reviews

'Masters of the Universe' Is A Surprising Blast

MGM

So, while reading this, keep in mind that the new Masters of the Universe was, somehow, created in a lab specifically for me. I even said this to a publicist who asked for my opinion after the movie. Which is, I really can't attest how the population at large will react to a movie made specifically for me. Now the good news for you is you're reading this newsletter. Which means there's a better than average chance we have some overlapping taste.¹

¹If I were writing this review for a media outlet, let's say Bop or The Rhode Island Slut, those chances go down because people want to know The Rhode Island Slut's opinion of Masters of the Universe, not necessarily mine. But since I'm the only human who writes for The Hard Pass, these dynamics all seems more interchangeable.

Masters of the Universe is a toy line that launched in 1982. In 1982 I was very into Star Wars² toys and thought Masters of the Universe looked stupid. By the end of 1982 I had a lot of Masters of the Universe toys. (I am an only child and, somehow, an only grandchild on my mom's side.) The initial action figures came with miniature comics that are nothing like the Masters of the Universe we know now. He-Man wasn't secretly a guy named Prince Adam who looks just like He-Man only paler. He-Man, then, was more in the vein of Conan the Barbarian. it wasn't until the popularity of the cartoon³ that the story of Masters of the Universe became what it is still known as today.

²Speaking of, I also think Masters of the Universe benefits from coming out after the dismal The Madalorian and Grogu. (A movie I like less and less every day.) While I was watching Masters of the Universe I kept thinking, oh, right, a franchise movie can be fun and can have character arcs and can have actors on screen all looking like they enjoy what they do for a living.

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Does The Evacuation of Hoth In 'The Empire Strikes Back' Make Any Sense? A Way Too Thorough Investigation

This reader question comes from Academy Award nominated screenwriter Michael Weber, who has co-written (along with Scott Neustadter, who, as far as I know, has never heard of this newsletter) The Disaster Artist, (500) Days of Summer, and The Spectacular Now. (I did ask him if he wanted to be

Here's My New Interview With Paul Rudd, One Of My Favorite People To Interview

I've interviewed Paul Rudd a few times over the years, most of which are no longer online, so I can't link to them. He's one of my favorite people to interview because (a) he's Paul Rudd and he's as pleasant

The Mandalorian's Mustache and Who Still Needs A Biopic: Let’s Answer Some Electronic Mail Questions

Well, another week. We did it. Or, perhaps, we did not do it. Who's to say? Though, I do want to take the time to thank everyone, again, who reads this newsletter. As I've said, I like doing it, but it is time consuming. I try

Here’s The Saga Of Jon Favreau And The Worst Comic Book Ever Made, Iron Man #210

Jon Favreau has a new movie out this weekend called The Mandalorian and Grogu. Unfortunately, I found it disappointing. I do not really know Jon Favreau and I have not interacted with him since hosting a 2014 Apple Store Q&A with him about Chef, which is a great

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Does The Evacuation of Hoth In 'The Empire Strikes Back' Make Any Sense? A Way Too Thorough Investigation

Here's My New Interview With Paul Rudd, One Of My Favorite People To Interview

The Mandalorian's Mustache and Who Still Needs A Biopic: Let’s Answer Some Electronic Mail Questions

Here’s The Saga Of Jon Favreau And The Worst Comic Book Ever Made, Iron Man #210