Okay Fine, We Admit It: Jared Leto's Skeletor In Masters Of The Universe Is Good, Actually

By the power of Grayskull, stay away if you haven't seen "Masters of the Universe." There are spoilers ahead.

"Masters of the Universe" is a fun adventure film, even if /Film's assigned reviewer didn't see it that way. It's got some creative action sequences, a great lead, and even a magical girl transformation for He-Man.

But the most surprising thing is not how the movie makes all the silly character names make sense in canon, or how decent Cringer the Battle Cat looks. Instead, what's most surprising about this reboot is how good Jared Leto is as Skeletor.

That's right, Jared Leto is secretly the MVP of the movie. This is quite a surprise considering Leto has become box office poison over the last decade or so, with his recent projects financially tanking. And it's not like Leto is doing some radical reinterpretation of the character, but rather plays him just like the cartoon character brought to life. He's menacing but also silly; scary but also goofy. He's everything you want Skeletor to be without coming across as a caricature or a self-aware joke.

This is very welcome news considering how much of the movie is indebted to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, particularly "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Thor: Ragnarok." Those movies have made it a habit of poking fun at everything just slightly weird or cartoony in a derogatory way. "Masters of the Universe" does poke fun at some of the absurdity of its world, but it's all played as if it were through the eyes and distorted memory of a young Prince Adam after he's sent to Earth. Back in Eternia, everything is taken seriously, especially the villains.

Don't let Jared Leto's absence from the "Masters of the Universe" marketing fool you; he is one of the best parts of the film. He brings a gravitas to Skeletor that's reminiscent of his more acclaimed work, but without going too deep into character like he reportedly did with, for example, Joker or Morbius.

Skeletor is treated like a serious threat. He is an absolute diva who loves using alliteration and going for grandiose drama in his speeches and taunting of heroes — while knowing full well he is a blue-skinned, half-naked guy with no face. Here, it helps that Skeletor looks so real it's uncanny and almost terrifying. Director Travis Knight draws on his longtime experience in animation to ensure his team brings their A-game in animating Skeletor's skull face. Not only does it look real, but it also emotes surprisingly well and with nuance. Skeletor can both go big and cartoony in his expressions, or quite subtle when he needs to. It's a tricky balance, but one that complements Leto's go-for-broke performance and makes Skeletor one of the single best cartoon-to-live-action characters of all time.

But it's not just drama that Skeletor brings to "Masters of the Universe." The film understands its large gallery of silly little guys is best used in small doses, just enough to make an impact but not long enough that they take over the tone of the film. When Skeletor first shows up to invade Eternos, he is in full menacing mode, taunting the king and fighting with formidable skill. But the more we see of him, the more it becomes clear Skeletor also likes to be a little silly and funny. This is evident in a key scene toward the end, which is also the funniest bit in the film.

The funniest scene in "Masters of the Universe" comes during its climax, as Skeletor unleashes a psychic attack on Prince Adam that lets the evil lord inside the hero's head. Suddenly, we're transported to scenes of Adam's time on Earth, with the Overlord of Evil messing up with Adam's confidence.

First, we flash to a scene of Adam at a gym, trying to train to become the super-macho, muscled guy he always thought he had to be. While he's struggling to lift some weights, a gym bro arrives ... Skeletor. Only this is not Skeletor as we see him in Eternia, no sir. Skeletor goes full native and is seen wearing gym clothes, including short shorts and a sleeveless shirt (still with a hoodie because Skeletor always needs to have a hood on). Gym bro Skeletor is hilarious, a blue-skinned guy with a skull for a face suddenly talking about training and weights with total seriousness.

That's not all; we also flash to two other scenarios. We see Skeletor in a black dress, appearing as one of Adam's dates from earlier in the movie. Then we flash to Adam's office job, and suddenly a man wearing a button-up shirt and tie (and still, somehow, a hood) but with a skull for a face shows up. Office guy Skeletor deserves his own spin-off, as the villain wastes no time making fun of and looking perplexed by human office culture. He berates one of Adam's co-workers, calls Adam out for having a pathetic life, and then, and only then, goes back to trying to kill the young prince.

Say what you will about Jared Leto's Skeletor voice, but his commitment to the bit makes "Masters of the Universe" worth watching.