He-Man y She-Ra - El Secreto de la Espada

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.

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

I was a big fan of She-Ra as a kid and would LOVE to own "Secret of the Sword" on DVD. Does anyone know when that might be happening? I used to watch He-Man with my brother so that's how I got hooked on She-RA. I would also love to get their Christmas special on DVD if possible too. Mostly I would like the Pilot episode/movie more then anything else. I used to watch the show on YTV, I think, which is a channel for kids in Canada. I noticed that episodes of She-Ra are available on Video to buy through e-bay's half.com but not on DVD and certainly not "Secret of the Sword" which I find weird since that everyone first me She-Ra and other the characters from the cartoon.

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!"

I remember watching this 1985 animated movie back in my childhood, and it served as an introduction to the She-Ra character and the universe of the "Princess of Power" series. Needless to say, as a child during the 1980s, that I loved "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe", so of course I gobbled something like the 1985 feature "The Secret of the Sword" up like candy.

The storyline in "The Secret of the Sword", as written by Larry DiTillio and Bob Forward, is pretty good. It manages to keep the spirit and essence of both of the two series, and providing entertainment throughout the 100 minutes it runs for.

The animation in "The Secret of the Sword" is good, and if you grew up watching "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe", then you will definitely feel at home watching "The Secret of the Sword".

The voice acting in "The Secret of the Sword" is good, and it is definitely nice that they had returning voice actors and actresses to add voice to their usual characters.

I enjoyed "The Secret of the Sword" back in the day, and having sat down to watch it again in 2023 with my son, I still found "The Secret of the Sword" to be as enjoyable today as it was back then.

My rating of "The Secret of the Sword" lands on a seven out of ten stars.