Directed by Angel Manuel Soto, Blue Beetle follows recent college graduate Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) who, after returning to his hometown Palmera City, suddenly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology called the Scarab (Becky G). When the Scarab chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he’s bestowed with an incredible suit of armor that’s capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero Blue Beetle.
Blue Beetle is a comic book character I have been wanting to see on the big screen for years and this specific incarnation of the character has been very popular to a lot of people including the Latin American communities. So because of that, this film adaptation of the character had a bigger importance that goes beyond being the introduction of the first character of a new and rebooted DC universe. There were a lot of odds to face but despite all that Blue Beetle ended up being absolutely amazing and epic! I loved everything about this film from beginning to end. It satisfied me hugely as a long-time fan of the character and it might honestly be one of the best superhero origin films that I have seen in a long time.
While there are several familiar directions and story elements we have seen in other superhero films, they are all given very refreshing spins in this film that work beautifully, and the authentic infusion of Latin American culture really gives this film its own personal identity, making it stand out hugely from everything that has come before.
This film packs a huge punch, from absolutely lovable characters, to a fantastic self-contained story full of heart and soul, to phenomenally crafted action sequences and effects. This film has a lot to offer and will surprise people, including those who have been wanting to see something unique and different from DC that isn’t a sequel to a previous film or the millionth adaptation of Superman or Batman (no offense to The Batman).
There’s a lot to dive in with in this film, starting with the aforementioned lovable characters. Xolo Maridueña is the perfect embodiment of Jaime Reyes and is fantastic as the lead of this film, delivering charm, heart, fun, and kick-ass action. Having followed Xolo since his work in Cobra Kai I knew deep down he was the perfect choice for Blue Beetle and he proved it right with his perfect performance of this young new hero that goes on an insane life-changing journey that was forced upon him. He is a truly investing and relatable lead from start to finish, guaranteed to be a new favorite superhero for many people.
The true heart and soul of this film besides Jaime himself is his family, composed of many wonderful characters that each have their own time to shine performance-wise as well as playing a large part in Jaime’s superhero journey, supporting him all the way rather than stopping him. Having the family be completely aware of and involved in his superhero identity from the start was a brilliant idea as it not only serves as a fresh new direction to stand out in the comic book genre but it allows this film to hit hard with its heart and emotion because of these wonderfully written and performed characters who all feel like true and authentic Latinos who are there for each other no matter what.
The family consists of beautiful performances from Belissa Escobedo, Elpidia Carrillo, Damián Alcázar, and Adriana Barraza who are absolute joys on screen, together or on their own, but there was one performance among the Reyes family that really stood out and that was George Lopez as Uncle Rudy. George Lopez is a hilarious riot as Rudy, delivering the most laughs in this film from his energetic delivery of certain jokes to his peak physical comedy that makes him such a priceless gem in this film. It’s easily the best role that I have seen from him in years.
We also get a great performance from Bruna Marquezine as Jenny Kord who holds her own and serves as honestly a great love interest to Jaime as they share adorable chemistry.
When it comes to the villains for this film they are damn good ones that serve as great enemies for our heroic family, representing as polar opposites of them in several ways, and ending up extremely threatening despite first appearances.
Susan Sarandon is an absolute knockout as the absolutely unhinged, sadistic, and no fucks given Victoria Kord who completely took me by surprise. We have had many corrupt corporate villains in comic book media over the years but I don’t think I’ve seen one be quite as cruel, manipulative, and hateful as Victoria Kord. Her motives may be simple and by the book but it’s her way of accomplishing them that makes her stand out so much, as well as Sarandon’s dedicated performance that goes all in but doesn’t go too over the top.
The other surprise villain was Conrad Carapax played fantastically by Raoul Max Trujillo. He is an absolute beast of a villain that proves to be an imposing and terrifying figure that will straight up kill you without hesitation if you are in his sights. While he serves as a perfect physical threat it was actually surprising to see that there was more to his character under the vicious exterior, something that was hinted at throughout the film before being explored in a massive revelation that changes your perspective of the character completely, making him more than just a henchman to the main villain. They managed to make the Carapax feel a lot more investing as a character compared to how he was in the source material.
