However most of his filmography is outlined by poor decisions in tasks and worse choices on display screen. Lonely Hearts, Chapter 27, and Mr. No one sit ceaselessly unplayed on Tubi, and his tendency to overdo it stains even Blade Runner 2049, to say nothing of extra flawed movies like The Little Issues. Leto’s off-screen conduct solely exacerbates issues, making his obnoxious conduct staying in character because the Joker the least of his points.
On paper, Leto’s casting as Skeletor in Masters of the Universe feels like a catastrophe. The franchise first got here into existence as a toy line, and every thing that adopted—together with the favored cartoon collection that ran from 1983–1985—exists to promote these toys. Skeletor might have been conceived as the last word embodiment of evil, the counter to He-Man’s square-jawed goodness, however he shortly grew to become the paradigmatic cartoon villain: sniveling, comical, and cowardly.
By the point Leto took the half, Skeletor existed largely as a meme, which suggests he might have felt the urge to play the character darker and extra excessive than ever earlier than. That will need to have been notably true given the truth that fellow problematic fave Frank Lengella performed the character with Shakespearean aptitude within the 1987 Cannon movie. Earlier than the brand new film hit screens, one needed to think about Leto screaming at subordinates or tearing the pores and skin off his face to go technique for Skeletor.
The Larger of Two Final Evils
But, what we get in Masters of the Universe is Leto being cartoony, self-aware, and genuinely humorous. Take the character’s first main scene, after dethroning King Randor (James Purefoy). Skeletor delivers a triumphant monologue to the defeated king after which unleashes an evil chuckle, a chilling cackle that builds and builds… till he realizes that neither Evil-Lyn (Allison Brie) nor any of the opposite minions are laughing with them.
The awkward banter that follows falls a bit flat, one of many many occasions director Travis Knight and his group of screenwriters get too condescending to the fabric. However Leto stays locked in, even because the scene itself breaks. He’s final evil, and he’s much less embarrassed by the truth that he was caught babbling like a madman and extra irritated that his henchpeople don’t respect his energy.
Even higher is the film’s stand out scene, when Skeletor invades the consciousness of He-Man (Nicholas Galitzine). As he forces He-Man to relive the assorted embarrassments he skilled as HR workplace drone Adam, Skeletor takes the type of onlookers. He out of the blue seems in a black swimsuit and tie, sitting throughout a restaurant sales space on Adam’s horrible date. When Adam will get a dressing down from his boss (Sasheer Zamata), Skeletor bursts into the workplace carrying a short-sleeve button down and holding a mug of espresso, a la Invoice Lumbergh from Workplace House.
