WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Season 1 of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, now streaming on Netflix.
It is hard to think of He-Man and not give thought to those legendary transformation sequences. When the character first jumped off store shelves and onto kids TV screens in the early 1980’s there was nothing else like He-Man. Now those transformations finally feel more epic than ever, thanks to a brand new series, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe on Netflix.
All those years ago, as Prince Adam first held aloft his mighty sword and uttered his iconic “By the power of Grayskull” – that moment – more than any other, is what really helped set the show, and the brand, apart. Children’s imaginations are built upon ideas of transforming into larger than life hero figures – becoming something much bigger than themselves. He-Man captured the very essence of that role-play fantasy kids have. It’s what made it such an easy concept to grasp, as well as such a fun toy to play with.
The original series transformations have become etched in cartoon history lore – but they aren’t necessarily awe-inspiring visual spectacles, at least not by today’s standards. It was the concept of transforming that blew kids' minds, not the way that transformation looked.
Some of the best sequences since the original came with the short-lived 2002-2004 series, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Now almost two decades later, and almost 4 since the original, the transformation has finally received the upgrade it richly deserved. In this new iteration, when Adman becomes the reluctant muscle-bound hero, the sequence feels just as unique as the show itself. It easily could have gone hard into nostalgia and made it much closer to the original. Instead, it takes its own path, which plays out like the cool and epic feeling moment it should.
One of the most visually delightful transformations is for Battle Cat. The original, while beloved, lacked in grandeur what it made up for with simplicity. Not this one. We see Cringer awash in a glow of gold and stars before assuming his menacing, armored alter-ego. Finally an intro worthy of this ferocious feline.
Each of Adams' friends also receive their own mini-epic transformative sequences. Thankfully, all of them are unique and very character specific rather than just rehashing the same sequences with rotating teammates. Male or female, the show does a great job setting up these young heroes as powerful (older) individuals.
The epic group transformation montage, especially the longer protracted version, does have a very distinct Power Rangers feel to it (which borrows from the even older and equally distinct Voltron sequences). But this version doesn’t feel like a rip-off, instead it just feels similar and somewhat modernized, without being too distracting. This is a hallmark of the series. Lots of things seem familiar, yet still retain the flare of engrossing originality.
Just a couple of months ago, another Netflix series tried to win over more adult viewers with a different take on the fables of Eternia. Kevin Smith’s, Masters of the Universe: Revelation, however, tried updating its version of the transformation sequence, with heavy blue-hues on the muscular physique of the transforming He-Man. This ended up giving the whole thing a bit of a Dr. Manhattan from Watchmen feel to it, which didn't exactly work.
The only thing the latest transformation sequence is missing is one of the essential ingredients that made the 1980’s version so special; its theme song. When Prince Adam turned into He-Man, the infectious jingle was as much a part of the moment as the visual display. This has also probably helped keep it etched in folks fond memory banks. Even without an iconic tune to go along with it, however, the new He-Man and the Masters of the Universe has done enough to transform some old school fans into new ones again, right alongside the next generation.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is available to stream on Netflix.