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I felt like a kid again this weekend!
Masters of the Universe: Revelation (Netflix series)
So, I turn 44…today actually. I was born in 1977, so I grew up in the 80s. The 80s were a special time. Not so much for fashion, but there was some great music in the 80s. There was great TV in the 80s. And movies…well some of the absolute best movies in the history of cinema came out in the 80s. As a kid, there were also some really killer cartoons! “He-Man,” “G.I. Joe,” “Transformers,” GoBots (we called them K-Mart Transformers, but they were still awesome), COPS, Inspector Gadget, and Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n Wrestling to name a few. I loved all of these, but to little Chris, none of them could hold a candle to “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.” I lived and breathed He-Man. Now we were pretty poor, but my sweet grandparents spoiled me pretty good as I had every single He-Man figurine, Castle Greyskull, and Snake Mountain. I had it all!!!
In all, there have been four “versions” of “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” on television. The original (and the best one) came out in 1983. “The New Adventures of He-Man” came out in 1990. “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” (reboot) came out in 2002, and now “Masters of the Universe: Revelation” arrives on Netflix in 2021 thanks to the great Kevin Smith (Clerks, Mallrats).
The war for Eternia begins once again in what may well be the final battle between He-Man & Skeletor. Friends, “Revelation” is a SEQUEL to the original story and pretty much all our favorite characters are back including Orko, Man-At-Arms, Cringer, Evil-Lyn, Beast Man, Mer-Man, Cyclops, the Sorceress, and of course He-Man. Y’all I was like a kid in an AYCE free candy buffet this weekend when I started it.
As far as the cast, how about Mark Hamill as Skeletor, Lena Headley as Evil-Lyn, Chris Wood as He-Man, Sarah Michelle Gellar as Teela, and the great Stephen Root as Cringer?! Good stuff!
Season 1 is on Netflix, but so far, it’s only 5 episodes. Word is there is more coming later this year. However, there’s a lot of stuff going on in these 5 episodes. After an intense and deadly battle over the powers of Castle Greyskull, Eternia is fractured and it’s now up to Teela to solve the mystery of the now vanished Sword of Power before time runs out and the entire Universe goes bye-bye. There are unlikely allegiances formed along the way as Teela uncovers the secrets of Greyskull that we’ve waited 35 years to see.
So, now after reading this…how big a dork am I? Seriously though some are going to love this and some are going to hate it. There were times along the way wen I had mixed feelings and I just missed the old skool cartoon, but all in all I really liked it and I’m ready for more. If you’re a child of the 80s like me, check it out and let me know what you think.
Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (in theaters)
More of the 80s!! Woo Hoo! G.I. Joe was something else I always loved. I REALLY thought my 13-year-old son would want to go with me for this one, but he just replied, “Nah.” I guess playing Angry Birds on his phone in his underwear in the middle of the day sounded better. So, I went by myself. Hey! Don’t judge me. I like going to the movies by myself. I don’t have to share my snacks then. However, I will admit- I got no snacks today. I’d really like to be…how do you say it…oh yeah…less fat. So, no popcorn and Raisinets today, but I did watch a pretty great movie. Now on to that!
“Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins” obviously is the story of…you guessed it- Snake Eyes. After being orphaned as a boy after his father is killed, the boy grows into a talented and deadly martial arts fighter. An ancient Japanese clan called the Arashikage welcomes the young man after he saves the life of their heir apparent. Meanwhile, the boy took on the name Snake Eyes to conceal his true identity. After arriving in Japan, the Arashikage teach him the ways of the ninja and provide him something he’s been longing for: a family and a home. However, when secrets from the past are revealed, his honor and allegiance are tested.
Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians) plays the title role while Andrew Koji (Fast & Furious 6) plays his friend, Tommy. You’ll also meet Scarlett- played by Samara Weaving (Bill & Ted Face the Music) and Baroness- played by Ursula Corbero (Snatch.)
In my opinion, this is one of the better “Origin” stories that I’ve seen. There absolutely must be a sequel to this as there is a lot of build-up for more action and more story. As the film progresses, you start to hear about Cobra and the Joes, and you know it’s going to get good.
I liked the action. I liked the cast. I liked the story. And I liked the building of the characters. All in all, I think the film worked really well. So, go see it! Something that really reminded me of some of the classic 80s action cartoons is that though there’s obviously a lot of violence, there’s really no gore. You really only “see” a couple of people die. There are great sword fights with 10-15 on 1 or 2, and all the bad guys fall, but you don’t see them “die.” It’s just fun.
So yes…go see it! When you go to the theater, tell them Chris sent you. Maybe that’ll get you in free?! Seriously though I doubt it because they have no idea who I am. Oh well…ENJOY!!! (Bonus 80s pic of Chris below!)
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