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.

Did I say 5 stars? I meant 7. Not as good as the new show, but still really good

Heman and Shera in their first animated film join forces to stop Hordak and Skeletor.Excellent combination of humor action and characters that you 'll love and bring you nostalgia.P.S.I have the poweeeer!

A movie that combines what would become the first five episodes of She-Ra: Princess Of Power, After a nightmare wakes the Sorceress up and she sees a Time Gate open, she summons Prince Adam and Cringer (who are secretly He-Man and Battlecat) to Castle Greyskull to go into the gate and deliver the Sword of Protection to a special someone. The gate leads the two into Etheria, a world that is under the evil rule of the Evil Horde, which is led by Hordak. However, the sword chooses Adora, Hordak's force captain, who is about to learn the truth of the group she is serving to the point where she becomes She-Ra.

Released as a finale to He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe, this movie introduces us to Adora, a.k.a. She-Ra, and the world of Etheria and the heroes and villains who inhabit it. It has a good story where brother and sister are reunited, and the story is nice. Plus, this version has an awesome theme song. It's a good movie that introduced the world of the original She-Ra.

I liked this movie, I thought it was entertaining , and I love the 80s values it has. It has good, loving 80s themes. A time I wish I was born into with full consciousness and could of stayed in for my entire life. A time of love and morals, ethics on the TV. As a Heman movie, yeah, it's accurate, it's truthful to Heman . It's a good family film, I enjoyed watching it. But , it's really long. It just drags on and on lol. I think it's one of the longest existing cartoon movies I've ever seen. Good old, 80s cheese, love. I love it for that, such a cherished, loving children's film. It was a nice , little film . Enjoyable for sure. Why Orko isn't in it? I don't know, I guess he just takes too much screen presence, I don't know. And watching it , Heman's voice changes towards the end? ANYWAYS who cares.

Good 80s love classic .

The Secret of the Sword introduces She Ra to the viewing audience. She Ra is a pretty cool character, and this episode is pretty good.

At birth Adam had a twin sister named Adora. However the Hoard invaded Eternia, led by an evil guy named Hordak, and took Adora away from her family and to the planet of Etheria. Hordak turns Adora into a member of his troops who is an important leader. Many years later, the sorceress informs He-Man that he is to go to the planet Etheria and give a special sword to someone. By this time, a rebellion is going on in Etheria.

I must say that there are tons of similarities to Star Wars. Twins that are composed of one boy and one girl being separated at birth, spaceships attacking, and a rebellion going on. Yep, definitely very similar to Star Wars.

I think that the idea of He-Man having a sister is interesting. However, this is the first time that it is ever mentioned. I think it works out though. I guess that the fact that only Man at Arms, The King and QUeen, and Skeletor were the only characters that knew about Adora makes the fact that it never came up work.

The story of this episode is good. THere is a lot of build up and action along the way. It really takes a while for She-Ra to emerge using the sword.

She-Ra is pretty cool. Strong, intelligent, and (for a character in a cartoon series) very hot. She has unique abilities in that she can turn her sword into anything she wants.

New Villains are introduced in the Hoard and Hordak. Hordak is pretty evil and it is cool how he can turn into a jet. Hordak also has a great army composed of mechanical soldiers and a bunch of weird creatures. This includes Manteena, Leach, Catra, and some Scorpion Lady. Catra is cool and so is Mantena, but I think Hordaks warriors are not nearly as cool as Skeletors.

I have one major complaint. I always thought that Skeletor was always an evil leader who only answered to himself. However in this episode it is revealed that he was once Hordak's padawan(star wars term). It just does not look like Skeletor belongs to the Hoard and it made more sense for him to not be involved with the Hoard. Skeletor answers to Skeletor, not the Hoard. So, kind of a lame way to connect Skeletor and Hordak. Should have left them separate.

Having three sisters, I can relate to this episode and how He-Man is happy to see his sister. Kind of touches close to home for me.

Great episode and introduction of She-Ra. Recommended cartoon.

This is the 80's greatest cartoon movie, one of the best of all time.

As a big fan of a good cinema, I want to watch every type of movies, including cartoons. Since 85, when I was only 11 years old, i have been watched every type of movies. The secret of the sword is unforgettable to me for 2 reasons : Beside to be the first movie I have ever watched on a big screen, until Ratatouille, i wasn't found no one other cartoon like this one. You'll find everything that you looking for in a cartoon in here. Family entertainment with comedy, action, even drama, without forget some values that the digitalized cartoons that fulfill the lives of nowadays kid's forget with extreme facility : friendship, union and family values.

