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Justin Mark's He-Man Movie Potentially a Masterpiece?!

by Alex Billington
June 3, 2008

This is one of those unbelievable reports, where it's just so baffling that it truly is hard to believe. Normally I don't take an interest in script reviews, not only because of spoilers, but because it's a whole other world in the development process that we needn't touch. However, Latino Review's El Mayimbe came onto the /FilmCast last night to talk about the Grayskull: The Masters of the Universe script and damn did he get me giddy with excitement. He spoke so highly of the script that I just had to check it out and report back to you on why it has the potential to be incredible. To put it plainly, El Mayimbe called it Lord of the Rings and Matrix combined, in all reality. And if you're a He-Man fan and that doesn't excite you, then maybe you need to read on to find out what else there is in this "fanboy masterpiece!"

The He-Man movie was first announced last May right around the time when the buzz for Transformers was beginning to pick up. Powerhouse producer Joel Silver is spearheading the project and assigned the up-and-coming screenwriter Justin Marks to write the script. It turns out Justin Marks is "the most gainfully employed professional fanboy on the planet" and that this is the best script has has written yet. Now the problem is that Warner Brothers isn't too happy with Silver because Speed Racer flopped which means this project is encountering some resistance at the studio. Hopefully El Mayimbe's glowing review will help this project see the light of day, because it sounds pretty damn awesome.

Unlike the previous He-Man movie, 1987's Masters of the Universe, this one takes place on Eternia and tells of the origin of He-Man, the origin of Skeletor, and the origin of the power sword. Apparently it's a very hard and edgy PG-13, nearing the R rating more than anything. El Mayimbe also promises that the script does not have "a single beat of comedic relief" and is much more realistic and serious. He says that whatever made the cartoon corny isn't in this script and that there is no campiness or cheesiness to it at all. Definitely great to hear, but I'm still wondering if this has the makings of something badass like 300.

El Mayimbe says that this is "the perfect marriage of Sorcery and Science fiction where in Eternia both Fantasy and Technology co-exist." He goes on to compare the story arc of the hero Adam to that of Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins, where he "has to overcome his selfish need for revenge and realize his destiny for the greater good of his people." There are also some pretty gnarly battles you can read about in the full review. Although I'm still not sold on the idea of seeing characters like Beast Man and Battlecat, this does really seem like it has the potential to not only be as big of a success as 300 but kick as much ass as 300. I hate to continue to use that film as a point of reference, but it definitely works in this scenario.

With a combination of "high tech, swords, and otherworldly creatures," this film has the potential to be pretty incredible. But alas, it's up to Warner Brothers to get it into production and it's up to whoever Joel Silver chooses as a director to maintain the integrity of the script. Since I haven't read it myself, we're relying entirely on El Mayimbe's word this time. He spoke so highly of it last night and his review is so enthusiastic that I can't help be excited for it as well. I'd really like to see this come together, as I think it could open another big door to the nostalgic 80's like Transformers did. If you're a true fan of He-Man, I encourage you to read the full script review on Latino Review. Does Grayskull: The Masters of the Universe have the makings of a mega blockbuster?

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