$6,500,000[2] $7,500,000[3][4] Notably, it is also the very first nationally released theatrical movie in the Masters of The Universe franchise, predating the 1987 live action movie by over two years.
The Secret of the Sword, also known as He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword, is a 1985 American animatedsuperhero film produced by Filmation. Although released before the series She-Ra: Princess of Power began, the film was a compilation of the first five episodes with minor edits made.[5] The film was part of a trend of theatrically released animated films created by producers of TV shows and toys during the 1980s.[6] It is part of the same continuity as the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon series, and was created by the same Filmation production team and cast. It was the first He-Man theatrical film, and the first theatrical release to feature She-Ra or any Masters of The Universe/Princess of Power characters.
Six months after its theatrical release, The Secret of the Sword was televised in episodic form, during the premiere week of the She-Ra TV series, from September 9 to 13, 1985. For series purposes, the film is known as the storyline The Sword of She-Ra.
On Eternia, the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull is awakened by the magical 'Sword of Protection', which leads her to a portal known as a 'Time Gate'. She sends Prince Adam and Cringer through the portal to find the person destined to possess the Sword.
Adam and Cringer arrive in the other dimensional world of Etheria, which is ruled by the Horde, an intergalactic army. When Hordesmen soldiers cause trouble at an inn, Adam stands up to them and defeats them with the help of archer Bow. Bow and his friend Kowl are members of the 'Great Rebellion'.
Bow and Kowl take Adam and Cringer to the Rebellion's base in the Whispering Woods. The Horde eventually threatens to enslave the villagers unless the Rebels involved in the fight at the inn surrender themselves. Bow is willing to do so, but Adam and Rebel leader Princess Glimmer convince the group that they should fight back to save the villagers instead.
As the Horde, led by Force Captain Adora, start taking away the villagers, they are attacked by the Rebels, aided by Adam and Cringer in their secret identities as He-Man and Battle Cat. He-Man confronts Adora and the Sword glows in her presence, revealing that she is the one he is looking for. This distraction allows the Horde to knock He-Man out and capture him.
At the Horde's prison complex on Beast Island, Adora interrogates He-Man. She believes the Rebels are evil and the Horde the benevolent rulers of Etheria, despite admitting to not knowing much about life outside the Horde's base. He-Man dares her to see for herself what life on Etheria is really like. The Rebels get into the prison to find him, only to get captured and imprisoned themselves. Kowl eludes capture and frees He-Man, who liberates the others and destroys the prison. Meanwhile, Adora ventures into the towns outside the Fright Zone and witnesses the cruelties Etheria's citizens are forced to endure at the hands of the Horde.
Wielding the Sword, Adora confronts the Horde's leader Hordak. However, Hordesman Shadow Weaver casts her into a mystic sleep that makes her forget what she recently learned.
Later, Hordak shows the Horde his latest weapon: the Magna-Beam, a willpower-fueled transporter that will allow him to send the entire Rebel base into exile forever. He-Man sneaks into the Horde base looking for Adora, who once again thinks he is evil and arrests him. Hordak then confines He-Man in the Magna-Beam's energy chamber to charge it overnight.
That night, Adora has nightmares about He-Man's fate and hears the Sorceress' voice. Talking through the Sword, she asks Adora to help He-Man. The Sorceress also reveals He-Man is Adora's twin brother. When Adam and Adora were born to King Randor and Queen Marlena, Eternia was invaded by the Horde. Unable to defeat the combined might of the Eternian army and the magic of Grayskull, Hordak plotted to demoralize them by kidnapping the newborn royals, aided by his favorite pupil Skeletor. Although the kidnapping was interrupted by Man-At-Arms, Hordak escaped with Adora through a Time Gate. The Sorceress could not discover which dimension Hordak fled to, so she cast a spell that wiped all memory of Adora from all Eternians except for herself, Man-At-Arms, King Randor and Queen Marlena. Thus Adam was raised unaware of Adora's existence.
Adora breaks Shadow Weaver's spell then follows the Sorceress's instructions to use the Sword's magic and transform into the superpowered She-Ra, Princess of Power. After she revives He-Man, the pair destroy the Magna-Beam and make their getaway on Adora's horse Spirit, who in She-Ra's presence is transformed into Swift Wind, a talking, winged unicorn.
At the Rebel camp, the Rebellion accept Adora into their ranks after learning that she was mind-controlled by the Horde. The Rebels also discover that Queen Angella, rightful ruler of the kingdom of Bright Moon, is being held prisoner on nearby Talon Mountain, so Adam and Adora volunteer to rescue her. As He-Man and She-Ra, they free Queen Angella and reunite her with her people (including her daughter Glimmer).
