Introduction:
“Blue Beetle” was released to American audiences on Friday, Aug. 18, to a roughly $27 million opening. It is the first movie to finally knock “Barbie” out of the top movie of the weekend box office. The movie follows Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña), who has returned home after graduating from Gotham Law University. The day of his return, he sits down to have dinner with his father, Alberto Reyes (Damián Alcázar); his mother, Rocio Reyes (Elpidia Carrillo); his sister, Milagro Reyes (Belissa Escobedo); his uncle, Rudy Reyes (George Lopez) and his grandmother, Nana Reyes (Adriana Barraza). At this dinner, his family reveals they are in a financial hole and unable to keep their house much longer, much less pay for more college. Jaime takes this to heart, and in an effort to help his family, tries to get a job with Kord Industries. During his efforts, he meets Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine), who hands him a to-go burger box with a blue scarab inside that she has stolen from the company. She tells him to take it home and not open it. Of course, he opens the box at home the scarab comes to life and fuses to his spine, revealing its parasitic and alien origins. Here, Jaime, in his brain, communicates with Khaji-Da (Becky G), the scarab's intelligence and super abilities. It grants him a suit of armor that can transform into almost anything Jaime can imagine. What follows is an action-packed, fun- filled, oddly-emotional, joke-filled ride through the newest superhero film on the market. Be aware, there are SPOILERS in the following review.
The good:
It stands to reason that we are in the twilight age of superhero movies. Marvel had an incredibly successful run for a little over a decade. This culminated in a cultural moment no one could forget with “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame.” Years of world building and storytelling had drawn in thousands of people to see the culmination. Marvel's biggest competitor, DC, was not as successful. There were a few hits in what is colloquially known as the “Snyderverse,” due to the films being helmed by Zack Snyder. Standouts such as the “Snyder Cut Justice League,” “Aquaman” and “Wonder Woman” built up hope for fans. However, absolute flops such as “Batman vs. Superman,” “Suicide Squad” and “The Flash” have tanked the trust audiences have with Warner Brothers. It is for this reason that “Blue Beetle” came as a complete surprise to me. I must admit, I have a strange affinity for bug-themed superheroes, and there is a little bias here; Blue Beetle is my favorite DC superhero, so I wanted this movie to be good. However, I feel confident I can say, even with my bias, that this movie is good for anyone.
Let's start off with the standout of this movie: its ensemble cast. The Reyes family is clearly the highlight of this film. The actors obviously cared about what they were doing, and it shows. The interactions between the family members felt genuine and realistic, especially from a cast of mostly unknown actors. The biggest standouts from the cast are Maridueña and Lopez; the interactions between these two are the most comedic, the most real, and the most accurate to how people would react in their situation. I have never been a Lopez fan, but I was laughing out loud multiple times at his quips throughout the movie. The family dynamic was also well done. I come from a large family, and I truly felt like I could connect with the Reyes family. The boisterousness and aggressiveness, as well as the message that the movie was about connected with me. “Familial love is your true superpower” was the message, and as someone who comes from a close-knit family, I felt this on a deep level.
The script writing for this film was also perfectly acceptable. At no point did I feel pandered to or like the writers thought I was dumb, which I consider a major win. Aside from the characters, themselves, the other standout production aspect for me was the soundtrack. It was reminiscent of “Tron,” or “Bladerunner,” a synth score that took you back to classic films from the golden age of the 80s. The other major release from Warner Brothers DC this year was “The Flash.” There is a significant difference in these two movies. “The Flash” was considered the ultimate disappointment of a superhero movie, widely regarded as an absolute garbage movie. The acting was mediocre, the storyline was confusing, and the biggest complaint was about the CGI (computer- generated imagery) in the movie. “Blue Beetle” is the antithesis to “The Flash.” It has a cast of likable characters and actors who were not embroiled in controversy. The story stays to the tried and true formula of a superhero origin story, instead of heading into the confusing time travel and multiverse category. The CGI is nothing to complain about, especially compared to the cartoonish aspects of “The Flash.” It did all this successfully with half the budget of “The Flash.” Not to mention, the design for the Blue Beetle suit was actually super cool and super fun. On top of all that, the movie actually hits emotional beats you wouldn't think would still tug at your heartstrings. However, this movie does it in just the right way, so you still feel the pain you felt when you first saw Spider- Man lose Uncle Ben in 2002.
