He-Man's violence level in movie

[Sky Breaker]

If this movie is going to work, He-Man better not be pacified, and the movie will need more than a G rating to be taken seriously by today's highly critical audience. He-Man has already existed in the 2-5 year old friendly world of Filmation, using his ridiculous strength to gently nullify blundering goons without as much leaving a bruise.

I am perfectly fine with the big barbarian going in, sword swinging and cleaving arms, or fatally slashing a ravenous lumbering beast to keep them at bey in an attempt to save Eternia. To think any less I feel is selfish and unfair. It is not a 1980's kids cartoon that will breath new life into this property. If that is what you want, stick with your DVDs.

I want to see He-Man get dirty, but without gratuitous violence. If you are a super strong barbarian with a sword, going up against monsters with claws, fangs, and knives, someone is going to get hurt. Most parents would agree that Spider-Man was very kid friendly, and even Spider-Man had bloodied sequences.

[Sword of Grayskull]

If this movie is going to work, He-Man better not be pacified, and the movie will need more than a G rating to be taken seriously by today's highly critical audience. He-Man has already existed in the 2-5 year old friendly world of Filmation, using his ridiculous strength to gently nullify blundering goons without as much leaving a bruise.

I am perfectly fine with the big barbarian going in, sword swinging and cleaving arms, or fatally slashing a ravenous lumbering beast to keep them at bey in an attempt to save Eternia. To think any less I feel is selfish and unfair. It is not a 1980's kids cartoon that will breath new life into this property. If that is what you want, stick with your DVDs.

I want to see He-Man get dirty, but without gratuitous violence. If you are a super strong barbarian with a sword, going up against monsters with claws, fangs, and knives, someone is going to get hurt. Most parents would agree that Spider-Man was very kid friendly, and even Spider-Man had bloodied sequences.

One thing I'd like to see is He-Man taking his share of cuts and bruises. The power of Grayskull should make him powerful, but not indestructible. The bad guys should be able to kill him (Skeletor especially), and He-Man's victories should be hard-won. We need to feel like even with his powers, his life in constantly at risk, otherwise the movie's going to be pretty hollow.

[StarVeryHappy]

One thing I'd like to see is He-Man taking his share of cuts and bruises. The power of Grayskull should make him powerful, but not indestructible. The bad guys should be able to kill him (Skeletor especially), and He-Man's victories should be hard-won. We need to feel like even with his powers, his life in constantly at risk, otherwise the movie's going to be pretty hollow.

Well said. The comic series showed He-Man being injured.

[king_greyskull]

Well you know, if the writers get creative He-Man could destroy all kinds of armies of creatures but they could be rock monsters, or robots or something.. but when it comes to the battles with the real live bad guys he could be merciful and just take them off to Grayskull prison or something.

[Sky Breaker]

Well you know, if the writers get creative He-Man could destroy all kinds of armies of creatures but they could be rock monsters, or robots or something.. but when it comes to the battles with the real live bad guys he could be merciful and just take them off to Grayskull prison or something.

I can't say that works. Look at Skeletors band of misfits. The war in Eternia will not be fought by bungling goons, spouting G rated 1 liners, and in the end are arrested for their crimes. If the material is going to transfer to the screen well, Skeletors minions are going to have to be monstrous, powerful, and murderous.

I can't see He-Man simply bopping a creature like Beastman on the head and taking him into custody after he slaughters a few dozen Royal Guards and eats them. Nor could I see him placing Mer-Man in a fish tank after he drowns a small Eternian patrol party, and impales the squad leader on his trident to please his lord and master.

[bizzysim3]

NO killing. Myp had a good level of violence. you may be allowed to crank it up a notch in the movie but no killing. He's strong enough to slam villians so theres no need. He-mans greatest strength has always been his intelligence anyway.

[Sword of Grayskull]

I can't say that works. Look at Skeletors band of misfits. The war in Eternia will not be fought by bungling goons, spouting G rated 1 liners, and in the end are arrested for their crimes. If the material is going to transfer to the screen well, Skeletors minions are going to have to be monstrous, powerful, and murderous.

I can't see He-Man simply bopping a creature like Beastman on the head and taking him into custody after he slaughters a few dozen Royal Guards and eats them. Nor could I see him placing Mer-Man in a fish tank after he drowns a small Eternian patrol party, and impales the squad leader on his trident to please his lord and master.

