Hollywood Rebooting 2 Iconic '80s Movies That Haven't Aged Well Is Either A Blessing Or A Curse

Hollywood Rebooting 2 Iconic '80s Movies That Haven't Aged Well Is Either A Blessing Or A Curse Sean Connery holding a sword to Connor in Highlander By  Craig Elvy Published 1 minute ago Craig began contributing to Screen Rant in 2016 and has been ranting ever since, mostly to himself in a darkened room. After previously writing for various outlets, Craig's focus turned to TV and film, where a steady upbringing of science fiction and comic books finally became useful. Craig has previously been published by sites such as Den of Geek. Craig is an approved critic on Rotten Tomatoes. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-elvy-5b31a3381/ Sign in to your ScreenRant account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Hollywood isn't shy about rebooting beloved movies, and the next few years will be no different. Indeed, two especially iconic fantasy movies will be getting modern makeovers across the next few years. Masters of the Universe starring Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man will premiere in June 2026, while Henry Cavill's Highlander is currently in the works, directed by Chad Stahelski and co-starring Russell Crowe and Karen Gillan.

The original Masters of the Universe from 1987 and Highlander from 1986 are both great fun, remembered fondly even by generations who weren't born at the time. In the cold light of day, however, neither movie has aged gracefully. That could potentially prove to be a blessing, but it could just as easily become a curse.

Why The Original Masters Of The Universe & Highlander Movies Haven't Aged Well

Masters of the Universe holds a certain "of-the-era" appeal, and deserves credit for fully embracing the wacky tone of He-Man. At the same time, it's difficult to feel too fondly about the live-action adaptation. Bringing the action to 1980s Earth instead of staying in Eternia has aged awkwardly, both in terms of the dated references and the awkward clash of fantasy with real life.

Production on Masters of the Universe was fraught with budget issues and creative constraints, and while there's no doubting the passion of director Gary Goddard, he couldn't conjure up a blockbuster from B-movie ingredients. Missing characters, deviations from the lore, and glaring plot holes only made matters worse.

In fairness, many problems Masters of the Universe suffered from stemmed from the budget vs. ambition struggle. It was a well-meaning attempt, hence its cult classic status, but an unsuccessful one nonetheless.

For Highlander, it's a different story. The story of Connor MacLeod holds up in 2025, albeit in a rough-around-the-edges fashion. The hardest part of rewatching Highlander is deciding whether to accept it as another camp '80s action flick. Unlike Masters of the Universe, it doesn't definitively fall into "so bad it's good" territory. Highlander gets caught between sides, and that divide has only grown over the years.

Similar to Masters of the Universe, Highlander eventually developed a cult following, but with the latter, it feels like you're laughing at the movie more than with it. For those who love Russell Mulcahy's film, the nonsense is part of the fun, but Highlander's reputation in 2025 trades almost entirely on nostalgia. Each time you watch it, you forgive one flaw only to find another minutes later.

Masters Of The Universe & Highlander Aging Badly Could Be A Blessing Or A Curse

Sean Connery looing distressed in Highlander.

People get understandably angry when Hollywood remakes legitimate classics from past decades. Psycho, The Karate Kid, Ghostbusters - all near-perfect movies that were rebooted regardless. It's not without reason fans are so protective over Back to the Future.

As such, we should perhaps be praising Hollywood for picking out Masters of the Universe and Highlander for modern, big-budget reworkings. Both command faithful audiences, both are based on high-potential concepts, and both could have been a lot better. With more money, enhanced effects, and modern sensibilities, Masters of the Universe and Highlander could, in theory, achieve greatness.

Surely, this is the approach Hollywood should take with remaking movies. Find an old film that deserved better and give it better. In that sense, Masters of the Universe and Highlander both aging poorly works in favor of the two reboots.

At the same time, they risk a no-win scenario.

The very definition of a cult classic movie involves learning to love the bad parts. People who appreciate Highlander enjoy the over-the-top performances and innate silliness, and the same goes for Masters of the Universe. Does anyone really want a deathly serious Henry Cavill Highlander movie? On the other hand, it's impossible to authentically recreate that sense of awful 1980s cheese on a big budget.

It already looks like 2026's Masters of the Universe is trying to avoid the trap of a gritty approach, but the question remains: how can a star-studded major studio adaptation recreate the corny, low-budget charm of Gary Goddard's movie without feeling forced?

Meanwhile, the presence of John Wick's Chad Stahelski suggests Highlander will take the opposite approach and tone the cheese right down. If so, these two '80s remakes could end up adopting polar opposite philosophies to rebooting a cult classic, and it'll be fascinating to find out which resonates more with existing fans.

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