This cartoon still have the power and I believe that will have forever -

10/10

By Phil Villarreal Arizona Daily Star

One of the resounding proofs of my mother's love was seared into my brain on Saturday, March 23, 1985, when she took me to see "The Secret of the Sword," succumbing to my relentless begging the day after the film opened. This was the unmissable event in which Master of the Universe He-Man would team up with his long-lost twin sister, She-Ra, battling against not only He-Man's sworn enemy, Skeletor, but also the evil Hordak, Skeletor's cruel mentor. The animated film hooked me from the opening frame, when the monster ballad theme song "I Have the Power" blared over the speakers. It was the best movie I'd ever seen at that point in my life, and a true sacrifice for my mom, who had no appreciation of swords of power, interdimensional portals or the unyielding resourcefulness of Castle Greyskull. I'm sure she didn't receive an ounce of enjoyment from watching the film, save for the vicarious pleasure of watching her giddy 6-year-old soaking in the might, wonder and magic from the screen in the way only a kid that age can. Now "The Secret of the Sword" ? long forgotten by the studios, but never by me ? has finally been released on DVD, as part of a set titled "The Best of She-Ra: Princess of Power." I popped it into the player to watch the film for the first time in more than 21 years, prayerful in my hopes that it would live up to my fuzzy memories. I thought back to March of 1985, did the math and realized I am the same age now as my mom was then. I was surprised to see that the movie was even better than I remembered. And though it's no longer my favorite, it endures as an affecting cinematic experience. It's true that my enjoyment of the movie is colored by nostalgia, but the same must be so for the legions of folks who adored the film in their youth. It's doubtless that many of those kids ? now parents themselves ? will sit their children in front of the TV and play the DVD, and it will enrapture parent and child alike. Adults who first marveled at "The Secret of the Sword" as kids can now enjoy it on multiple levels. The cheap animation effects and stiff dialogue are funny enough to merit a viewing simply for their entertaining cornball factor ? they certainly don't make 'em like this anymore. But there's also an unmistakable magic in the storytelling and characters. The movie makes it easy to slip back into the mind-set of a 6-year-old, appreciating the action, the subplots and the tenderness on their intended levels. A compilation of five cartoon episodes meant as a bridge between the animated series "He- Man and the Masters of the Universe" (1983-85) and its spin-off, "She-Ra: Princess of Power" (1985-87), the drama is primed by four cliffhangers interspersed at equal intervals throughout the running time. The story follows Prince Adam (voiced by John Erwin), the timid crown prince of Eternia, who uses his Sword of Power to transform into the muscular, sword-wielding hero He-Man. Adam travels through a portal to the realm of Etheria in hopes of finding the owner of a secret sword entrusted to him by his guide, the Sorceress. Once in Etheria, Adam/He-Man discovers a Hordak-oppressed world and joins the Great Rebellion. To his surprise, the sword leads him to Force Captain Adora (Melendy Britt), one of Hordak's stern generals. Adora captures He-Man, placing him in a contraption that sucks his will, to power Hordak's magna beam transporter, which he plans to use to obliterate the Rebellion's hangout. Just as He-Man is about to die, the sword he brought to Adora speaks to her and reveals her true destiny as She-Ra, a champion of good. What's more, she is Adam's twin, separated at birth by a kidnapping Hordak. "I never knew I had a brother, but when a woman in a sword told me so, I knew it was true," She-Ra deadpans. Hordak, as you could imagine, is not at all happy with this development, and he recruits his former pupil, Skeletor, to aid his cause. "The dawn of the new day shall yield the final end of the rebellion!" cackles Hordak, who is nothing if not redundant. Such lines are amusing to an adult but serious to a child ? and that fact makes it even funnier to an adult. I don't remember my mom laughing at those lines in 1985, though. Maybe because she was in misery as the movie played. Or maybe because she didn't want to break the mood for her little boy.

A hundred million years ago, I thought He-Man was cool, but She-Ra was even cooler. I don't even know why I thought so.. maybe because I also dug Wonder Woman, The Bionic Woman, and Batgirl.. but I digress. When the movie came out, pre-multiplex, kids of all ages rejoiced when Adora 'held aloft her magic sword and said, "For The Honor of Greyskull!" Yeah, that was cool. She-Ra had a more upbeat theme than her brother, He-Man, and quite honestly, her special effects were better too. I coulda done with Cowl, the owl, and "Swift Wind", the lame-ass talking horse, but the rest of it was decent. Bo had a rockin' bod, Castaspella (don't you just love the name?!) could kick Shadow Weaver's butt, and Queen Angella, with her wannabe English accent, defended Castle Bright Moon till the cows came home. Mixing the original He-Man series with She-Ra was done effectively, meaning it was a buyable story-line... and when all was said and done, and Adora, nay She-Ra, realized her true identity, she decided to stay and "defend Etheria against the evil forces of Hordak." Pure cheese, but when you're a kid, who cares?!