Adam takes Adora back to Eternia to reunite with their parents. After learning that Adora is with the Rebels, Hordak pursues them through the Time Gate. On Eternia, Hordak goes to his old base on Snake Mountain and discovers that Skeletor is now the principal enemy of Eternia. Skeletor agrees to help him get Adora. Magically disguised as cooks and with Hordak hidden inside a giant cake, Skeletor and his henchmen infiltrate the royal palace and kidnap Adora.
Skeletor then betrays Hordak and forces him back to Etheria, planning to ransom Adora himself. However, Adora outwits her captors and, reclaiming her sword, deals with them as She-Ra before running into a rescue party led by He-Man.
Adora decides to return to Etheria to aid the Rebellion, a decision accepted by her family. The Sorceress sends Adora and Spirit back to Etheria, saying they can use the Sword to summon aid from Eternia should they ever need it. Adam and Cringer tag along, offering to "help Adora get the Rebellion off to a big start".
As He-Man and She-Ra, the twins help the Rebels liberate Bright Moon. He-Man and Battle Cat then return to Eternia, while She-Ra and Swift Wind resolve to stay until all of Etheria is free.
Lou Scheimer as King Randor, Swift Wind, Kowl, Mantenna, Horde Trooper, Kobra Khan, Leech, Trap Jaw, Tri-Klops, Broom, Sprag, Sprocker, Garv the Innkeeper, Bard, Messenger, Horde Computer (as Erik Gunden)
Comic book
A comic book, He-Man and She-Ra, Secret of the Sword, was published in 1985 by Mattel Toys as part of their "The Secret of the Sword Sweepstakes." The comic was handed out at theaters prior to seeing the film. The story runs six pages and recaps the film.[7]
No consensus among critics is currently available at Rotten Tomatoes.[8]Janet Maslin of The New York Times and Charles Solomon of the Los Angeles Times likened the film to a Saturday morning children's cartoon extended to feature film length. Maslin in particular cited the film's plot as "complicated but entirely predictable".[9][10] The film was, however, a box-office success, grossing more than three times its $2 million budget;[1] according to IMDb and Lou Scheimer himself, the movie made over $7.5 million before finishing its theatrical run.[3][4]
Kidtoon Films release
The film was picked up by Kidtoon Films as part of its weekend matinee program twenty-one years after its release.[11] It returned to theaters on May 6, 2006 and closed on May 28, 2006, replaced the original Dolby Stereo soundtrack with Dolby Digital and DTS tracks, and even though it was shot on film, was shown digitally.[citation needed]
DVD release
The film was released on DVD in the United States on a two-disc set titled "The Best of She-Ra: Princess of Power" collection on July 18, 2006 by BCI Entertainment’s Ink & Paint brand, which also included five episodes from the series.[5] The set was also released in the United Kingdom by Right Entertainment/Universal in September 2006.[12]
The film was re-released as a stand-alone release in the United Kingdom on July 16, 2007,[13] and in the United States on May 6, 2008.
He-Man is a superhero and the protagonist of the sword and planet Masters of the Universe franchise, which includes a toy line, several animated television series, comic books, and a feature film. He-Man is characterized by his superhuman strength and in most variations, is the alter ego of Prince Adam. He-Man and his friends attempt to defend the secrets of Castle Grayskull, the planet Eternia, and the rest of the universe from the evil forces of his archenemy Skeletor. He-Man is also the twin brother of She-Ra.
Adora, known by her alter ego She-Ra, is a fictional superheroine in the Masters of the Universe franchise. She is introduced as the protagonist of the 1985 Filmation series She-Ra: Princess of Power, which reveals her to be the long lost twin sister of He-Man. She-Ra again appears in the 2018 reboot She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. A series of toys under her name was produced by Mattel in 1984. She has also appeared in a number of Masters of the Universe comic books, most notably in DC Comics' 2012-2018 MOTU comic series, a roughly 1,000 page single story arc, collected in the 2019 He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Omnibus hardcover release. In these comics and in the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline, she also has an evil persona called Despara. As Despara, she makes an appearance at the end of Rob David and Kevin Smith's 2024 Netflix release Masters of the Universe: Revolution, the third installment of the 2021 Masters of the Universe: Revelation animated series. She also features in multiple story books, mainly Golden Books and Ladybird books, and in some MOTU games.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an American animated television series produced by Filmation based on Mattel's toy line Masters of the Universe. The show was one of the most popular animated shows of the 1980s.
