What if He-Man was just a goofy guy? That’s how the new, ironically self-aware “Masters of the Universe” reimagines this paragon of 1980s cartoon masculinity, and there’s only one actor who could simultaneously fill out that leather harness, rock a feathered bob and tackle the comedic task at hand — Nicholas Galitzine.

The British hunk has the aristocratic pretty-boy good looks to have played at least two princes so far (“Cinderella,” “Red, White & Royal Blue”), and has proven his comedy chops and willingness to play against type (“Bottoms”). Director Travis Knight puts the unique abilities of his star to the test in “Masters of the Universe,” which follows Adam, the Prince of Eternia (Galitzine), as he makes his way home and steps into his power — the power of Grayskull, of course.

“Masters of the Universe” started as a collection of action figures from Mattel (an attempt to make up for missing the boat on “Star Wars” toys). Comic books soon followed, then a 1983 animated series that captured the attention of every Xennial child across the nation, and then a 1987 live-action movie starring Dolph Lundgren as the muscle-bound blond hero. But every intended audience member of 40-something nostalgic nerds probably already knows this lore and then some.

Writers Aaron and Adam Nee, Chris Butler and Dave Callahan (Alex Litvak and Michael Finch have story by credit) modernize this retro tale and bring a layer of self-reflective humor to the He-Man origin story, while director Knight brings the high camp fantasy spectacle. It’s all soundtracked to a Daniel Pemberton score that is pure hair metal homage — Queen guitarist Brian May even contributes the Sword of Power theme. This is from the 1980s and don’t you forget it.

After an extended prologue set on his home planet of Eternia, young Prince Adam (Artie Wilkinson-Hunt) is sent into hiding in his mother’s hometown of Oklahoma City after the evil Skeletor (Jared Leto) and his hag Evil-Lyn (Alison Brie) stage a violent coup. Adam takes the Sword of Power with him for safekeeping, but immediately loses it.

He then spends the rest of his adolescence telling anyone and everyone about Eternia, the superhero types who populate it, and the sword he needs to get back home. He just can’t be content in his drab life working in corporate human resources, living with a roommate (Christian Vunipola), and going on Hinge dates. He sighs at the drudgery of “woke” workplace practices and gets frustrated with nerds. How can he find satisfaction on Earth when he’s so far from the masculine utopia of Eternia?

It is a genius turn for the movie to make He-Man such a, well, loser. Galitzine is willing to be the butt of the joke and play with audience expectation, and he nails Adam’s exasperation and physical ineptitude. When his old friend Teela (Camila Mendes) arrives on Earth in her nifty spaceship to scoop up Adam and the sword, she exclaims, “what’s wrong with you?”

Soon enough he’ll be enjoying the Power of Grayskull, which is mostly a spray tan, blowout and gladiator skirt, but also supercharged strength, too. Galitzine looks surprised and delighted every time he lands a punch or kick with his new body. As He-Man, he is all golden quads and shiny biceps, as is required of the character, but would it have killed them to photograph that hard-won physique with a little more oomph? The girls and the gays would like to gaze too, Mr. Knight.

But this is a new kind of He-Man, for a new millennium, not just eye-candy and homoerotic tension with Skeletor (though Leto preens fabulously as the villain). The character has ventured to Earth before, in the 1987 movie, but it’s probably the first time that Adam has brought some of his HR lessons back to Eternia. “We’re going to ideate on an escape strategy,” he tells his rough-and-tumble allies in a “seminar” before he leads them into battle against Skeletor’s army. Yes, it’s funny, but it’s Adam’s empathy and humanity — his “human resources,” if you will — that make him the ideal vessel for the power of Grayskull, according to the Sorceress (Morena Baccarin).

The new message is nice, but the most crucial element is the carefully calibrated tone, of light irony and deep reverence, which will appeal to Gen X and elder millennials, who have developed a nostalgic, yet winking appreciation for the material. Raunchy humor will sail over the heads of younger viewers, but the supporting cast, including Idris Elba, Kristen Wiig and Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, are on the same page. One only wishes they might have pushed the camp factor further, as it feels a bit restrained at times. However, it’s Galitzine’s performance that will win you over — he’s truly got the power.

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'MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE'

2.5 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: PG-13 (for sequences of violence/action, some suggestive material, and language)

Running time: 2:12

How to watch: In theaters June 5

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