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: G
Studio: Navarre Corporation
Release Date: May 27, 2008
I had the chance to review He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – Volume One previously and now I’m reviewing the second volume that offers the remaining episodes of the first season of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. This is the 2002 remake of the popular cartoon that aired in the 1980s. I grew up with the 80s He-Man and I remember playing He-Man adventures with my brother and playing with the Castle Grayskull play set. I had an Orko that got terribly mauled by our dog (who we gave to the cable man because he ate my orthopedic shoes), but I still used to play with him, partial head and all.
Many have said they much prefer the 2002 version (though the 1985 is revered for its nostalgic properties), because the stories are tighter, the writing is better, it’s not quite as cheesy and the overall character development is more in depth. I’d have to agree with that, for the most part, but the 1985 version of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe will always have a special place in my heart. That’s the show I grew up with and remember watching every episode from the start of the series until the very end.
Release Information:
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe debuted on August 16, 2002. It ran for two full seasons and one unfinished third season on Cartoon Network. Fans aren’t exactly sure why CN canned the series, but it’s typical for the network to take off shows many people enjoy. The He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – Volume Two DVD contains the second half of the episodes (#14-26) that debuted during the first season. There are 13 episodes, in total, in this three disc set.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – Volume Two was released on May 27, 2008 by the Navarre Corporation. This is said to be the second of three volumes that will be released for the series. I am assuming the second and third seasons will be released in the final box set. The He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – Volume Two DVD is available for purchase at Amazon where it costs $17.99 USD.
The He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – Volume Two Plot
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – Volume Two picks up where Volume One left off. Skeletor is even more vicious in his quest to steal the power of the elders and take over Castle Grayskull. He-Man is able to keep his identity hidden from those he cares about the most, but Adam’s absence from major battles has led many to take his future leadership as nothing more than a joke. Still, He-Man knows he’s protecting his identity and loved ones for the greater good.
The thing that is nice about the 2002 version of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is the creator’s ability to expand on the characters from the original series. There are back stories and additional information not provided in the original He-Man series. I also like the updated animation for the show. He-Man has a slicker, better drawn image and he looks much more masculine than the original He-Man. Still, without the 1980s He-Man, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe in 2002 probably would never have been created. The 1980s show is important as it established a structure and foundation for this newer version.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – Volume Two contains 13 episodes. The episodes are split across three discs. Here is a list of episodes with a brief description for each of them.
DISC ONE
1.14 – “Underworld” – Skeletor has plans to break into Castle Grayskull. When one of his cronies suggest attacking the castle from underneath the bad guys head to Subternia where they hope to find a way into it. In the meantime, Randor has told Adam he will be accompanying him to Subternia, where Randor has been asked to help in peace negotiations between the Speleans and the Caligars. With Man-At-Arms the three are sure to come head to head with Skeletor, along the way.
1.15 – “The Monster Within” – Skeletor is at it again. This time, he is trying to capture He-Man, who always seems to be there to foil his plans. He sends Tuvar and Baddhra, two bounty hunters, off to find him. After Beast Man takes control of the monster disguise of Man-E-Faces, Man-E-Faces becomes less confident and less in control of himself. However, he’s He-Man’s only hope of survival.
1.16 – “The Mystery of Anwat Gar” – The Sorceress tells He-Man and Man-At-Arms that Skeletor is trying to get his hands on powerful stones that are known as the Legacy Stones. They must travel to Anwat Gar, an island that is home to the stones. However, they must first get past Sy-Klone, the guardian of the Legacy Stones, so they can protect the stones from Skeletor.
1.17 – “Roboto’s Gambit” – Man-At-Arms has a chess playing robot named Roboto and all he wants to do is help He-Man and the rest of the Masters protect Eternia from the evil forces. Tri-Klops and an army of Bone Monsters attempt to take over Eternia (without Skeletor), so it is up to He-Man, Sy-Klone and Ma-At-Arms to protect the palace, with Roboto hoping to help where he can.
1.18 – “Trust” – Enemies, Stratos and Trap Jaw get into a fight in the Ice Montains, which searching for the mineral Eternium. With both of them injured and trapped in a cavern, they must find out how to work together and get along long enough to survive.
DISC TWO
1.19 – “Orko’s Garden” – In sheer Orko stupidity, Orko mistakes Evil Seed for Moss Man. He had hoped to find Moss Man in the Evergreen Forest and discuss tending to the Royal Palace Gardens. Instead, Evil Seed gives him a magic seed that will grow into large vines and trapsthe people in the palace within the vines.
1.20 – “Buzz-Off’s Pride” – “Buzz-Off has been defeated by giants in Veridas. He is too ashamed to tell the Masters this. When the Masters of the Universe must travel to Veridas for other reasons, Buzz-Off’s quarrel with the giants might lead to more problems than previously anticipated.
1.21 – “Snake Pit” – Kobra Khan escapes from a prison at the Royal Palace. After his escape, he meets up with Skeletor and joins the ranks. Using his newfound alliance with Skeletor, Khan heads into the evil lair, where he releases a banished group called the ancient ones.
