Review published 26th September 2026
Watch the official trailer.
The Story
Set in the future, Prince Eli (Matthew Gademske) finds himself facing an extraordinary crisis as both Earth and his kingdom come under attack from an alien threat and a mysterious machine heading directly towards the Earth’s core. With his father too unwell to lead, Prince Eli is forced to step forward and take up the responsibility himself. Thankfully, he is not alone. Fighting by his side are a group of warriors, including Samm (Telisha Johnson), Gunnar (Antonio Valles), and Ella (Morgan Flanagan), each bringing their own unique skills to the battle. As Eli embarks on a quest to save the planet, he begins uncovering shocking secrets about his family and his own origins. After learning that he has a sister he never knew existed, Eli soon discovers there may be far more to his destiny than he ever imagined. Combined with the emergence of mysterious powers, he begins to suspect that he may be destined for a much greater purpose, one that could determine the future of the entire universe.
A Mockbuster In Every Sense
To be completely transparent, this is not the film based on Mattel’s popular toy line or the well-known Masters of the Universe franchise. That film is Masters of the Universe. This is Master of the Universe. Did you spot the difference? The film comes from Asylum F Studios, a company known for producing mockbusters. For those unfamiliar with the term, a mockbuster is a low-budget film designed to capitalize on the popularity, title, or concept of a major Hollywood release. The studio has previously produced titles such as Frankenstein’s Bride, Evil Nun, and Immortal Combat, all of which clearly borrow elements from more recognizable properties. Having reviewed numerous Asylum F productions over the years, I can safely say this may be the worst one I have encountered.
A Confusing And Boring Sci-Fi Adventure
The biggest issue facing Master of the Universe is not its budget. Low-budget films can often be entertaining through creativity, passion, or clever storytelling. Unfortunately, this film lacks all three. The story quickly becomes a confusing mess of exposition, made-up terminology, unexplained planets, secret prophecies, family revelations, and endless discussions that rarely lead anywhere meaningful. While I could generally identify who the heroes and villains were, I often struggled to understand why certain events were happening or how characters arrived at particular locations and situations. Rather than creating intrigue, the film constantly feels as though it is throwing information at the audience in the hope that something eventually sticks. What makes matters worse is that the story itself is simply boring. Despite featuring aliens, kingdoms, secret powers, and world-ending stakes, very little of it generates excitement or curiosity. Instead, viewers are subjected to lengthy conversations that frequently feel pointless and devoid of energy.
Dialogue From Another Planet
The dialogue is easily one of the film’s biggest failures. Characters spend much of the runtime discussing made-up concepts, locations, and sci-fi terminology that are either poorly explained or impossible to care about. Rather than sounding believable, many conversations feel like a collection of random fantasy and science-fiction buzzwords strung together. There are also numerous exposition dumps where characters explain information rather than allowing the audience to naturally discover it. Combined with the lack of engaging personalities, these scenes quickly become exhausting. By the halfway point, I found myself struggling to care about anything the characters were discussing because the film had failed to make any of it interesting.
Production Design That Breaks The Illusion
I am generally quite forgiving when it comes to low-budget productions. Limited resources do not automatically result in a bad film. However, Master of the Universe often feels as though it is not even attempting to hide its limitations. The film asks viewers to believe they are visiting futuristic kingdoms and distant worlds, yet many locations resemble abandoned and deteriorating buildings dressed up with fabric and basic props. Visible exit signs, exposed fencing, and other modern elements repeatedly shatter the illusion of the world the film is attempting to create. The costumes fare little better. Rather than looking futuristic, intimidating, or visually striking, many outfits simply appear cheap and unappealing. The villains in particular suffer from costume designs that fail to leave any lasting impression.
Even The Action Disappoints
Looking at the promotional artwork, one might reasonably expect an action-heavy fantasy adventure featuring warriors, swords, battles, and large-scale conflict. That is not what this film delivers. In fact, action is surprisingly scarce for much of the runtime. The majority of the film consists of characters standing around discussing plans, secrets, powers, and prophecies. While there are occasional action scenes and spaceship sequences, they are far too infrequent to compensate for the overwhelming amount of exposition. Ironically, one of the few positive aspects of the film is some of the CGI spaceship work. Certain visual effects are surprisingly competent and blend reasonably well with the live-action footage. Unfortunately, a handful of decent CGI shots are nowhere near enough to save the overall experience.
Misleading Marketing
What ultimately frustrated me most was the film’s marketing. Whether intentional or not, the title clearly evokes Masters of the Universe, and the promotional artwork only reinforces that impression. The poster depicts a muscular warrior wielding a sword, creating expectations of an entirely different film. The reality is that no such character exists. Instead, viewers are given a relatively ordinary protagonist whose weapon of choice is an axe rather than a sword. Anyone purchasing or renting this based on the title or artwork is likely to feel disappointed, if not outright misled. Judging by reactions from viewers online, this confusion is already happening.
Final Thoughts
Master of the Universe is one of the weakest films I have seen from Asylum F Studios. While a handful of CGI spaceship effects demonstrate some technical competence, almost everything else falls flat. The story is dull and confusing, the dialogue is overloaded with meaningless sci-fi jargon, the characters are bland and forgettable, and the action is far too limited for a film presenting itself as a fantasy adventure. Perhaps most frustrating of all is the misleading title and promotional material, which suggest a vastly more exciting film than the one audiences actually receive. Low-budget filmmaking can still be entertaining when supported by strong characters, inventive ideas, or genuine passion. Unfortunately, Master of the Universe fails to deliver any of those qualities. Rather than being the kind of movie that is “so bad it’s good,” it simply becomes a tedious and frustrating experience. Skip it entirely, or if you’re feeling particularly mischievous, gift a copy to your lifelong nemesis.
Master of the Universe (2026) will be Available on DVD & Digital from October 7th in Australia & New Zealand thanks to Eagle Entertainment!
About the Reviewer
Peter Walkden
Film writer and curator with a deep passion for cinema, genre filmmaking, and physical media. Exploring new releases, cult favourites, and overlooked films, with a strong focus on atmosphere, storytelling, and the theatrical experience.
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