Crappy film

Better Late Then Never

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

By Phil Villarreal Arizona Daily StarOne of the resounding proofs of my mother's love was seared into my brain on Saturday, March 23, 1985, when she took me to see "The Secret of the Sword," succumbing to my relentless begging the day after the film opened. This was the unmissable event in which Master of the Universe He-Man would team up with his long-lost twin sister, She-Ra, battling against not only He-Man's sworn enemy, Skeletor, but also the evil Hordak, Skeletor's cruel mentor. The animated film hooked me from the opening frame, when the monster ballad theme song "I Have the Power" blared over the speakers. It was the best movie I'd ever seen at that point in my life, and a true sacrifice for my mom, who had no appreciation of swords of power, interdimensional portals or the unyielding resourcefulness of Castle Greyskull. I'm sure she didn't receive an ounce of enjoyment from watching the film, save for the vicarious pleasure of watching her giddy 6-year-old soaking in the might, wonder and magic from the screen in the way only a kid that age can. Now "The Secret of the Sword" — long forgotten by the studios, but never by me — has finally been released on DVD, as part of a set titled "The Best of She-Ra: Princess of Power." I popped it into the player to watch the film for the first time in more than 21 years, prayerful in my hopes that it would live up to my fuzzy memories. I thought back to March of 1985, did the math and realized I am the same age now as my mom was then. I was surprised to see that the movie was even better than I remembered. And though it's no longer my favorite, it endures as an affecting cinematic experience. It's true that my enjoyment of the movie is colored by nostalgia, but the same must be so for the legions of folks who adored the film in their youth. It's doubtless that many of those kids — now parents themselves — will sit their children in front of the TV and play the DVD, and it will enrapture parent and child alike. Adults who first marveled at "The Secret of the Sword" as kids can now enjoy it on multiple levels. The cheap animation effects and stiff dialogue are funny enough to merit a viewing simply for their entertaining cornball factor — they certainly don't make 'em like this anymore. But there's also an unmistakable magic in the storytelling and characters. The movie makes it easy to slip back into the mind-set of a 6-year-old, appreciating the action, the subplots and the tenderness on their intended levels. A compilation of five cartoon episodes meant as a bridge between the animated series "He- Man and the Masters of the Universe" (1983-85) and its spin-off, "She-Ra: Princess of Power" (1985-87), the drama is primed by four cliffhangers interspersed at equal intervals throughout the running time. The story follows Prince Adam (voiced by John Erwin), the timid crown prince of Eternia, who uses his Sword of Power to transform into the muscular, sword-wielding hero He-Man. Adam travels through a portal to the realm of Etheria in hopes of finding the owner of a secret sword entrusted to him by his guide, the Sorceress. Once in Etheria, Adam/He-Man discovers a Hordak-oppressed world and joins the Great Rebellion. To his surprise, the sword leads him to Force Captain Adora (Melendy Britt), one of Hordak's stern generals. Adora captures He-Man, placing him in a contraption that sucks his will, to power Hordak's magna beam transporter, which he plans to use to obliterate the Rebellion's hangout. Just as He-Man is about to die, the sword he brought to Adora speaks to her and reveals her true destiny as She-Ra, a champion of good. What's more, she is Adam's twin, separated at birth by a kidnapping Hordak. "I never knew I had a brother, but when a woman in a sword told me so, I knew it was true," She-Ra deadpans. Hordak, as you could imagine, is not at all happy with this development, and he recruits his former pupil, Skeletor, to aid his cause. "The dawn of the new day shall yield the final end of the rebellion!" cackles Hordak, who is nothing if not redundant. Such lines are amusing to an adult but serious to a child — and that fact makes it even funnier to an adult. I don't remember my mom laughing at those lines in 1985, though. Maybe because she was in misery as the movie played. Or maybe because she didn't want to break the mood for her little boy.

I don't care what people say about the quality of the animation. Anyone born between 1978 and 1981 has to have fond memories of the show. Cartoon Network recently started a remake of the show, sticking more to the original plotline than the live-action movie. I watched one of the episode and I can still, after not having watched the show for 17 years, name all of the characters.As for the movie, I think it should be released on DVD. Every guy in his early to mid twenties would buy it. It is a classic, and today's children should get a chance to experience it.

Secret of The Sword with He-Man and She-ra is one of my favorite children's movies when I was a kid! In fact I still remember when I saw it and where I saw it! This movie is one of my many prime posessions, as well as the other original episodes I have. Even though the animation wasn't the greatest, well it was in '85! Still amazes me how they did He-Man and She-Ra's transformation scenes. I would jump at the chance to re-do this movie over again, I did find some bloopers and they used a lot of stock footage and yes they had new footage too but the story lacked some emotion. I wish HallMark Entertainment would re-consider re-releasing the series on TV because I believe it will be great again! If not all the He-Man and She-Ra fans around the world will fight to keep them alive!

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.