She-Ra: Princess of Power is an American animated series produced in 1985 by Filmation. A spin-off of Filmation's He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series, She-Ra was aimed primarily at a young female audience to complement He-Man's popularity with young males. Unlike He-Man, which was based on the Masters of the Universe toy line by Mattel, the creation of She-Ra was a collaboration between Filmation and Mattel. The initial group of characters and premise were created by uncredited writers Larry DiTillio and J. Michael Straczynski for Filmation, while the characters introduced later were designed by Mattel. Mattel provided financial backing for the series, as well as an accompanying toy line. The series premiered in 1985 and was ended in 1987, after 2 seasons and 93 episodes.
Masters of the Universe is a sword and planet-themed media franchise created by Mattel. The main premise revolves around the conflict between He-Man and Skeletor on the planet Eternia, with a vast lineup of supporting characters in a hybrid setting of medieval sword and sorcery, and sci-fi technology. A follow-up series, She-Ra: Princess of Power revolves around He-Man's sister She-Ra and her rebellion against The Horde on the planet Etheria. Since its initial launch, the franchise has spawned a variety of products, including multiple lines of action figures, six animated television series, several comic series, video games, books and magazines, a daily newspaper comic strip, and two feature films.
Skeletor is a supervillain and the main antagonist of the Masters of the Universe franchise created by Mattel. He is usually depicted as an evil skull-faced, blue-skinned sorcerer who serves as the archenemy of He-Man. In the storyline of the franchise, Skeletor is determined to discover the secrets of Castle Grayskull, which he believes will allow him to conquer the planet Eternia and the entire universe, and become the titular Master of the Universe.
Hordak is a fictional demonic character in the Masters of the Universe franchise who opposes She-Ra and He-Man, as well as the franchise's main villain, Skeletor, to whom he was once a mentor, and the cause of the latter's ambition and pursuits of evil. Hordak is the main antagonist of the She-Ra: Princess of Power animated series, in which he is the archenemy of She-Ra, He-Man's twin sister.
Castle Grayskull is a fictional castle that forms a central location in the Masters of the Universe toy/comic/animation universe and also appears in the 1987 live action adaptation. The concept is credited to Donald F. Glut. The toy set was invented by Roger Sweet. Castle Grayskull was a "major feature of Mattel's line", and was "one of the most famous playsets of all time".
The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull, also known as Teela Na, is a fictional superhero from the Masters of the Universe franchise. Her first appearance was in "He-Man and the Power Sword" (1981).
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an animated television series. Developed for television by Michael Halperin, who created the original series, it was animated by Mike Young Productions. It served as an update of the 1980s Filmation series, produced to coincide with Mattel's revival of the Masters of the Universe franchise eleven years after its previous attempt. The series ran on Cartoon Network's Toonami programming block between August 16, 2002, and January 10, 2004.
He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special is an animated Christmas television special based on the animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and its spin-off She-Ra: Princess of Power, originally broadcast in syndication December 1985. It is part of the same continuity as both those shows, and was created by the same Filmation production team and cast. In the special, Orko accidentally travels to Earth at Christmas time, where he encounters two children and brings them back to Eternia.
The Power Sword, also referred to as the Sword of Power or the Sword of Grayskull, is a fictional sword from Mattel's Masters of the Universe toy line. In the original mini-comics produced with the toyline in 1981, the Power Sword was a mystical object split into two parts, which Skeletor tries to obtain and put together in order to gain control over Castle Grayskull. In these early stories, He-Man uses an axe and a shield, rather than the magical sword.
Princess of Power is a toyline created by Mattel. Among others, it features the characters of She-Ra and Catra on planet Etheria. With its launch in 1984, the toyline spawned a variety of products, including three lines of fashion action figures. The Princess of Power logo and characters are currently used by Mattel as part of the Masters of the Universe Classics toyline.
The Masters of the Universe media franchise has appeared in several comic book series. Most were small publications, which were included as bonuses with action figures. Standalone comic-book series were also published by DC, Marvel Comics, London Edition Magazines and Image Comics.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is a comic book series by DC Comics based on the Masters of the Universe. The series began with a digital mini-series, followed by a six-issue standard mini-series. Two ongoing series, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and He-Man: The Eternity War, were produced and are now concluded. There have also been two crossover mini-series with the DC Universe, and one with ThunderCats. Several origin one-shots and collected edition graphic novels have also been produced.
He-Man/ThunderCats was a comic book crossover that was released between 2016 and 2017.
Catra is a fictional character in the toyline, and animated television series, She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985–86), which is part of the Masters of the Universe franchise. In the 2018 reboot, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Catra is one of the central antagonists for the first four seasons before becoming an ally to the heroes in its final season.
References
1 2 Harmetz, Aljean (May 1, 1985). "Video alters economics of movie animation". The New York Times. Retrieved September 18, 2010. The Secret of the Sword, which cost $2 million and consists of three half-hour television programs stitched together, is faring less well. Mr. Scheimer said he was planning a high-budget movie starring He-Man for the summer of 1987.
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