Cinema Connoisseur: He-Man and She-Ra show that It's a Master-ful Life
As I think back to my days as a young cinema connoisseur at
Christmas time, I recall that
some of my favourite presents, aside from the lovely gifts of socks and underwear, were the
Masters of the Universe series of toys. Whether it was He-Man, Skeletor, Man-E-Faces, Evil-Lynn or Stinkor, I had a blast opening them up each Christmas.
So I was quite pleased when I recently discovered the ultimate Christmas gift, one that can be enjoyed by children of all ages this season. No, I'm not referring to the Fanshawe College 40th Anniversary commemorative coffee table book. I am instead referring to this week's film selection He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special.
For those unfamiliar with the “Masters of the Universe” story, here is a brief synopsis. Prince Adam and Princess Adora are fraternal twins, and members of the royal family of the planet Eternia. They both also have alter egos — Adam can turn himself into He-Man, the most powerful man in the universe, while Adora has the ability to become She-Ra, a warrior princess that would put Xena to shame. She is also quite a hottie. I'm sure many Eternian males, such as Sy-Klone, Fisto or Trap-Jaw were more than eager to offer her some mistletoe, or even a Yule log at this time of the year.
In He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special, He-Man and She-Ra's diminutive magician sidekick Orko is accidentally transported to Earth. There he meets Alisha and Miguel, two young earthlings who explain to him the concept of Christmas. After much struggling, including some tussles with gigantic robots, He-Man and She-Ra manage to transport Orko back to Eternia. The only problem is that for some reason he decided to bring the Earth children with him.
The children bring the Christmas spirit to Eternia, which doesn't sit well with Horde Prime, the most evil being in the universe. He sends the second and third most evil beings in the universe, Skeletor and Hordak to bring the children to him, so that they may meet their demise.
Hordak, who flies around in a phallic shaped helicopter, and several more blasted giant robots, put the children in some perilous situations. However, the children do receive some help from a few new friends.
Who do you go to when you need to fight off a gang of one hundred foot tall robots? How about a gang of two foot tall robots! The Manchines, who look suspiciously like Smurfs wearing body armor, assist He-Man and pals in their battle against the forces of evil.
Another unexpected source of help comes from Skeletor himself. Just as Ebenezer Scrooge learned the true meaning of Christmas after three visitors showed him the error of his ways, Skeletor learns a lesson in goodwill from the two children and a Manchine puppy.
It's not long before the citizens of Eternia find themselves celebrating Christmas, while the children find their way back home. If you ever wanted to see what Super Mario would look like wearing a Bill Cosby style sweater, then be sure to check out Miguel and Alisha's father.
Looking for the perfect gift for the film buff in your life? Then head over to www.cinemaconn.com. With all of my film reviews archived, it's the perfect holiday gift guide. If you are looking to buy a film about a rapping genie, a psychotic Santa or a kung-fu fighting chimpanzee, then head over to my website, and I'll steer you in the right direction.
So I was quite pleased when I recently discovered the ultimate Christmas gift, one that can be enjoyed by children of all ages this season. No, I'm not referring to the Fanshawe College 40th Anniversary commemorative coffee table book. I am instead referring to this week's film selection He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special.
For those unfamiliar with the “Masters of the Universe” story, here is a brief synopsis. Prince Adam and Princess Adora are fraternal twins, and members of the royal family of the planet Eternia. They both also have alter egos — Adam can turn himself into He-Man, the most powerful man in the universe, while Adora has the ability to become She-Ra, a warrior princess that would put Xena to shame. She is also quite a hottie. I'm sure many Eternian males, such as Sy-Klone, Fisto or Trap-Jaw were more than eager to offer her some mistletoe, or even a Yule log at this time of the year.
In He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special, He-Man and She-Ra's diminutive magician sidekick Orko is accidentally transported to Earth. There he meets Alisha and Miguel, two young earthlings who explain to him the concept of Christmas. After much struggling, including some tussles with gigantic robots, He-Man and She-Ra manage to transport Orko back to Eternia. The only problem is that for some reason he decided to bring the Earth children with him.
The children bring the Christmas spirit to Eternia, which doesn't sit well with Horde Prime, the most evil being in the universe. He sends the second and third most evil beings in the universe, Skeletor and Hordak to bring the children to him, so that they may meet their demise.
Hordak, who flies around in a phallic shaped helicopter, and several more blasted giant robots, put the children in some perilous situations. However, the children do receive some help from a few new friends.
Who do you go to when you need to fight off a gang of one hundred foot tall robots? How about a gang of two foot tall robots! The Manchines, who look suspiciously like Smurfs wearing body armor, assist He-Man and pals in their battle against the forces of evil.
Another unexpected source of help comes from Skeletor himself. Just as Ebenezer Scrooge learned the true meaning of Christmas after three visitors showed him the error of his ways, Skeletor learns a lesson in goodwill from the two children and a Manchine puppy.
It's not long before the citizens of Eternia find themselves celebrating Christmas, while the children find their way back home. If you ever wanted to see what Super Mario would look like wearing a Bill Cosby style sweater, then be sure to check out Miguel and Alisha's father.
Looking for the perfect gift for the film buff in your life? Then head over to www.cinemaconn.com. With all of my film reviews archived, it's the perfect holiday gift guide. If you are looking to buy a film about a rapping genie, a psychotic Santa or a kung-fu fighting chimpanzee, then head over to my website, and I'll steer you in the right direction.