If there was maybe one particular criticism I have in terms of cast and characters I would say that Harvey Guillén was underutilized as Dr. Sanchez, a scientist who works for Victoria. He does deliver a good performance as well as one of my favorite small scenes in the film but aside from that I felt like he could have had a much larger part in the story as a whole and should have had more material to work with.
The film’s story is excellent from start to end as it is filled with fun, heart, and action as well as has plenty of themes that will hit hard for some people, such as the theme of belief, resilience, and yes even family. These story elements are not new to the comic book genre but it’s the way they are approached, combined with the cultural influence of the film, that makes these elements feel new, refreshing, and extremely enjoyable.
The Latino flair gives so much life and identity to the film’s story while also providing lots of great humor that I know will be really funny for many, especially if you understand the context. But even though this film’s story is light-hearted in a lot of places and is small in terms of stakes it manages to hit you out of the blue with emotionally compelling scenes that make things more personal and hit hard at the right moment. This film strikes a firm balance of humor and heart without ever really losing itself in the process, making the film feel engaging all the way through even when the film on a couple of occasions slows down a bit.
One of the other great benefits this film has that makes it work so well is that it’s a very self-contained story that has no baggage of the old universe to bring it down and it is therefore allowed to focus on its own characters and story rather than having to connect to an established universe. This makes it the perfect candidate to kick off the new DCU while also being able to tell a story that could go in its own exciting direction under the incredible hands of the people involved. The film does pay tribute to the comic book lore of Blue Beetle in fun ways that are integrated really well into the plot without feeling like in-your-face forced fan service.
As for the action, the visual effects of this film are gorgeous in style and execution. Angel Manuel Soto fully has us involved in every frame of the action, allowing us to absorb every glorious punch, kick, and plasma blast with out-of-this-world cinematography. The Blue Beetle powers look fantastic, transported from the pages of comics to the big screen, and I was also happy to see the influences of other comic book-based media make it into the action like Injustice 2. It’s all a visual feast for the eyes that seamlessly blends practical and VFX effects together resulting in epic-as-hell sequences throughout the film that were immensely satisfying to watch. I give massive praise to Soto’s decision to prioritize using practical elements over CGI for a majority of the film because it makes this awesome world he has created feel much more alive and makes the action hit that much more.
The film also feels visually rich, with Latino culture combined with a somewhat 80s aesthetic full of vibrant colors and set pieces. There were so many beautiful shots that I wish I could display them all on this post because of how beautiful it all looks. And to think that this film was originally set to be on HBO MAX; this film was visually as well as narratively meant for the big screen.
And then there is the music which is also fantastic, featuring a fun soundtrack full of great songs that are fitting for the film and a unique and intense score by composer Bobby Krilic, who you may know for his music in A24 projects like Midsommar, Beau is Afraid and Beef. One thing I can give praise to for DC films in recent years is how a lot of their scores are unique in comparison with each other, giving their respective films an audible identity of their own, and this film’s score is no exception. And yes, before you ask this film does have a mid-credit scene and a post-credit scene although, I’ll be honest the mid-credit scene is the only one worth waiting for.
Blue Beetle was truly everything I wanted for an adaptation of this character while also giving me a lot more that I absolutely loved. And while there were certainly a few minor things that popped up, it was never enough to stop me from adoring this film. This is a comic book film that deserves way more attention because it was made with true passion and vision from a very talented director, cast, and crew who clearly worked their asses off to make this character come to life and connect with a lot of people. And if this is the kind of quality to expect from the new DCU going forward then I think it’s safe to say that DC may actually have a bright and more certain future ahead for once. But one thing I definitely want to see is the story of Blue Beetle continuing to soar to amazing heights. I’m going to give Blue Beetle an A+ = 99.
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