creators of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe were about as respectful as they could be towards the original series. For that, I’m grateful.
The first thirteen episodes are split up on three discs. The episodes include:
“The Beginning: Part One”
“The Beginning: Part Two”
“The Beginning: Part Three”
“The Courage of Adam”
“Skywar”
“The Deep End”
“Lessons”
“The Siren’s Song”
“The Ties That Bind”
“Dragon’s Brood”
“Turnabout”
“Mekaneck’s Lament”
“Night of the Shadow Beasts”
The storyline features on a young prince named Adam, whose father, King Randor, rules over the land of Eternia with his wife, Queen Marlena. Adam is special because he has been chosen to be a hero by The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull and the Council of Elders to keep the powers of evil from taking over Eternia. At the same time, he is to protect the secrets of Castle Grayskull. The ironic part is that Adam cannot tell anyone that he is He Man. He is often labeled a coward by the girl he likes, Teela, a warrior teen who thinks that Adam is a wimp since he always disappears during battles. The only one who knows his secret is Teela’s adopted father and Randor’s close friend/basic second in command, Man-At-Arms.
He Man is joined by his stead, Battle Cat, who is Adam’s ‘fraidy cat tiger, Cringer, when not in battle mode. There is also a creature, Orko, that knows Adam is He Man. Becuase Orko has such a big mouth, Man-At-Arms constantly has to remind him to shut up. Most of the comic relief from the show comes from Orko. In this version, Battle Cat doesn’t talk though this doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of the show. Together, with the Masters of the Universe (including Man-At-Arms, Man-E-Faces, and Teela), He Man fights off the evil Skeletor and his cronies that include the mouthy Evil-Lyn amongst others. All of the episodes show the evil-doers coming up with ideas to either take down He Man, take down Eternia, or distract He Man so they can take over Eternia. Of course, He Man never lets them.
The voice acting for He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - Volume One is decent. Sure, it isn’t the original Skeletor (who was fabulous) or He Man, but the ninja turtle, Clarke does a decent job of making He Man sound mature and confident and Adam sound like a young teen. The distinction makes He Man and Adam harder to imagine as being the same individual. I always thought, like Superman, He Man’s true identity was just a little too obvious in the original, but that’s just me. Skeletor sounds almost identical, but not quite, so the creators did a good job of not making this series too different. Overall, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - Volume One is entertaining. That’s what is important.
Storyline/Plot: 
Replayability:
Acting: 
Directing:
Audio/Visual:
I was surprised to find that He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - Volume One was transfered at a 1.78:1 aspect ratio in anamorphic widescreen. This must be because the cartoon was originally made less than ten years ago. The creators of the show wanted to go all out on this one. The picture looks great. There are no visible errors animation wise or with the video quality. I was impressed.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - Volume One features Dolby Digital Stereo sound in English. Sure, it’s not nearly as impressive as the video quality, but its still a decent soundtrack. I didn’t need to fiddle with the volume. Everything came through loud and clear. It was good, but not spectacular.
Visual:
Audio:
Bonus Features:
Spread out across the three discs that make up He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - Volume One are bonus features. There are commentaries by Dean Stefan, Ian Richter, and Gary Hartle on the disc one episodes “The Beginning: Part One”, “The Beginning: Part Two”, “The Beginning: Part Three” and “The Courage of Adam”. There are more commentaries on disc two by Larry Ditillio, Gary Hartle, Ian Richter, and Dean Stefan on the episode “Lessons. There is a DVD-Rom feature on disc three, which features all 13 scripts for the episodes in this set. There are multiple galleries including a sketch gallery, a heroes still gallery and background gallery.
Additional features are also found on disc three. There are animatics for “The Beginning: Part One”, “The Beginning: Part Two” and “The Beginning: Part Three”. There is a featurette that comes in at 25 minutes entitled “World of He-Man”. There are also extended video commentaries for all of the episodes on discs one and two that featured commentaries. You will get art cards with this DVD set. At the end of each episode, there is a moral to the story. Overall, this set is filled with bonuses, making it well worth purchasing for fans of the series.
Bonus Features:
Bottom Line:
Okay, I’ll admit it. I liked the 13 episodes presented on He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - Volume One more than I thought I would. It’s not the original series, but it is incredibly respectful for fans of the original to enjoy. It expands on many of the storylines from the original and makes what we already know of the story, more interesting. If you like He-Man and the Masters of the Universe in any of its incarnations, you need to check He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - Volume One out. Rent it just in case, you’re a die hard fan of the original series. If you’re like me though, you’ll want to own both sets…this and the original.
Overall Rating:
Technorati Tags: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Volume One, Cartoon, Remake, DVD Review, Family, Cam Clarke, Gary Chalk
Written by Dominick Evans - Visit Website
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Dominick is in his late 20s. He lives in Michigan with his life partner, Ashtyn, their 14 year old son Robert, and their Shih-Tzu, Oliver. Dominick is a writer and the head editor for both LI Kids and Literary Illusions. He enjoys composing music and is an aspiring director/screenwriter. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family, playing and watching sports, playing video games, watching movies, and singing.
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