He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword

When I was little, I loved She-ra. Now, I think she's a great role model for little girls, much better than Barbie. She-ra stands up for what she thinks is right, and that's an important message for little kids to learn. She also teaches little girls that they don't have to be quiet, docile, and perfectly proportioned. She-ra is very proportional, but that's not all she is, unlike other heroines geared toward little girls. I remember watching this movie when I was seven years old, and loved it! If you want to show your kids something that is entertaining and good for them (kind of like Kix cereal) this is a great movie for it.

This film was made,primarily,to introduce He-Man's twin sister She-Ra,who,in the 80's,ruled not only every toy department in the world,but were also the main characters in quite possibly one of the most successful cartoons ever made! It is a dark and stormy night on the planet Eternia,and Prince Adam is summoned to Castle Greyskull,by its guardian,the Sorceress,who dispatches him on a heroic journey to find the meaning of a mystical sword! On the planet Etheria,our hero is teamed up with a rebel band of warriors who have pledged to over-throw the evil Horde,led by Hordak and his dastardly bunch of villains! It all turns pear-shaped however when our intrepid hero meets his match in the form of Adora,the blonde,rather attractive ( compared to the other motley crew Hordak surrounds himself with) captain of the Horde Army,who,oblivious to the Horde's evil-ways,imprisons our hero on Beast Island! Will Adora learn of the Horde's evil ways,and see the light!? And will Prince Adam learn the Secret of the Sword!? Well,watch it and find out,as this is a fantastic kids..and big kids..movie..made back in the days when pace,story-telling,and interesting characters,was everything! It can be said,having watched some of the "childrens" films of the last few years,that they really dont make films like this anymore! It could all so easily slip into unbearable cuteness at certain stages,but the wit and pace of the film,never drags it down! A superb family film..only after watching it again,i do wish i were a 10 year old boy again,running around with a plastic sword shouting "I HAVE THE POWER!"

In a world far away lives a prince called Adam who can transform into He-man, a fighter for good and justice. One day his friend, the sorceress, sends him and his talking tiger Cringer on a mission to find the owner of a magic sword in a different world, Etheria. But once there, Adam finds the evil army of Hordak is controlling everyone. And he soon meets Adora, who just might be the owner of the magic sword...

Back then, when I was a kid, I was very fond of the "He-man and the masters of the universe" show and it's "sequel" "She-ra". When I grew up I decided to do a little research. You know, to go on a hunt for your childhood memories. Soon I discovered my old "He-man" tapes and watched them again. And this time I was very disappointed. They simply seemed like a cliché with every episode looking the same. After that I saw "She-ra" again too, and although this show was a little better, I still found that it lost a lot of it's magic during my growing up. The only great episode was "Sweet Bee's home".

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I then went to watch "The secret of the sword". Before I did that I was in massive fear that this film will too break my heart and that I should maybe avoid it just to keep it a part of my nostalgia. But was I pleasantly surprised! The minute that song "For the honor of love" started to play in the intro all my respect, joy and enthusiasm got back in a flash again. The movie is just simply excellent, the best thing the "He-man" crew ever made. It's much more darker and has a sharp edge, making it superior to the naive TV show's. The best sequence for me was the one where He-man is captured by the evil Horde while Adora can't sleep and wakes up in the middle of the night. She then goes to the chamber where He-man is being held in a special booth. She wants to help him, but also wants to stay loyal to the Horde. Her struggle with herself is a real drama with great emotions. And then, finally, she takes her sword, transforms herself into She-ra and free's He-man. Simply amazing piece of writing that combined her transformation with her change of character.

Truth be told, the story does have flaws. Mostly when it plays back in He-man's world( why in the world would He-man and She-ra just leave Skeletor in Snake mountain after they defeated him?! They could have brought him to jail! )but the film is still a mighty good piece of nostalgia and melancholy. And I'm glad it's quality stayed.

Grade: 8/10

A hundred million years ago, I thought He-Man was cool, but She-Ra was even cooler. I don't even know why I thought so.. maybe because I also dug Wonder Woman, The Bionic Woman, and Batgirl.. but I digress. When the movie came out, pre-multiplex, kids of all ages rejoiced when Adora 'held aloft her magic sword and said, "For The Honor of Greyskull!" Yeah, that was cool. She-Ra had a more upbeat theme than her brother, He-Man, and quite honestly, her special effects were better too. I coulda done with Cowl, the owl, and "Swift Wind", the lame-ass talking horse, but the rest of it was decent. Bo had a rockin' bod, Castaspella (don't you just love the name?!) could kick Shadow Weaver's butt, and Queen Angella, with her wannabe English accent, defended Castle Bright Moon till the cows came home. Mixing the original He-Man series with She-Ra was done effectively, meaning it was a buyable story-line... and when all was said and done, and Adora, nay She-Ra, realized her true identity, she decided to stay and "defend Etheria against the evil forces of Hordak." Pure cheese, but when you're a kid, who cares?!

Every now and then a film achieves greatness. An animated movie based on a Mattel toy line might not be a place where you would expect this to happen but it did. Two years before this film came out the television show He-Man and the Masters of the Universe debuted. The show was loved by children but hated by adults who thought this was just a twisted way to get the kids to buy the toy the series was based on. Well it was or at least it was intended to be. However something wonderful happened: the show began to teach children moral values and the power of truth, courage, and honor. This film introduces characters that would begin the series She-Ra Princess of Power. The acting is brilliant, the animation perfectly tuned to fantasy, and the evil ever present and not as cartoonish as one might expect. This cartoon whether some will admit it or not was a shining beacon and a glorious presence for any kid in 1980's. Watch it without prejudice and discover wonder, majic, and heroism like you have never seen.