“Masters of the Universe” might not know who its audience is. Sure, yes, perhaps “everyone” is the goal. Modern blockbusters are usually aiming for those golden four quadrants that might justify spending hundreds of millions of dollars to make a movie about an old toy. But as far as beautiful, blond Mattel products go, He-Man is not and was never going to be Barbie.

It’s a character and aesthetic — bodybuilder muscles, pageboy haircuts and all — that is about as rooted in the 1980s as you can be. The toy launched in 1982, apparently an attempt to compete with Star Wars products. The animated series came the next year, and in 1987, a movie was released with Dolph Lundgren. It was a critical and box office flop, and that was around the height of its popularity.

Yes, some have reclaimed that “Masters of the Universe” as a campy cult classic, and there have been some animated series in the last few decades, but culturally speaking, He-Man seems to have stayed in that decade. It’s a relic that went the way of Saturday morning cartoons — aside from that meme set to “What’s Up?” by 4 Non Blondes, which is referenced in the new movie. But even that’s a little long in the tooth: It was made in 2005.

This “Masters of the Universe” was directed by Travis Knight, who did spin something charming off “Transformers” in “Bumblebee.” But this is a film that doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be. It’s, paradoxically, a big-budget B-movie. It’s cartoony and campy, which it is also constantly apologizing for. It’s also violent enough to probably rule out the under-10 crowd. It’s aiming for something in the vein of a Taika Waititi “Thor” or a “Guardians of the Galaxy,” but it doesn’t fully commit to the thing that the HEYYEYAAEYAAAEYAEYAA video understood so well: He-Man is extremely silly. Not just the character. The whole thing: the look, the names, even the phrase “by the power of Greyskull, I have the power.”

The script and story, which is laboriously credited to so many people it’s probably not worth going into, attempt to turn much of this into a one-note joke. Here, they excuse cringey names like Fisto and Ram Man as the product of a young boy’s imagination. The film sets up a world where Prince Adam (played as a boy by Artie Wilkinson-Hunt) is sent away from Eternia for his protection as the kingdom fell to Skeletor (Jared Leto). And for 15 years he’s been stranded on Earth, working a dull job in human resources, living with a roommate and obsessively looking for the Power Sword that is his only hope of getting back home. He’s also grown into a hunk ( Nicholas Galitzine ), but an extremely awkward one who isn’t shy with his origin story. Naturally, everyone thinks he’s basically crazy.

Thankfully, our time with him on Earth is short (but perhaps not short enough in a movie that runs a bloated 142 minutes, including a Lundgren cameo) and, soon enough, he’s back on Eternia and trying to help return the kingdom to its former glory. Everyone is very dismissive of him, including his old friend Teela, who has grown into a model-y warrior (played with cool girl jadedness by Camila Mendes), until he figures out how to use the sword that instantly transforms him into a superhuman. It’s difficult to stress how not exciting or dramatic this quick fix is.

The large cast is doing the best they can. Galitzine is quite awkward and sweet, but his character is deeply underdeveloped. Idris Elba brings some goofy gravitas to a fallen warrior whose confidence was shaken. As Skeletor, Leto has gone full camp with a theatrical British accent that reminded me less of Bane and more of Paul F. Tompkins’ Andrew Lloyd Webber. This isn’t a bad thing — Leto and Alison Brie, as his abused henchwoman, seem to be having the most fun of all, like exiles from an episode of “Power Rangers” — but it does make you wonder why they didn’t just cast an English character actor in the first place. Others aren’t so lucky: Morena Baccarin is mostly there for vibes as The Sorceress, and Kristen Wiig is mostly forgettable as a warrior robot.

It also tries to weave in threads about expectations of masculinity and power, but even that is messy and confused and fails to incorporate the female characters into the dialogue.

The movie might have worked better if it had just gone full Saturday morning cartoon with fewer self-deprecating jokes. But that would have required more conviction about what everyone was making in the first place.

“Masters of the Universe,” an Amazon MGM Studios release in theaters Friday, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for “sequences of violence and action, some suggestive material and language.” Running time: 142 minutes. Two stars out of four.

Fireworks set off without authorization in Rome reportedly triggered a mass stampede of frightened horses during a late-night rehearsal for Italy’s annual Republic Day parade, injuring multiple riders and animals.

The incident occurred late Friday near the ancient Baths of Caracalla as mounted units from Italy’s armed forces and law enforcement agencies were practicing for the June 2 national celebration, Reuters reported.

Roughly 35 horses bolted through city streets following the unexpected fireworks, the outlet said. Video captured the chaotic scene, showing numerous horses galloping along Via Cristoforo Colombo as drivers recorded the scene.

The search and recovery effort reportedly continued until dawn the next day, with the last horse recovered roughly nine miles from the scene.

