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The latest adaption of the popular action figure/animated series is a big-screen action/comedy that ultimately doesn’t pull off either genre very well. The plot is pretty straightforward and can be guessed fairly easily by watching any of the trailers. After a solid opening to the story, the film becomes a bit cringe-worthy during the Earth sequences. (There’s a quite a few big plotholes that the movie quickly brushes past and hopes that nobody notices.) Once the story returns to Eternia, things do pick up…but not enough. One of the biggest problems is that Adam isn’t a very engaging protagonist. Granted, this is supposed to be his hero’s journey, but it never quite feels like he comes into his own. Most the other heroes are fine, while Idris Elba outshine everyone. The villains are all cartoony, which is not surprising considering the source material. While overall Skeletor is an intimidating big bad, he often leans into camp that feels like a blend of his animated incarnations and Dr. Evil from the “Austin Powers” films. While the action sequences are occasionally pretty cool, but overall, they’re either overly CG aerial battles or mediocre bloodless sword fights. The film features a lot of humor, and although some of it works, much of it is just awkwardly placed. There are two mid-credits scenes and a post-credit. The first two are worth it for fans of the franchise, but the last one wasn’t worth sitting around and waiting for.
**1/2 out of *****