Blue Beetle

For a while, the superhero epidemic unleashed by Marvel appeared to have a tight grip on Hollywood with no end in sight to be seen. Every three months, a new superhero film manifested itself on the big screen, and the masses appeared with cash in hand to see any fit person beat a villain to a pulp, despite some of these heroes being no-names. But as of recently, audiences have begun to catch on to the formulaic nature of these films once these studios began treating them as cash cows rather than as labors of love. Rudimentary screenplays, lazy performances, and rushed CGI plagued these releases and still do, just watch any other superhero film released this year. Tired of the tried and true formula, audiences' tastes’ in cinema are shifting before our very eyes, and while it may be for the better, in the case of DC’s newest superhero Blue Beetle, a film that serves a purpose with something to say and overflowing with heart and love for its characters, is doomed to suffer within the current climate’s crosshairs.

Standing confidently in the over-the-topness that once characterized the superhero genre, Blue Beetle tells the origin story of Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña), a recent college graduate, as he unwittingly steps into the titular role and reckons with his life’s purpose after being selected as the host of the symbiotic ancient scarab. In search of this Scarab known to grant powers is Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon), CEO of Kord Industries, desperate to use the technology to manufacture an army of mass destruction. Alongside his family and the heiress of Kord Industries, Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine), Jaime/Blue Beetle must keep the Scarab out of the corporation’s hands while battling his villainous equivalent, Carapax (Raoul Trujillo), who also dons a suit of armor, and maintain his family’s security.

Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) taking the helm as the Blue Beetle as the symbiosis between him and the Scarab, Khaji-Da (Becky G) increases, allowing him to take full advantage of the suit’s arsenal in combat.

Now, Blue Beetle certainly does not reinvent the wheel or blaze a new trail within its genre but its appeal lies within its execution. Uninhibited by its source material, the film leans into the campiness now lacking in superhero films and plays out as an early Saturday morning 90s cartoon. Blue Beetle isn’t focused on flashy cameos or being part of a larger cinematic universe but sets its eyes on delivering engaging action set pieces, fast-paced fun, and more importantly, it tells a story about family and the displacement of minority groups that serves as much-needed Hispanic representation, set to resonate with all.

As of late, the majority of the MCU and DCEU’s recent endeavors can be described as sludges of drab CGI that render any on-screen action as indiscernible, resulting in a very unsatisfying moviegoing experience. From Jaime’s first appearance as the Blue Beetle, it was evident that director Àngel Manuel Soto approached the film with love and care for the final output. These films inevitably have their fair share of CGI, but between the director’s lively camera riffs off of the stimulating fight choreography and Pawel Pogorzelski’s cinematography whose talent makes even the most questionable of SFX look good, it’s enough to look past the flaws in the CGI department. The care and effort put into the film’s technicalities act as a reminder of the potential that superheroes on the big screen have when treated as a real movie.

Holding the film together is the beating heart at the center of its screenplay. Before any punches are thrown, writer Gareth Dunnett-Alcocer fleshes out these characters and gives them motivations. The first 30 minutes of the film construct the family dynamic and set up its themes on gentrification, given that the family is about to be displaced by Kord Industries’ new developments. By crafting a conflict separate from the generic “fate of the world is at stake”, the audience has a reason to care for these characters and through understanding what drives them, the experience of what transpires next is all the more heightened.

A glimpse into the Reyes family dynamic that holds the film together.

Furthermore, it’s appreciated that the screenplay is willing to open the discussion on important topics we face in the real world albeit superficially. Regardless, touching on such points brings the film down to Earth and allows us to relate to Blue Beetle when he finds himself fending for his family’s lives. The film primarily caters to the Hispanic community with tributes to the culture and inside jokes sprinkled throughout for individuals of the community to pick up on. Although Blue Beetle does fall victim to tropes of the superhero genre – immature jokes every five minutes, poor CGI, and a greedy corporation as the antagonist  – it veers from the formula in how it weaves its Hispanic roots seamlessly throughout the story. ​​ However, Blue Beetle never does this at the risk of alienating any audience as it still pulls on everyone’s heartstrings with its universal themes and hones in on the significance family has on Hispanics’ lives and extends that importance to the role they play in the film.

Bringing these themes home is the heartfelt performance from lead star Xolo Maridueña, whose charisma suits the bumbling, unruly young adult that is Jaime Reyes. Maridueña naturally encapsulates Reyes’ inner turmoil of stepping into his newfound role as a reluctant superhero and being responsible for his family and captures the audience’s hearts in more lighthearted moments. Even when his face is obstructed by his mask, Maridueña’s voice acting is booming with unbridled energy that replaces the emotion lost in his facial expressions. In the supporting roles, George Lopez elicits laughs from even the cornier jokes in the screenplay with his delivery as Jaime’s uncle Rudy, and the iconic Susan Sarandon is severely underutilized as the film’s central villain. Instead, her role as “big bad” is taken over by Carapax, played by Raoul Trujillo who doesn’t get much time to shine behind his exoskeleton armor.

While Blue Beetle by no means brings anything new to the table, its full embrace of the genre acts as a return to roots for superhero movies as it refocuses on what made them special in the first place: exciting action scenes, resonant themes, and above all, characters worth rooting for. These factors combine to mirror the giddiness of watching a Power Rangers episode or any other 90s superhero show for that matter. Had Blue Beetle been released at the peak of Hollywood’s superhero era, this love letter to Hispanic culture would have been met with praise.

Verdict: Blue Beetle’s refreshing approach to tackling the superhero genre earnestly and with tact provides audiences with an exciting time at the theaters, deeming it a Nick Pick.