Musclor et She-Ra, le secret de l'épée

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.

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

When I was little, I loved She-ra. Now, I think she's a great role model for little girls, much better than Barbie. She-ra stands up for what she thinks is right, and that's an important message for little kids to learn. She also teaches little girls that they don't have to be quiet, docile, and perfectly proportioned. She-ra is very proportional, but that's not all she is, unlike other heroines geared toward little girls. I remember watching this movie when I was seven years old, and loved it! If you want to show your kids something that is entertaining and good for them (kind of like Kix cereal) this is a great movie for it.

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.