NEW YORK OFFICIALS CANCEL HORSE RACING AT RACETRACK OVER ‘UNACCEPTABLE NOISE LEVELS’ FROM NEARBY CASINO

According to Reuters, the sudden bangs began shortly before 11:30 p.m. and triggered panic among the ceremonial horses, many of which were being escorted by Italy’s Army, Carabinieri paramilitary police, and state police.

Some riders were mounted, while others were leading horses by hand when the startled animals broke free, the outlet said.

KENTUCKY DERBY HORSE SCRATCHED AFTER THROWING JOCKEY WHILE GETTING LOADED INTO STARTING GATE

During the chaos, a 22-year-old soldier reportedly suffered broken ribs and a punctured lung, though officials said his injuries were not life-threatening. At least 15 horses were also injured, though none required euthanasia, according to reports.

Italian outlet ANSA said the stampede injured three young soldiers from the Montebello Lancers and a 29-year-old policewoman.

ILLEGAL STREET TAKEOVER SHUTS DOWN BUSY INTERSECTION WITH DANGEROUS STUNTS, FIREWORKS: POLICE

Officials are reviewing how the unauthorized fireworks were ignited near the rehearsal site.

The Rome Local Police Command said four traffic police officers were involved in the incident and were reportedly near the firecrackers when the explosion occurred, ANSA said.

Officials said one of the officers allegedly lit a battery of fireworks about 200 yards from the horses, the outlet reported. The officer was identified as a 50-year-old who joined the force after passing the most recent exam.

Video footage and witness statements suggest the explosions and the horses’ escape occurred simultaneously, according to the local report.

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Rome police commander Mario De Sclavis told Corriere della Sera that the incident “discredits the image of the Corps and its officers,” according to Reuters.

Sclavis added that the agency will take “necessary measures” to hold those responsible accountable, according to ANSA.

“Last night’s events hit us like a tsunami,” he said.

Published on
02/06/2026 – 17:17 GMT+2

An oil tanker suspected of being part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” has arrived in the Bay of Douarnenez in western France on Tuesday under the escort of the French Navy.

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The Tagor was intercepted and boarded in international waters off the coast of Brittany on Sunday with support from the United Kingdom, the Elysée Palace confirmed.

French officials said the vessel had departed from the Russian Arctic port of Murmansk and was sailing under a false Cameroonian flag when it was intercepted.

Authorities said the ship’s Russian captain initially refused orders to stop, prompting a boarding operation that the Kremlin has described as an act of “international piracy”.

It is the fourth tanker linked to Russia’s shadow fleet to be detained by France since September 2024.

Shadow fleet vessels are typically characterised by opaque ownership structures, frequent changes of flag registration, ship-to-ship cargo transfers and limited insurance coverage.

Western governments say the network has become a critical tool for exporting Russian oil despite international restrictions.

According to French authorities, the Tagor was bound for the port of Limbe in Cameroon when it was stopped.

Flying a false or invalid flag is considered a serious maritime violation and is commonly associated with sanctions evasion.

Iranian shipping magnate linked to Russian oil exports

The vessel has attracted particular attention because databases have linked it to the wider shipping network of Iranian oil trader Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, one of the most prominent figures accused of facilitating both Russian and Iranian oil exports.

Shamkhani, the son of former Iranian national security chief Ali Shamkhani, has built a vast network of shipping and logistics companies operating primarily from the United Arab Emirates.

In July 2025, the European Union sanctioned Shamkhani and several companies linked to his business empire, including Admiral Group and Milavous Group, describing him as a central player in Russia’s shadow fleet.

The EU said his network had become an important facilitator of Russian crude oil exports and accused him of helping generate significant revenues for the Russian energy sector.

The United States subsequently expanded sanctions against what it described as Shamkhani’s “vast shipping empire”, targeting more than 100 entities, individuals and vessels connected to the network.

U.S. authorities said the structure had generated billions of dollars through the transportation and sale of Russian and Iranian oil, although French authorities have not publicly alleged that Shamkhani directly owns the Tagor.

Fourth vessel detained by France in recent times

France has intensified enforcement against shadow fleet vessels over the past year. Authorities detained the tankers Deyna and Grinch in the Mediterranean on similar grounds, although both vessels were later released after paying fines.

In a separate case, a French court sentenced the Chinese captain of the tanker Boracay in absentia to one year in prison and imposed a €150,000 fine after the vessel failed to comply with orders to stop off the Brittany coast in September 2024.

The French government announced in April that it would strengthen penalties for vessels operating without valid flag registrations or refusing maritime inspections, reflecting growing European concern over sanctions evasion and maritime safety risks associated with the shadow fleet.

According to the European Union, nearly 600 vessels linked to Russia are now subject to sanctions as governments seek to tighten restrictions on Moscow’s oil exports.