Sure, the story is a tried and true tale, but the characters make up for it. The hero is new and hasn't been seen before, and based on the reception of those walking out of the theater since its release, this is what audiences like in a movie. Ultimately, this is my favorite superhero movie since the last Spider-Man film. I truly enjoyed it. There is so much heart, comedy and fun in this film that it blows almost everything recently out of the water with its simplicity.
The bad:
I really enjoyed this movie. It's hard for me to say bad things about it, but as I always say, no movie is perfect. “Blue Beetle” comes at a time when it is unfortunately not novel, not new. Ten years ago, this film would have truly started and carried an entire series, and I still hope it does, but in the world we live in where superhero movie fatigue is setting in, this movie may fall to the wayside. On top of that, this movie sticks to the script. This is not an original story; it sticks to what superhero movies were known for in the early 2000s. This may be a significant turn down for some people. I enjoyed it, but others are tired of the same stories. Furthermore, the villains in this film are incredibly flat. Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon), the big corporate bad guy of the film, is your basic big corporate overlord. She is a weapons manufacturer. She wants to build weapons and no one should get in her way, especially not someone of low class, such as the poor Reyes family. Jaime's counterpart, Carapax (Raoul Max Trujillo), is exactly that: just a soldier with armor similar to Jaime's who is working for someone who he thinks can fix him. They are simple, one-note and have zero depth to them. When you have such an incredible cast in the protagonist section of the film, it is made incredibly clear when you have poorly written characters on the antagonizing side. While the stark contrast does exemplify the Reyes family, it hurts the performances of the Kord Industries villains.
The ugly:
There is not a lot I would call “ugly” in this film. It's family-friendly and just fun for everyone. There are two specific jokes regarding exciting men that I thought were a little unnecessary, but altogether, that is the most sexual content in the film. There are a few scenes that may be frightening for young viewers, including a death scene where not too much is shown, but blood does explode on a door. Finally, there is a death in the Reyes family. This is a familiar catalyst in every superhero movie, but it is a surprisingly emotional beat in the film and may cause distress for some viewers. Finally, the underlying conflict of the movie is classism; the poor versus the rich, the advantage that the rich take against those who don't have the money to defend themselves. This concept will obviously fly over the heads of younger viewers, but it still present. I actually really liked this concept as a conflict, but there may be those out there who simply don't agree or don't want to see something like that. Ultimately, I still say anyone over the age of five would have a great time with this movie, without parents having to worry about the content of the film.
Conclusion:
“Blue Beetle” is a home run in my opinion. As we come to the end of one movie universe and James Gunn takes the helm of a new one, “Blue Beetle's” stance was up in the air. Would it be good enough to be the beginning of a new series, or would it be a sad end to the original universe? After seeing it, I have to say this is a great introduction to the new DC. It was lighthearted, it was funny, it had heart and, overall, it was cool. Little boys will surely learn the name Blue Beetle, and while it didn't make much money its opening weekend, I hope that word of mouth truly carries it to a fulfilling end. I am more than excited to see the future of Blue Beetle and where this cast and his story goes. Familial love as the true superpower is such an excellent and correct message, and I appreciated that so much in this movie. It was nice to take a break from universe-ending possibilities, and just follow a superhero in his hometown trying to save his family and learn his place in the world. “Your house is full of love. Your family- that's a home,” Jenny Kord says in the movie. That is the true message of the film and it's a great message in a great movie. Take the time to support a movie that is fun and has a good message, and tell the studios this is the kind of superhero movie that is still worth our time. I give “Blue Beetle” eight out of 10 gator tails.