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Toy Robot Video 4K UHD Blu-ray with both versions |
Comparison between the theatrical version and the preview cut, both included on the American 4K UHD Blu-ray set from Toy Robot Video
- 15 differences
Production and Release History of MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (1987) Mattel’s action figure series featuring He-Man and She-Ra was a staple of children’s bedrooms in the ’80s, and the legendary Cannon Films brought the franchise to the big screen in 1987 with this film, Masters of the Universe. However, this entertaining B-movie. starring Dolph Lundgren and a very young Courtney Cox, was also a victim of the cult studio’s financial troubles at the time. As a result, budget cuts had to be made to what was originally envisioned as a spectacular finale, and a final battle was staged. only after much discussion and out of necessity, with Anthony De Longis (who played Blade, that is, the one from the MotU universe, not Wesley Snipes) instead of the actual Skeletor actor, Frank Langella. As Skeletor’s “I’ll be back” after the credits suggests, a sequel was originally planned, to be directed by Albert Pyun, but it never materialized, though a few of the sets that had already been planned were apparently used for Pyun’s magnum opus Cyborg. Why wasn’t there a sequel? At the box office, the film was a huge flop back then. But over the years, it has certainly achieved cult status, and alongside other animated series, the new live-action adaptation in 2026 sparked renewed interest. In light of this, it’s hardly surprising that this ’80s blockbuster has been re-released and, for the first time, released in 4K. The new label Toy Robot Video (an offshoot of Arrow Video, known for its reliably high-quality content) has been offering the world’s first 4K Blu-ray of the film in the U.S. since September 15, 2026. For fans, and from our perspective, the most exciting part, of course, was that the included “Preview Cut” marks the premiere of yet another edit of the film. Before we get to the differences, here’s a brief summary of the home theater alternatives: 88 Films will also release a British 4K version on November 16, 2026; here, too, both versions are included on separate 4K discs. And shortly after the announcement of this UK edition, which might be the more obvious choice for those interested in imports, Winkler Film followed suit and announced the German 4K premiere (and Blu-ray/DVD re-releases) for April 2027. For this release, the new dialogue scenes from the Preview Cut will even be re-dubbed, using the original voice actors wherever possible.
Differences in the Newly Discovered Preview Cut First, it’s important to note: Previous releases did not include any deleted scenes, and virtually nothing was revealed in advance about this new cut. As the name suggests, this is apparently a version that was shown at preview screenings and then slightly re-edited for the final theatrical release. There is no booklet included with this Toy Robot release, at least, and there is no specific bonus material related to the new cut either. To put it simply: There are really only a few minor differences throughout the film, absolutely nothing like the massive variations found in workprint versions or, for example, the similarly named “Preview Cut” of Ghostbusters. Only a few lines of dialogue have been added here and there, mostly just additions to existing scenes, or rather, these scenes were apparently a bit longer originally. They were trimmed for the theatrical version, and since the original footage was still available, they’ve now been reintegrated. This is quite interesting for fans: Skeletor’s loneliness is addressed here, for example, as is Man-At-Arms’ injury. Small details that do a bit more justice to the characters from the source material. Most striking, however, is the final scene, the very one that director Gary Goddard had already mentioned years earlier and addressed in his older audio commentary for the theatrical version: In the style of The Wizard of Oz, all the characters bid each other an emotional farewell. The studio demanded trims here, but Goddard hinted even back then that the material still existed. With the release of the Preview Cut, he is now finally able to present his preferred edit after all. In any case, the differences don’t really change anything fundamental about the film, but they do round out some scene transitions better. Basically, the theatrical version is still perfectly acceptable, but since the new cut is now included in 4K in the three “major regions”, the U.S., the U.K., and Germany, it’s definitely worth recommending to interested viewers.
