With the DCEU winding down and fans readying themselves for a James Gunn led reboot, latest entry Blue Beetle feels like a bit of an afterthought. This coupled with the current writer / actors strike and subsequent lack of promotion means the cards were stacked against the film from the start.
Nevertheless, Puerto Rican director Angel Manuel Soto and writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer break boundaries with what is an overdue first Latino centric superhero film, and deliver an enjoyable if generic origin tale.
The charismatic Xolo Mariduena, star of the ridiculously entertaining Karate Kid spin off series Cobra Kai, takes on the lead role of Jaime Reyes, who after returning from college finds his family in financial trouble.
It’s during his desperate race to find employment, that he comes into possession of an Alien scarab which bonds with him, turning him into the titular Blue Beetle.
The transformation scene which see’s the scarab burrow into his back in full view of his screaming family is straight out of the Sam Raimi comedy – horror playbook and an interesting direction for a DC movie.
The suit itself is a rather unsubtle Iron man rip-off, complete with Jarvis style internal voice which guides Jaime throughout.
While there’s nothing here that we haven’t seen in a million other super hero films, it’s the Reyes family dynamic that makes the film work. There’s no secret identity to worry about, as Jaime’s family are aware of his powers from the start and are able to help (or hinder) him along the way. George Lopez as crazy Uncle Rudy steals every scene, while Adriana Barraza’s Nana delivers the films most entertaining pay off in the final reel.
The villains are not as well served by the script, with Susan Sarandon given the thankless task of embodying the desperately shallow Victoria Kord, who is intent on harvesting the power of Jaime’s suit. While armoured bad guy Carapax (Raul Max Trujillo) is just an uninspired evil mirror of our hero. The resultant final act of CGI super suits bashing each other, makes for a rather tired conclusion.
The Alien mythology behind the tech, promises much but is never properly explained, leaving more questions than answers.
Perhaps this was being held back for a potential sequel, but realistically that doesn’t seem likely to happen. Much like The Flash which preceded it, Warner Bros. are expecting fans to invest in a film that will likely have no impact on the future of the DC franchise, and that is a big ask.
Overall Blue Beetle is enjoyable despite its flaws. Hampered by a terribly telegraphed script, the film is salvaged by the personality of the likeable Reyes family, who turn an unoriginal premise into a more fun proposition than it should be.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Paul Steward
@grittster
27/08/23