Jarred from her sleep by dark memories of the past, the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull is guided by a magical sword, a sword fashioned much like He-Man's, to a room whose doors have been closed for as long as she can remember. It is at that moment the sword reveals its purpose and the Sorceress realizes it is time for the true heir to the sword to emerge. But she cannot accomplish her goal alone, for she cannot leave the vicinity of Grayskull and retain her powers. So she calls on Prince Adam/He-Man to assist her. And there is where the adventure begins. . . .

It's easy to tell this movie was made in the 80's because of it's animation. But that aside, this is a cool movie about faith, hope, and love. It's a somewhat difficult movie to find, both in the stores and online, but if you can find it, it's worth watching.

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 seven when I first watched this movie and am still captivated by it as a 26 year-old. This may sound corny, but I really love the movie's theme song, "I Have the Power". "He-Man" and "She-Ra" were likely THE defining cartoons of the 1980s, yet I have heard of no plans to release the film on DVD. I taped the movie from the USA cable network in 1989, and - as one might imagine - the quality of the tape has deteriorated. It's still watchable, but not quite up to my standards. Oh how I wish I could find even a decent second-hand VHS copy, to replace my failing one! I tried watching the new He-Man series on the Cartoon Network, but it simply does not compare to the original.

This is a great animated feature film.It was so cool to see He-Man and She-Ra and Skeletor and Hordak together!I loved it when He-Man and She-Ra did their transformation after each other near then! That was wonderful!I loved that!Most of the characters from both series' were in the film and the music was great as always!If you like He-Man and She-Ra then watch this masterpiece.In My opinion this was one of the greatest animated features ever!Just like the series' its a classic and I think it'll be hard for something to top this!I really love this movie and I don't think you'll be disappointed!

It was an excellent way to start of the She-Ra series and end the Masters of the Universe. He-Man (Prince Adam) discovers he has a sister She-Ra (Princess Adora)and that Hordak, Skeletor's former mentor kidnapped her as a baby, and raised almost as his own daughter. He-Man's task is to travel to Etheria (the world that Hordak took her to) and give her her own magic sword (called the Sword of Protection) and reveal to her her true identity, the Princess of Eternia, and She-Ra. If you liked either series, it is a must see.

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.

I remember seeing this movie when I was about 4 years old and let me tell you that it was great. I was always renting this movie and I was always watching the TV show. It was one of the most fantastic animated adventure made when I was a child. I will always remember the thrill of seing Adora transform herself into She-Ra to save Etheria. It is so sad that it had to end. I really hope that one day a network will show it again to the next generation of children.

While surfing through the IMDB, I stumbled upon the page for The Secret of the Sword. I hadn't seen it in years, and, based on the glowing comments posted on the page, I had to see it for myself. And, in all honesty, this movie is awful. The plot was paper-thin, the characterization non-existent, and the direction was muddled. The animation was truly horrible, even by TV standards (and to think this was released theatrically!). Sure the characters look good, but they move badly. Plus the same stock footage gets used over and over and over. The voice characterization was terrible, and the evil was pretty cartoony. This movie is a sad reminder of just how far animation had fallen in the 80's.

The Secret of the Sword movie first introduced us to She Ra. I have not seen this movie for years, but I can still remember it. He Man and She Ra have and will always be my favorite cartoons ever. The best part about this movie is how He Man must battle the forces of Hordak, in order to save his sister Adora from beign one of Hordak's puppets. My favorite part is when He Man gets captured by Hordak and is chained up in Hordak's castle. Adora comes into the room and is confronted by the Sorceress. I recommend this movie to anyone who wants to enjoy the magic of the cartoons they remember from when they were kids. Todays kids would not even now who He Man and She Ra. Lets hope they one day return to TV so kids can see what a real cartoon is.

Secret of The Sword with He-Man and She-ra is one of my favorite children's movies when I was a kid! In fact I still remember when I saw it and where I saw it! This movie is one of my many prime posessions, as well as the other original episodes I have. Even though the animation wasn't the greatest, well it was in '85! Still amazes me how they did He-Man and She-Ra's transformation scenes. I would jump at the chance to re-do this movie over again, I did find some bloopers and they used a lot of stock footage and yes they had new footage too but the story lacked some emotion. I wish HallMark Entertainment would re-consider re-releasing the series on TV because I believe it will be great again! If not all the He-Man and She-Ra fans around the world will fight to keep them alive!