2023 Summer Movie Season - Blue Beetle: Review & Analysis

 

Shining Light!!! Live Action Debut of Blue Beetle Is Super Fun Summer Win for DC!!!

Review By Brandon Porter

Ready or not, time to hero up!!!

Story Description

Life after college is always an unpredictable road, but one could not anticipate it being anything like the one Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) has to navigate at the moment. Months after receiving his degree, Jaime is eager to make a name for himself and make his familia proud. While waiting for an interview with the technology conglomerate, an old childhood friend gives him a box and tells him not to open it. Predictably he does and what he discovers inside is a highly advanced yet ancient sentient creature named Khaji-Da whose super powerful abilities can only be unlocked by attaching itself to a host..and guess who the lucky one is?! Now bonded to an advanced alien being who gifts him with a highly advanced suit with flight capability and advanced nanotech weaponry, Jaime must face the aggressive forces at hand and protect his city and family regardless of whether he believes he is up to the task or not. 

Jaime enjoys time with his loving family.

Film Review

The DC cinematic heroverse has had an eventful year for better and for worse. While there is plenty of optimism about the future of the franchise with James Gunn's new DCU starting to take shape, the blunder and baggage of this year's DC releases such as Shazam Fury of The Gods and The Flash, and the potential baggage of the still yet to be released Aquaman sequel has put a damper on any excitement about the franchise moving forward. As the one DC film property that doesn’t have any form of bad press around it, Director Angel Manuel Soto prepares to introduce the DC universe’s newest hero in what is the unofficial first movie in the new DCU. After suiting up with Jaime Reyes in this latest summer hero escapade, Blue Beetle is a refreshing and much-needed win for DC and the 2023 superhero lineup. DC's prior 2 cinematic outings have stumbled hard in large part to them being overly ambitious and messy. What is great about Blue Beetle is it showcases the joys of keeping it simple. The story is straightforward, the characters are lovable and relatable, the action is fast and fun but not overly bombastic, and the messaging is emotionally earnest. Director Angel Manuel Soto does a great job of telling a grounded story that still feels large enough to be invested in. Part of that goes to the terrific cast starting with our leading man Xolo Maridueña. Xolo gets full marks for delivering big-time as Jaime Reyes. Maridueña plays him with such charisma and crafts a character that you genuinely root for throughout the film. Part of that arc is represented in the physical aspect of the role. When Jaime first puts on the suit, it is jarring for him given that he is unsure of what he and the suit are capable of. Once he gets into a rhythm and gains confidence, it feels earned and it's a rewarding moment to see. While Maridueña is a standout lead, it's his family that is equally as fun to watch. George Lopez is a bonified scene stealer as Uncle Rudy bringing his top-tier comedic flair with a touch of down-to-earth earnestness. Another standout is Adriana González as Nana. For someone who isn't given much to work with in the beginning, midway through, she becomes one of the best characters in the film and has some of the best moments in the 3rd act. Belissa Escobedo, Bruna Reis Maia, Damián Alcázar, and Elpidia Carrillo round out the family, and all turn in great performances while playing off of Maridueña's Jaime very well. As for our antagonists, they are surprisingly depth filled for the most part. Susan Sarandon's Victoria Kord is by the numbers evil but in a way that makes her despicable and easy to root against. In contrast, Raoul Trujillo's Carapax surprised me with how much substance and depth his character had. Originally thought to be just a cookie-cutter villain, his story is quite tragic and makes him a sympathetic character still worthy of redemption. 

Bringing out the big guns.

As I said earlier, one of the many things Blue Beetle does well is its ability to keep things simple. The film is set in the DC universe (the one it’s in remains to be seen), but there is enough separation from its franchise predecessors to maintain its footing. This allows us to connect with the characters and their arcs more personally which is a huge bonus when introducing a new superhero. The story and narrative are small enough to not create a ripple effect that will change the fabric of the universe but still has strong elements to show that it can be part of the bigger picture if needed down the road. That is why this film is such a home run for me in how it is crafted. There is still a lot of uncertainty about how or if this movie will be part of Gunn's still-in-development DC universe. But Blue Beetle is separated from its in-universe predecessors just enough to where if they do decide to make it part of what they are building, it can seamlessly fit into the story they are assembling and make this a solid foundation to build on. Overall, Blue Beetle was an action-packed and emotionally earnest summer hero flick that impressed me in ways I both expected and didn’t expect. If this is truly the first entry in the Gods and Monsters Chapter of the DCU, It has me super optimistic about the future of this franchise and what this upcoming heroverse can be capable of once it finds its footing.

Rating and Final Thoughts

Filled with action, heart, and a strong sense of pride and identity, Blue Beetle is a huge win
for the superhero genre in 2023 and a much needed sign of progress for the DC cinematic 
portfolio.

Geared up for a promising new era!!!!