I’ve only gotten to see a movie early once, and I still had to pay for it. I don’t really have a tight niche because I look at multiple forms of storytelling. So nobody’s offering me free early peeks to stuff I talk about. They go for the focused reviewer, the ones who review the exact thing they’re selling because they know it gets the most attention from the most diehard of fans. So it’s not surprising that “Pixel” Dan Eardley got an early peek at the Masters Of The Universe movie from Amazon MGM. You may remember I used one of his videos talking about his interest in the movie for article fodder. And that was after a 20 minute preview at a different event. Now he’s seen the full movie.
While he reviews multiple toys, He-Man is Dan’s biggest discussion topic. To use other reviewers that have shown up around here in articles and Daily Videos, it’s like TJ Omega getting a sneak preview of something Transformers related or James Eatock of CerealGeekTV…getting to see Masters Of The Universe early but in England. I’ve discussed my share of Masters Of The Universe and He-Man related media, but mostly during Free Comic Inside or my look at the He-Man newspaper strips, which the occasional look at the cartoons and the first live-action movie.
Of course, when I went to Walmart’s early screening for Man Of Steel I didn’t have to worry about a review embargo when I did my v-log. I’ve soured a bit more on it over time and with Zac Snyder’s constant insisting he was the “more accurate” version of what Superman would be like (BS) but overall I still say it’s a decent superhero movie but a terrible Superman adaptation. When you really think about things opinions can change. I’m long over trusting Hollywood or comics to do a proper adaptation of the things I grew up with and I need more than a brand attached to something before I accept it. Tone and multiversal continuity also factor in at this point. I mean…Dan liked Rise Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and I…did not.
Since we’re on the disclaimer train, Dan’s taking a huge risk in 2026. Influencers being grabbed by studios is a relatively recent occurance and it hasn’t been ending well. Star Wars is probably the best example whether it’s promotion for The Mandalorian & Grogu or Star Wars: Outlaws, the end product hasn’t exactly matched the hype, damaging the very reputation of these influencers. The studios don’t care about your rep, they care about your money. There’s worry that access like this, or just the excitement of being part of an event like this, may influence the influencer, especially those less deserving of their reputations than Dan. Dan honestly loves toys and He-Man while some of these other influencers just want the access to draw more fans to their channels. I trust Dan, but that means that if his excitement is…well, the same as Rise Of The TMNT, we’re going to have some disagreements when I finally get to see this. Hollywood versus and manipulate social media and YouTubers are both real things.
All of that out of the way, what did Dan honestly think of the movie? I do expect his honest opinion, with a spoiler free review since under the embargo he can’t discuss the full movie until it drops in June. I trust his word, so let’s hear those words before I give my thoughts on his thoughts.
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