1.22 – “The Island” – Man-At-Arms plans to visit his former teacher, Dekker, on the island of Orkas. He decides to take along Adam and Teela. When they arrive, it becomes clear that Clawful and his clan have kidnapped Dekker.
1.23 – “The Sweet Smell of Victory” – On Snake Mountain, Tri-Klops accidentally blows something up, but he does so with good results for the evils as he has turned Odiphus into a powerful being. At the same time, Odiphus develops a disgusting odor and is therefore now known as Stinkor.
1.24 – “Separation” – Two Bad hopes to return to Tuvar and Baddhra. Unfortunately, he’s unable to do so without the Triad of Discidium. These are a trio of artifacts that can have terrible effects on Eternia, especially ifTwo Bad is given the chance to use the spell of separation. To save Eternia, the Sorceress sends He-Man to stop Two Bad before it is too late.
1.25 – “Council of Evil – Part One” – Skeletor forms The Council of Evil. Right after their success in capturing the Evil Warriors, the Masters begin disappearing thanks to this new Council of Evil.
1.26 – “Council of Evil – Part Two” – He-Man must pose as Adam (and Battle Cat as Cringer) in order to hide from the Council of Evil. With Teela’s help, they try to rescue the Masters. When Adam loses his sword, all heck breaks lose as the Evil Warriors are freed and they team up with the Council of Evil, headed on a mission to take over Castle Grayskull.
Most of the episodes included on the DVDs in the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – Volume Two are pretty good. My favorite episodes have to be “Council of Evil – Part One and Part Two”, “The Mystery of Anwat Gar”, “The Island” and “Trust”. While some of the episodes are cheesy and Orko is annoying enough to grate on anyone’s nerves, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe follows the original show enough to keep He-Man purists happy, but expands the story enough to interest a new audience.
Storyline/Plot: 
Replayability:
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Audio/Visual:
I was impressed when I saw the visual quality for the episodes in the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – Volume Two box set. The video is presented at a 1.78:1 aspect ratio in anamorphic widscreen format. Colors are vibrant, errors are minimal (save for brief instances of pixilation and dirt) and contrast is sharp. Most people won’t notice the errors, they’re so minor, but for any cartoon this quality is highly impressive.
The sound for the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – Volume Two DVD is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Sound. Surprisingly, this track is quite dynamic with action sequences coming through loud and clear. Volume toggling wasn’t necessary and everything sounded perfect from the theme music to the dialogue.
Visual: 
Audio:
Bonus Features:
Like the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – Volume One DVD set, all of the episodes contain morals that the characters explain once the episode has ended. This is just the first of a few different bonus features included in the the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – Volume Two set. There are two full audio commentaries for the episodes “Orko’s Garden” and “Snake Pit”. These were unusual episode choices for commentaries. The commentaries are done by Gary Hartle (director), Dean Stefan (story editor), and Stephen Melching (writer). These two episodes also have video commentaries on the third disc, which features most of the bonuses.
There is a Behind the Scenes feature that offers a look at the voice actors for He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. The characters examined in this behind the scenes extra include the voices behind Prince Adam/He-Man, King Randor, Orko, and Teela. This featurette is around eight minutes in length. There are some bloopers and retakes as the actors go into the sound studio. There is also a brief introduction for each actor and the character they play.
There are three image galleries. The galleries include the Villains Gallery, the Sketch Gallery and the Background Gallery. The Villains Gallery offers biographies of a selection of villains, images, and information on the weapons they use. The villains profiled include Skeletor, Evil-Lin, Beast Man, Keldor, Tri-Klops, Clawful, Trap Jaw, Two Bad, Mer-Man, Stinkor, Evil Seed, Odiphus, Webstor, Count Marzo and his hounds, Whiplash, Hordak, the goop-covered Minions, the Bone Monsters and Panthor. The sketch gallery features concept art for the villains as well as notes by the art designer. The background gallery is a gallery that includes the artwork for the backgrounds included in the episodes on this disc.
Additional bonuses on the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – Volume One DVD include Animatics for select episodes (“Orko’s Garden”, “Snake Pit”, and “The Island”), download access to the scripts for all episodes, and two collectible cards. These show the episodes in rough sketches with crude animation. The voice actors speak their dialogue, but no other sound is included. The He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – Volume One bonus disc can be put in a PC DVD-Rom drive. When the DVD is placed in, scripts for all episodes in this set can be downloaded as PDF files. The collectible cards are included in the packaging of the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – Volume One Box Set. The cards are 4×6 and they offer artistic creations by Joshua Middleton and Sean Galloway.
All in all the bonuses included in the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – Volume One box set are pretty cool. There are multiple bonuses and all of them are interesting enough to appease a wide variety of He-Man fans.
Bonus Features:
Bottom Line:
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – Volume Two is worth the money you will pay for this three disc set. Fans of He-Man need to pick this box set up. If you have a child who is over the age of four or five that really likes action and adventure cartoons you should let them check He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – Volume Two out, by renting before buying. This DVD set is highly recommended.
Overall Rating:
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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.
