The Warner Bros. film Blue Beetle directed by Angel Manuel Soto released nationally on August 18, 2023, three days after its premiere in El Paso. It follows the journey of DC character Jaime Reyes (portrayed by Xolo Maridueña) navigating his new life as the super-powered Blue Beetle. Its first few days in theaters were largely considered a failure, and at the time of writing, it’s one of the lowest-grossing movies in the DCEU. Yikes. Despite that, it received many commending reviews, and boasts a respectable 78% on Rotten Tomatoes. It features a very respectable ad capable cast, and a well-executed plot.
The film kicks-off with a series of unfortunate events as viewers follow recent college graduate Jaime Reyes on his search for income when an ancient alien scarab falls into his hands (or, rather, his back). This only gets worse when it turns out that the scarab is sentient, and can gain control of Jaimes’ body upon choosing him. It leeches onto him like a parasite, and will go to any measures necessary to protect its’ symbiotic host.
As per usual DC fashion, the action scenes are gorgeous. They utilize well-trained stunt performers who can dish out hits, but also easily take them. Xolo Maridueña was a perfect lead choice. He’s very charming and radiant, the perfect superhero traits and even better for a main character.
Some critics of the film aren’t big fans of the amount of CGI used in newer DC productions. That being said, Blue Beetle doesn’t use it nearly as much as some others. (Ahem… The Flash…) The team made a conscious effort to use as many on-set locations as possible, something you don’t see much of in Hollywood. For instance, Tim Burton’s live action Alice in Wonderland uses a crazy amount of CGI— it makes the film look cheap. Blue Beetle, in spite of its sci-fi nature, still feels real. Viewers can really immerse themselves in Palmera City.
Soto takes a new approach to this film, unlike what is usually seen in superhero movies. Jaime still feels incredibly human. By the end, he isn’t saving the world, because he doesn’t need to yet. He’s not ready. That isn’t his job. He doesn’t have to be an elite superhero like Batman or Superman. Blue Beetle tackles superheroes in a new and truly beautiful way, and with a mid-credits scene hinting at a sequel, many fans are in high spirits.