Further, if these guys are as powerful, murderous, and sadistic as they need to be on film, He-Man's not going to be powerful enough to just take them out with a body slam. These guys are going to be able to kill him if they want. As such, he's going to have to get his hands dirty when the situation calls for it. I think what we're going to see is an evening-out of power levels. He-Man's going to be more powerful than any other human on Eternia, but the bad guys are going to be a match for him or greater. And that's as it should be.

This doesn't mean that he has to kill every bad guy, nor should he. But there are some baddies who won't be dealt with any other way, and he's going to have to step it up accordingly.

[Panawizard]

Not a moron in underwear and spandex.

He has an ax and a sword. These weapons mean business and he has to protect the Kingdom at all cost from enimies who are savage brutes.

[fantombe]

Quick poll. Out of all the people who think for the movie to be believable/taken seriously He-man needs to use his weapons to kill in the midst of battle, not just defend, protect, and neutralise the enemy threat, how many were disappointed when they saw in the concept art they were considering putting He-man in armour?

[Stuart]

I'm going with extreme situations because I think they need to consider this at a PG-13 level. In all honesty, it tends to make more money and would be just heavier enough with violence than the TV shows. This would put it at a level realistically comparable to the Batman and Spider-Man films of 200x. I don't understand the blood thirsty He-Man concept. I mean, I understand it, just not the motivations for it. I think you can get a realistic and believable film with violence not exceeding PG-13. Even if he kills, you don't have to show every limb falling off or blood flying everwhere. I would love to see the battle axe crack a few hundred of Skeletor's Skeleton Warriorsin pieces. Oh, and I didn't remember that Beastman ate people... That's gnarly...

[synthalus]

He-Man should only kill in extreme situations.
If he would kill without hesitation in battle that would make him no better than the villains he fights against. He is a heroic warrior for a reason. It would be silly if He-Man wouldn't kill a huge bloodthirsty monster that threatens everyone's lives especially if monsters like that are made out of Magic! If He-Man is about to kill Skeletor to disrupt the balance of power, there's always Zodac to stop him and return things to being neutral. The spirit of fighting should be there since they are all warriors, so I expect a lot of KO's! XD

[Met-Hild]

I think the film wouldn't suffer at all, if the general violence level was comparable to Star Wars. The odd limb chopped off, people getting wounds and bruises, but nothing too gruesome and graphical. MOTU has the potential to reach a wide audience from older children to grownups. I guess what I mean would be PG-13 in the rating system.

As for He-Man, I can't see him as a cold-blooded killer. He's definitely a virtuous hero, not an anti-hero. When fighting humans and other sentient opponents, he should aim to disable them, injure them if he must, but not kill unless the situation is extreme. I got the feeling that even in MYP He-Man would have killed Serpos if it had been possible for him.

The only version of He-Man that I could see as someone who plainly kills his opponents with little thought is someone who isn't actually a boy called Adam, but a battle-hardened warrior that probably wouldn't even need a secret identity. He'd just be He-Man all the time, like Oo-Larr from the first minicomics. It's a possibility, but it would be just silly to make the MOTU movie like that when the general expectation for a MOTU would be a fairly child-friendly action adventure.

[kinggreyskull2011]

Violence is fine, just gotta make sure that there is minimal blood (or preferably none)...unless of cause if the blood is green or blue and comes from one of the Snake-men, then chop away I say lol

Now...speaking of SEX in the new movie, I think the suggestion of it's fine (in verbal reference), but they should probably steer clear from showing any of it onscreen - because I feel He-man should be accessible to children at least 10 (but still watchable for children younger of cause) and up.

I think they would be far better having scantilly-clad female / male warriors and maybe a kiss or two between the love interest. I think the Hercules Tv series with Kevin Sorbo and the Clash of the Titans remake movie are good examples of this!

[QueenQuetzale]

MYP violence, though a little blood wouldn't hurt.
Nothing too extreme, though. It's not a horror film. XD

[kylun flac]

I think it should have the same sort of killing as in movies like Willow. Destroy low level evil warrior minions, demons, and monsters, but spare their cowardly masters. You can't kill Skeletor in the first movie, maybe TrapJaw, Tri-Klops, or Whiplash.

what i was thinking

[Vahn]

I voted He-Man should kill in battle, but is merciful to surrendering foes. But I should clarify. I want to see him tear through SKELETOR's Bone Warriors and things like that, but I don't want him decapitating CLAWFUL, or sneaking up behind MER MAN and ripping his throat out like Rambo.

