By the power of Greyskull! Kalshi traders have some high expectations for the new Masters of the Universe movie that opens on Friday.
The market for Masters of the Universe's Rotten Tomatoes score is forecasting a score of 73.6% on Monday, June 7. The film's current Rotten Tomatoes score is 75% based on reviews from 85 film critics.
What’s the movie about?
The film directed by Travis Knight, the director of the Transformers spinoff Bumblebee, is based on the famous He-Man and the Masters of the Universe toys from Mattel. The action figures spawned one of the most popular Saturday morning cartoons of the 1980s. The franchise first got the live-action treatment in 1987 with Dolph Lundgren starring as He-Man.
This time, Nicholas Galitzine plays the Prince of Eternia who has been separated from his mighty Sword of Power and returns to Eternia 15 years later to confront Skeletor, played by Jared Leto. He joins forces with familiar allies like Teela, played by Camila Mendes, and Man-at-Arms, played by Idris Elba, to defeat the evil Skeletor and reclaim his throne from the forces of evil.
The good reviews
The majority of film critics seem to enjoy this adventurous popcorn flick made for kids seeking adventure on the big screen and grownups who remember playing with the Mattel toy line.
Brad Wheeler of The Globe and Mail called the film "tons of fun, especially for 14-year-old boys. There are more sword-based double entendres than one can shake a whatever at." Despite the juvenile humor, Wheeler says the film still manages to deliver "a good-versus-evil story from the 1980s kicking, screaming, and winking into 2026."
David Crow of Den of Geek praised how the film walks the fine line between harkening back to the nostalgic 80s cartoon and creating an epic summer flick for the modern moviegoing audience.
"The modest joys and bigger foundational issues inherent in Travis Knight's Masters of the Universe movie, out this weekend, is that it attempts to be both things: the cute (and relatively ancient) kids cartoon that many young kids today don't even have parents young enough to remember, and the post-modern comedy aware of its own silliness."
Eric Diaz of Nerdist didn't seem to have high hopes for the flick as he headed into the theaters, but he found himself surprised at "a movie that has no business being as delightful as it is. That's partially because MOTU, as a property, has no business working as well as it always has, going back forty years."
The not-so-good reviews
Despite its solid Rotten Tomatoes score, some critics found fault with the film's story and characters.
Lindsey Bahr of The Associated Press described the movie's plot as "laborious" and how the cast has very little to work with in terms of its script.
"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."
Robbie Collin of The Telegraph gave the movie one star out of five and called it "utterly awful, but in its defense, at least it seems to know it."
The takeaway:
Kalshi markets now predict:
Masters of the Universe Rotten Tomatoes score: 73.6%
Follow Danny Gallagher on Instagram: @writerdannygallagher
Follow Kalshi on X: @Kalshi
This article may contain content generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence. The opinions and perspectives presented in this article belong solely to the author. This is not financial advice. Trading on Kalshi involves risk and may not be appropriate for all. Members risk losing their cost to enter any transaction, including fees. You should carefully consider whether trading on Kalshi is appropriate for you in light of your investment experience and financial resources. Any trading decisions you make are solely your responsibility and at your own risk. Information is provided for convenience only on an "AS IS" basis. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Kalshi is subject to U.S. regulatory oversight by the CFTC.
