Recent Viewings, Part 2

[M.10rda]

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (2026):
Written by six people and feels like it (maybe some AI in the mix, too), yet this ridiculous and unnecessary film nevertheless nails the appropriate tone, which is tongue-in-cheek -to- high camp yet upon an essentially good natured foundation of mostly likeable characters... drenched in dayglo rainbow scenic design straight out of THOR: RAGNAROK and James Gunn films (with a soundtrack to match). It lost money in theatrical release but I can't realistically imagine a better version of this project, c'est la commerce.

Although Nicholas Galitzine makes a game "Prince Adam", Idris Elba easily carries the film as Duncan/Man-At-Arms. Elba gave a more complex and complete "real" performance in THE SUICIDE SQUAD and probably as well in STAR TREK 3 and even the THOR movies, but appears to have settled into the grand British tradition of taking the large paycheck for the ludicrous project and then just coasting charismatically through it. He's better than the material deserves thus plenty capable of overdelivering even while undercommitting. Camila Mendes (Veronica from "Riverdale") looks nice as a redhead and provides good humor as Teela and Alison Brie is underused (and blonde) as Evil-Lynn yet gives a great impression of Mariangela Melato in FLASH GORDON. Morena Baccarin is "The Sorceress" and Kristin Wiig voices a giant robot who I don't think was in the cartoon. There's an obligatory but pleasant Dolph Lundgren cameo.

I refused to see this at our local drive-in for one reason, yet found it entirely painless and mostly pleasing on Prime. The reason I didn't want to pay for it is, of course, the presence of Jared Leto, who inexplicably continues to work constantly in spite of all of his films losing money and in spite of increasingly alarming reports of his misconduct. (Also, I think most of his performances are bull$#!t.) I guess the best news about MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE is that Leto is seemingly absent from the finished film - Skeletor appears entirely CGI'd or played by a stand-in/stunt double, and his voice is so digitally processed as to be unrecognizable. I'll grant that the performance, however many people or programs were responsible for it, is pretty entertaining... though all the moreso for not being at all identifiable as Leto. Why then did they even need (or want) his name attached? All his projects bomb (and this one did, too). Maybe the theories are right and Jared Leto is in fact some kind of CIA op.

3.5/5    There's some gay-innuendo humor involving "Ram-Man" and "Fisto" that is a little cringey at times but then pays off during the final battle. Speaking of cringing, Cringer is off-camera for too long but does have some of the film's best moments near the end.

[Trevor]

MUGABE AND THE WHITE AFRICAN

Very disturbing indeed: I couldn't watch it all. 😳