The superheroes in a superhero movie aren’t always in front of the camera.

Masters of the Universe, released in 1987, is one of the best superhero movies ever made. This despite having to deal with many enormous challenges. The story follows He-Man and his solider friends as they to find and, in the process, prevent Skeletor and his army of villains from getting their hands on the all-powerful Cosmic Key as they search and destroy suburban Los Angeles. The movie is a perfect encapsulation of the cinematic magic of the ’80s that combined eye-catching practical effects and flashy CGI. As the expression goes, the film is pound-for-pound (or frame-for-frame) a classic that defines the eternal battle of good vs. evil.

And, as the short documentary below reveals, there was an epic battle just to make and finish this cult classic.

True story.

Courteney Cox undeniably stole the movie. The casting director should get another thank you, nearly 20 years later. Similar to Richard Donner’s Superman films with Christopher Reeve, critiques focusing on the slightly unrealistic visual effects are irrelevant. The technological challenges and related growing pains are, as a matter of fact, more endearing with each passing year and viewing. The story, characters and settings more than make up for any shortcomings.

Box office records and critical acclaim be damned: Masters of the Universe knew what it was and was proud of it.

That alone deserves a shout-out on “Throwback Thursday.”

He-Man still has the power!