Runtime information is organized according to the following format: Alternative
01:18–02:50 / 01:18–02:50 The credits sequence has been revised: While the names fly across the screen in the theatrical version, they fade in and out in the preview cut. No time difference
17:18 / 17:18-17:55 Immediately after arriving on Earth, Teela calls out to He-Man for help, saying her father (Man-At-Arms) is injured and needs assistance. He mentions his old knee wound from a battle, and one briefly wonders where Gwildor has gone. Teela: “He-Man! Hurry! Over here. This way. My father’s hurt.” Man-At-Arms mutters: “It’s just that old knee wound from the Battle of...” Father: “I’m fine.” Teela: “Are you sure?” He-Man: “Let me take a look.” Man-At-Arms: “I told you. It’s—it’s just twisted.” Teela: “Wait. Where’s Gwildor?” Man-At-Arms: “I think I heard something over there.” He-Man: “You did. Let’s go. Here he is.” Teela: “Don’t let him get away.” He-Man: “Oh, he’s not going anywhere.” Teela and Man-At-Arms start laughing. 37.4 sec
Even as the next scene begins, showing Gwildor lying in the water, Man-At-Arms can still be heard commenting off-screen in the preview cut: “At least he won't be thirsty for a while.” Alternative 17:28–17:30 / 18:06–18:08 A reaction shot of Teela and Man-At-Arms differs for continuity reasons: The theatrical cut now uses the shot from the preview cut (just before the comment mentioned above), while the preview cut shows a different, later shot of the two. The theatrical version is 0.3 sec longer
25:49 / 26:26–26:33 Kevin and Julie hug each other a little longer. However, there was already an extension immediately before this, purely on the audio track, because another line from Kevin was cut from the theatrical version: “Life goes on, right?” This additional footage actually contains the rest of the dialogue (“I wish I could change things.” [...] “That only happens in fairy tales.”), which can also be heard at this point in the theatrical version, albeit slightly shifted. 6.5 sec
26:40 / 27:24–27:32 Kevin fiddles with the “synthesizer” for a little longer, fascinated, and Julie urges him to leave. Julie: “Kevin, we gotta go.” Kevin: “Oh, right, right. In a minute, in a minute.” 7.7 sec
26:44 / 27:36–27:50 Skeletor is shown for a longer time, and there’s a bit more dialogue with the Sorceress. Skeletor: “Lonely, Sorceress?” Sorceress: “No more than you.” Skeletor: “Yes. And I shall remain so. I have no other way of being among men.” Incidentally, this essentially sets the stage for Skeletor’s later comment in the scene: “Have faith, Sorceress. You won’t be lonely long.” 14.3 sec
66:39 / 67:45–68:24 Evil-Lyn’s message to Eternia is followed by a brief scene in which a Skeletrooper reports this to him. Skeletor addresses the Sorceress with a sneer. Skeletrooper: “My Lord, we have received a message from Evil-Lyn.” Skeletor: “Excellent.” Skeletrooper: “She has their key.” Skeletor: “Assemble the battalions; we depart immediately. How is it that you did not foresee this, Sorceress? Could it be that your powers are failing you? My condolences. It’s time. Time to face him." 39.5 sec
68:51 / 70:36–70:58 Evil-Lyn then gives the order to give chase. Evil-Lyn: “Find them. Blade, into the alley. The rest of you, follow me.” Blade strides menacingly toward the camera, and the others set off as well. 21.9 sec
Alternative> 96:56–96:57 / 99:02–99:05 While the theatrical version here fades smoothly from He-Man to the next scene, the preview cut fades to black and then fades back in. Preview cut is 2 sec longer
97:14 / 99:23–99:57 There is a significantly longer farewell scene. The Sorceress thanks everyone, and Julie invites them all to visit Earth. Our heroes decline, more or less because it would be too dangerous given recent events. At first, He-Man and Man-At-Arms laugh at Detective Lubic’s comment. Julie: “Hope you’re going to be happy.” Kevin: “Hey, don’t worry. We’ll say goodbye to everyone for you.” Enchantress: “Eternia can never repay you for all you’ve done. Thank you.” Julie: “So now you know where we live. You can come visit us, all right?” He-Man: “I’m afraid not. Gwildor?” Gwildor: “Well, with all this coming and going, the Cosmic Key has created quite a disturbance in the gravitonic field.” Man-At-Arms: “It’s unleashed a tremendous power we don’t fully understand. Until we do, we think we should keep it locked away.” Julie and Kevin look a little dejected. 33.8 sec
97:29 / 100:12–100:16 In another shot, Julie looks around. 4.4 sec
Alternative 97:47–97:49 / 100:34–100:41 At the end of the shot, Teela smiles at Julie, who gives her a kiss. The theatrical version, however, features a different take in which Julie simply looks back calmly. Preview Cut is 5.1 sec longer
97:56 / 100:49–101:08 Man-At-Arms says that their paths might cross again, and Julie is moved. Right in the middle of this, we also see Julie’s shot, which was already used in the theatrical version in the previous variation. Man-At-Arms: “Our journey together ends here, but I swear to you both, you will walk in our hearts together. And who knows, someday, our paths may cross again on the long road.” 19.6 sec
98:06 / 101:18–101:21 Kevin also gets a handshake (offscreen below) from Man-At-Arms; “Good journey, Kevin.” 2.3 sec
98:17 / 101:31–101:32 Kevin is seen briefly before he says “I will.” 0.5 sec
98:18 / 101:33–101:36 He-Man also says “Thank you” to him. 3.1 sec
Alternative 101:26–105:43 / 104:44–110:01 During the transition from He-Man to the credits, the theatrical version featured another white fade-in. In the Preview Cut, the scene transitions directly to a black background, and the (identical) credits themselves run slightly slower. Preview Cut is 59.9 sec longer
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