Why The Netflix He-Man Remake Works (& Kevin Smith's Revelations Doesn't)
John Castro The He-Man remake works better than Kevin Smith’s Revelation by satisfying fan expectations and thematically adhering more closely to the original.
The Netflix He-Man and the Masters of the Universe remake works in ways that Kevin Smith's Masters of the Universe: Revelation does not and there are a few reasons for that. Both Netflix He-Man shows, based on the original 1980s animated series, premiered on the streaming platform only a few months apart. The first half of Smith's Revelation launched on Netflix on July 23, and The Masters of the Universe remake came out later that year on September 16. Along with the similarities in the titles, the closeness of the two release dates made comparisons between the shows inevitable.
The original He-Man series was inspired by a successful Mattel toy line of a powerful action figure that, due to the generic name of He-Man, was designed to apply into countless different contexts and appeal to every child's imagination. The 1980s show told the story of Prince Adam, a young man in possession of a supposedly indestructible sword that allows him to transform into his secret identity known as He-Man. In the world of Eternia, He-Man is considered to be the most powerful man in the universe with superhuman speed and strength. The success of the DreamWorks She-Ra and the Princesses of Power remake put high expectations on any returns to He-Man, and although both Revelation and The Masters of the Universe did well with critics, responses from viewers varied wildly.
Many who were nostalgic for the original He-Man complained about Smith's Revelation, even going so far as to review-bomb the Netflix series on Rotten Tomatoes and elsewhere. Revelation and The Masters of the Universe took very different approaches to adapting the same source material, but only one of them sparked such viewer outrage. The He-Man remake works better by satisfying fan expectations in ways that Revelation does not.
The He-Man Remake Actually Focuses On He-Man
Kevin Smith's Revelation received very different responses from critics and audiences. On Rotten Tomatoes, the critic score is 94% while audiences only gave it 39% at the time of writing. This disparity largely originates from original fans' anger at the focus on Teela instead of He-Man in the first half of the show. In episode 1, He-Man and Skeletor seemingly die, and although He-Man returns in flashbacks throughout the series, it focuses more on his friends trying to restore him and magic back to Eternia. Teela especially takes center stage in Revelation as she deals with a sense of betrayal at being lied to about Prince Adam's alter ego. As interesting as it has been for the show to provide more screen time for characters who have not been very fleshed out in the past, not all viewers saw it that way, some even going so far as to accuse Netflix of falsely advertising it as a He-Man show when it actually isn't. Smith remarked in an interview (via Variety) that "anybody that’s like, ‘Oh, man, there’s not enough He-Man’ or something like that, doesn’t understand the show that we based it on." Regardless, their anger kept many from truly appreciating the sequel series.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe did not face this problem. The reimagined origin story has a more futuristic feel to it than the original due to its science fiction elements, and He-Man's CGI looks similar to Star Wars CGI animated shows like The Clone Wars and Rebels, but despite these artistic changes, viewers have for the most part responded to it positively. With a 77%, its audience score on Rotten Tomatoes is much closer to the critic rating because it delivers exactly what it advertises. One review (via Polygon) argued that "fewer things are more spiritually true to He-Man than a story reverse-engineered from fun action-figure designs." The series keeps He-Man front and center throughout the story, ensuring that for the many alterations the show makes, its main character is not one of them.
Being A Sequel Hinders Kevin Smith's Revelation
The Masters of the Universe: Revelation was created for the now-grown audiences who grew up watching He-Man. Meant to garner a lot of nostalgia for those who loved the original, Revelation is a direct continuation of Prince Adam's story while also raising the stakes with real consequences and more mature content. The unfortunate downside of making Revelation a He-Man sequel series is that it limits its potential audience. It's more difficult for new viewers to get into the show without first watching older episodes from the original. Otherwise, they risk not following along or truly grasping the significance of certain details or character choices, leaving them feeling excluded from the narrative, whereas Masters of the Universe caters to audiences both new and old. Viewers don't need to have any previous knowledge of the world of Eternia in order to understand and enjoy the story, making it far more accessible to a much larger audience than Revelation, as well as simply easier to watch. Works that stand on their own without important tie-ins to other stories can often be a more pleasant viewing experience for that very reason.
The He-Man Remake Knows Its Audience
Unlike Revelation, which aged up its content in order to appeal to its aged-up target audience, the He-Man Netflix remake is rated TV-Y7, meaning it's aimed at children seven years old and up. The action sequences are fast-paced with fun, imaginative gadgets like chainsaw lasers that feel like they came from a young child's mind. These sometimes goofy elements are nonetheless true to the tone of the original He-Man without sacrificing any of the remake's freshness. The humor in Masters of the Universe also does its best to cater to children as well as their parents who should have plenty in the series to keep themselves entertained alongside them. By aiming the show at young kids, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is thematically much more like a reimagined version of the original series than Smith's Masters of the Universe: Revelation. The remake better honors He-Man's roots by focusing on a younger audience, and is also more accessible. Just as picking up where a previous story left off risks excluding potential new fans to Revelation, by aging up the narrative, it further limits who can watch the show. The last thing He-Man himself would ever want is to turn someone away.
