If you remember how many others share He-Man’s secret and exactly who they are, this movie may be for you.

After escaping to Earth at the age of ten, Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) grew up trying to hold onto memories of his home world of Eternia. Fifteen years later, he’s still looking for the Sword of Power he was told to hang onto… while also honestly telling his tragic backstory to anyone who’ll listen: dates, friends, and co-workers. When he finds the sword at last, he’s saved from a beast-like creature by Teela (Camila Mendes), a girl he grew up with back home returning for him at last. Unfortunately, the skull-headed villain Skeletor (Jared Leto) still searches for the sword even after conquering all of Eternia, determined it can give him the power of a god.

Recycling ideas from the cancelled 1981 Filmation series “Blackstar,” the less-violent “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” was born in 1983 to help Mattel take a bite out of Kenner’s Star Wars toys-for-boys licensing (that everyone else had passed on). When original fans aged out of buying action figures, the 1987 Masters of the Universe movie meant to reinvigorate the IP (staring Dolph Lungren as He-Man and inexplicably Frank Langella as Skeletor) instead served as a coffin nail into the franchise… but nostalgia and later reboots persisted. A reportedly $200 million budget paid for much bigger and better toys to play with, allowing director Travis Knight (Bumblebee, Kubo and the Two Strings) with writers Chris Butler, Aaron Nee, and Adam Nee to keep all of their mint-condition action figures in their boxes. Amazon Studios fronted the cash on this latest reboot, but are there any fabulous secret powers remaining to magically put viewers into cinema seats?

Happily, this works so much better than that 1987 live-action attempt… and yes, it was a low bar. The section that takes place on Earth is just part of the first act, and like their television inspiration, the heroes are rather dull waiting around to defend psychedelic Eternia. Fortunately, our bad guys are more capable and deadlier than ever, with most of the credit going to Leto’s scene-stealing Skeletor, a powerful yet hilariously insecure monologue-prone villain. Rendering his face as a plausibly expressive skull with darting red pupils for eyes is enchanting to watch, and like the TV show, every moment of his absence feels like forever. It’s a tongue-in-cheek and entirely self-aware reboot, rivaling even Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. The runtime is mighty at two hours and twenty minutes with overlong expositions too often killing hard-earned momentum, but when everything clicks, it’s a kind of magic.

Similar to Thor’s improved personality in the MCU leaping from comics to screen, Galitzine plays a tolerable and even relatable Prince Adam, and unlike Dolph Lungren in 1987, spends much of the film unempowered as just mild-mannered Adam. Mendes’ Teela kicks butt as a warrior instead of being rescued all the time, while Idis Elba’s “Man-At-Arms” Duncan felt overly subdued in his arc. Eternia’s heroes (including Jon Xue Zhang’s Ram Man and Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson’s Fisto) spend an inordinate amount of time belly-laughing like the Warrior’s Three but look great whenever the battles start. FYI: there’s an entire scene devoted to the names of these characters, and it’s spot-on. Alison Brie’s Evil-Lyn deserved far more to do, so wait for the three (yes, three) post-ending scenes throughout the credits for maximum nostalgia.

Never mind that the skull-masked Klytus and “evil queen” aesthetic for General Kala looking like inspirations for Skeletor and Evil-Lyn, I can’t be alone in thinking this reboot is practically a spiritual sequel to 1981’s Flash Gordon. Annoyingly innocent blond protagonist from Earth built like a linebacker and sticking his nose goody-two-shoes where it doesn’t belong? Check. A compliant citizenry waiting on a hero to inspire them in overthrowing an megalomaniacal ruler? Check. Over-the-top rock-anthem soundtrack with songs involving Dr. Brian May from Queen? Check. You can’t fool me; I know a Hawkman rocket cycle when I see one.

Masters of the Universe rated PG-13 for sequences of violence/action, some suggestive material, language, and I’ll get you next time, He-Man!

Three skull recommendation out of four