All of Time and Space

In 1985, Mattel introduced a new toy line spinning off from its incredibly popular He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. The new line featured the long-lost twin sister of series protagonist He-Man. The new series, She-Ra: Princess of Power, aimed its sights on girls who might have liked Masters of the Universe but wanted a role model of their own. Although not as popular as Masters of the Universe, She-Ra did very well for several years and won the hearts of fans, both girls and boys.

The plot was simple: Prince Adam of Eternia learned he had a twin sister who was being held captive on the planet Etheria. Adora served the evil Hordak, leader of the Horde, a nigh-unstoppable force of evil marching across the galaxy. Adam rescued She-Ra and taught her about her destiny as She-Ra, the Princess of Power. Soon, Adora joined with others in the Resistance against Hordak and had many adventures fighting for freedom.

In 2018, Netflix rebooted the series and changed a lot while keeping the essential core of the characters and plot.

Spoilers beyond this point.

“Treat others how you wish to be treated,” is a sentiment repeated throughout Christopher Nolan’s epic, The Odyssey. Based on the epic poem attributed to the poet Homer (who may not even have existed), Nolan’s Odyssey takes plenty of modern liberties with the source material. The Greeks speak in modern speech, using colloquialisms such as “dad,” “daddy.” and “f**k.” The costumes are gorgeous but likely inaccurate to the time period in many cases. Certain events are changed to make for a tighter narrative. And you know what? I am here for it.

I only had one complaint: It was too damn loud at points.

Now, let’s dive in and look at all the goodness the gods of ancient Greece have showered upon us.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is one of the first cartoons I remember watching as a child. It was formative to my expectations of both science fiction and fantasy, because it blended both perfectly for 4-year-old me. Unfortunately, the old cartoon doesn’t really hold up these days. Even 20 years ago, I tried watching the Best of He-Man DVDs with my parents. We were all excited because we had watched it together 20+ years before that. It was beyond difficult to watch. And yet…

Some seed it planted endures within me. The action. The adventure. The fantasy of being more than I am. The moral lessons at the heart of the show. Those are the parts I remember fondly. The sense of safety and family are also important takeaways for me. And you know what? This movie has it all.