Blue Beetle (2023)

Blue Beetle (2023)

 

5/10

Starring

Xolo Maridueña

Adriana Barraza

Damián Alcázar

Raoul Max Trujillo

 

Directed by Ángel Manuel Soto

 

 

I enjoyed this film enough to say it’s not the worst superhero movie I’ve seen, that said, while it tries to stand out at times, it’s held back by its refusal to embrace a darker tone. This limitation prevents it from reaching its full potential.

The film also falls into familiar clichés, such as the hero losing control when their family is threatened, only to be stopped at the last second to preserve their moral integrity. If the cheesiness and predictability were removed, the film wouldn’t be half bad.

This is the fourteenth installment in the DC universe and centers on the comic book character Blue Beetle, also known as Jaime Reyes. The film explores how Jaime discovers the Scarab, bonds with it, and learns to control its powers.

Jaime, a recent law graduate, returns home to find his family on the brink of losing their house while his father struggles with a heart condition. Desperate for work, he takes a cleaning job at the mansion of Victoria Kord, a woman obsessed with exploiting the Scarab her late brother, Ted Kord, left behind.

Victoria’s niece, Jenny, discovers her aunt’s plans and tries to stop her. She steals the Scarab and, to avoid getting caught, gives it to Jaime. The two had met earlier when Jaime defended her against Victoria and was fired for it. At home, Jaime succumbs to family pressure to open the box, and the Scarab bonds with him.

Victoria, eager to harness the Scarab’s power, sends her forces after Jaime. Although the film isn’t a box-office hit, I wouldn’t attribute this to the SAG-AFTRA strike. DC films rarely achieve major success, and while this movie follows that trend, it’s better than some of its predecessors.

Watching this film wasn’t a bad experience, but it could have been improved by eliminating the cheesy tropes and predictability.

Now that the DCEU has come to a close and James Gunn has taken the reins, there is hope that the upcoming DC movies will adopt a structure similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). I am eager to see engaging, well-crafted plots and meaningful character development that extends beyond a single film, so there will be a cohesive and immersive universe.

A key expectation for me is the possible new Justice League of DC hero’s ensemble. I hope when Gunn does his, it will be as good as MCU’s The Avengers. If done right, this new era of DC films could finally rival the MCU’s success by delivering memorable cinematic experiences that captivate audiences worldwide.