Blue Beetle is probably one of the best films DC and Warner Bros. have released recently and sets the stage for the character’s involvement with the new James Gunn DCEU.
Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) suddenly finds himself possessing an ancient relic of alien biotechnology called the Scarab. When the Scarab chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he’s bestowed with an incredible suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero Blue Beetle.
The music might be simple for some audiences, but it has a mixture that is fun, toe-tapping, and representative of the moment. Hispanic rap and ballads have melodrama and that spice at moments with their catchy beats and vocals. Other songs have that hip-hop vibe that comes with their catchy beats and vocals.
Blue Beetle has a lot of slapstick humor and jokes that can get excessive at times. But, they had great execution, timing, and quirkiness that I fully enjoyed when it all came together. While not the most unique, it works well for a comic book movie and has a place with a lot of elements in the film to balance it out.
The movie adds elements to the story that is great for an origin story that is trying to reset a bigger universe. They are character arcs, some tragic events to elevate the stakes, a few good villains, and the growing pains that come with new power. It all blends together quite nicely, and I did enjoy a lot of the build-up this movie did with the emotion, growth, and fire that we want to see in these films.
Blue Beetle is a comic book movie, and although we have seen monuments to the acting trade in other films that are worthy of pedestal raising. This movie is great in the standard of comic book movies, with a likable cast that feels like a family with a more realistic feel. Bruna Marquezine has a commanding presence in the film with a blanched array of strength and vulnerability. Matched with a real character that works well with the various groups she interacts with. Xolo Maridueña is sensational as the lead. Maridueña is funny and charming, delivering his awkward young adult lines well, and grows into the more engaging moments that resemble the early days of Marvel and DC movies. George Lopez works as both comedic relief and a good plot device, which good be annoying to some viewers but holds merit and build-up in this film.
The effects are what you would expect from these movies, and DC does continue to deliver some impressive moments that worked well. Seeing Blue Beetle fly, along with his fighting mechanisms was pretty impressive. Fluid animation, good shifting changes that used hard lighting technology, and a few other things that made this come to life. And, of course, explosions and fires having some practical effects help further blend the world to make it easier on the fakeness.
It takes a little bit to get things started as the suit needed time to adjust, but once it did things got interesting. Blue Beetle has several sequences that utilize the beginning of these abilities and adds a little strategy to mix it up. Impressive blasting with great choreography helps add a little physical combat to create some comic-worthy battles.
Overall, Blue Beetle is supposed to be the beginning of the James Gunn DCEU, and this movie was definitely a good starting point. It’s nothing spectacular or mind-blowing, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth watching. The film works very well with comedy, an origin story, and characters to make an entertaining world. While there are hints of more to come, the movie does its best to just be a comic book being brought to life and brings the punches that these films can only do with great imagination. The way they utilize references, technology, and technology that I really enjoyed and wanted more of. However, the movie is indeed predictable in terms of the story and a bit excessive at times. While Blue Beetle may not be a major defining piece some were hoping for, it still had a fun incursion with enough gusto to make a trip to the theater.
Blue Beetle is now playing in theaters
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