[PIMPS ADAM]

I voted He-Man should kill in battle, but is merciful to surrendering foes. But I should clarify. I want to see him tear through SKELETOR's Bone Warriors and things like that, but I don't want him decapitating CLAWFUL, or sneaking up behind MER MAN and ripping his throat out like Rambo.

Why Not? Just kidding.

[the headmasters]

The level of killing should just match common sense. I think that you would consider Aragorn from LOTR, Jason Bourne, and Captain Kirk from the new movie to be honorable heroes even though their body count and brutality are different. And you also have to remember that these guys are all warriors that knowingly pick up swords against each other. It's the level of violence shown on screen that needs to be looked after. Now would He-Man go around killing people like a crazed maniac? No. He'd probably just go thru one enemy after after another to get to his goal, whether it'd be to save Teela or stop Skeletor from entering Grayskull. Who's got time to ask each opponent whether they plan to surrender or not. If you don't want to get killed, drop your freakin sword. I don't think a He-man that's willing to kill would make him less heroic. I mean no one thinks of Luke Skywalker as a blood thirsty warmonger. Even Leia choked the hell out of Jabba. And Han shot first dammit!

I think Filmation is an unfair comparison. They went out of their way to avoid any sort of hand to hand confrontation. I don't think they've ever clashed swords unless it was one hit to knock someone's weapon off their hands. Each time they raised a weapon, a stun beam came out. It's the last thing I want to see from a theatrical movie.

[Power Sword]

I went with "He-Man should kill in battle, but is merciful to surrendering foes." He's a warrior. He's a hero for sure as he protects others & fights for what's right but he's also a warrior who's going up against vicious & ruthless folks who will do whatever they can to cause as much death & destruction as they can.

Do you folks hold it against Duke, Snake-Eyes, Roadblock & th' boys, (from G.I.*JOE) for takin' out the terrorists of the COBRA organization?

Optimus Prime taking out who he had to in the 1987 Transformers movie, decapitating the Decepticon in the 2007 movie or blazing through the Decepticons in Revenge of the Fallen. Prime did what he had to do. I see He-Man doing the same.

When it comes down to either He-Man or some villain losin' their life, it had better be the villain.

One thing I'd like to see is He-Man taking his share of cuts and bruises. The power of Grayskull should make him powerful, but not indestructible. The bad guys should be able to kill him (Skeletor especially), and He-Man's victories should be hard-won. We need to feel like even with his powers, his life in constantly at risk, otherwise the movie's going to be pretty hollow.

Totally. I've always perceived He-Man as being powerful & strong. He may not get crushed or broken when tossed through a mountain, but a sword or magic burst would definitely do some damage.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

I would love to see He-Man use his sword and for there to be blood and for characters to get hurt but I don't need them to die. I like the Superman take on things, He-Man is powerful enough to defeat enemies but not kill them. I want the villains to be a threat but there is no need to be extremely violent to get that across. Darkseid was always seen as a threat without being overly violent, just very evil.

[realghostbuster]

i think it should be like how disney handled violence in their chronicle of narnia films. big battles, but there was pretty much nary a drop of blood to be seen on screen. best of both worlds.

[tmc1984]

i chose ''kill in battle, but is merciful to surrendering foes'' ...

the reason being is that i think this is what we saw him portray in the 1987 movie - and that level of 'violence' was fine and worked well ...

for example; he presumably killed in the shoot-outs with skeletors army (the laser-shots fired can be construed as effectively killing the faceless soldiers) but even at the end when skeletor was on the edge of the energy-shaft - he still acted mercifully toward him, his greatest enemy ...

[SimbasGuard]

I voted that He-Man should kill only in extreme situations:
So basically I'd be O.K. with He-Man killing if he has no other option. Although with his strength I can't really see him not having another option.

However if a bad guy must die to show that the heroes mean business, you can always leave the killing to Battle Cat

[Teela-Na]

If we're talking about the He-Man movie as a whole, I'd like it slightly under the level of Conan The Barbarian. He-Man as a character shouldn't kill indescriminately though, but should use his judgment where necessary. I don't want him to never kill though, as it would seem unrealistic.

Teela, on the other hand, is a fierce she-warrior, and I'd like her to slay some foes in her bikini.

[RavenousPuma]

If the plot can pull of lack of blood I'm fine with it but if it's even close to the heresy that was Kevin Sorbo's mockery of Kull then just say no, and tell someone you trust.