blue beetle

At the start of Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes (Xolo Mariduena) returns to Palmera City after his triumphant graduation from Gotham University… only to learn that his working-class family has fallen on hard times and is on the brink of losing their home. A chance encounter with Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine) - scion of Kord Industries - promises potential employment… but when Jaime reports for his interview, she thrusts a Big Belly Burger box into his hands, implores him to guard it with his life, and oh yeah - whatever you do, don’t look inside. 

Naturally, he looks inside… and discovers a metallic scarab, which promptly fuses with him on an organic level, creating a symbiotic bond. A sentient weapon of alien origin, the scarab (voiced by viral pop star Becky G) encases Jaime in an armored exoskeleton and - after some initial growing pains (including a sojourn into space and accidentally bisecting a city bus in half) - informs him that she can materialize virtually any weapon he can imagine, amongst other handy superheroic perks. Unfortunately, Jenny’s ruthless Aunt (and Kord Industries CEO) Victoria (Susan Sarandon) has big plans for the scarab as part of her secret OMAC (One Man Army Corps) project, which will help revolutionize the company into one of the world’s foremost military contractors (much to the dismay of Jenny, whose late father deliberately fought against this particular shift in philosophy).  

If this sounds like an amalgam of virtually every comic book movie that’s come before, well… you’re not exactly wrong. Blue Beetle doggedly follows the superhero 101 template to the letter, right down to Victoria’s imposing (and partially augmented) henchman Carapax (Raoul Max Trujillo) snarling “The love you feel for your family makes you WEAK” (spoilers - turns out Jaime’s family is actually his greatest strength), and Jaime’s Uncle Rudy (George Lopez) making earnest declarations such as “The universe has sent you a gift. And you have to figure out what you’re going to do with it” (groan). But director Angel Manuel Soto (Charm City Kings) has a spry touch… a jazzy enthusiasm that keeps the movie from getting rooted too deeply in cliche. Palerma City’s futuristic, blue-and-purple-neon sheen (like a comic book Miami Vice) offers a striking contrast to the increasingly homogenized visual look of the MCU and the drab-and-dreary color palette of the Zack Snyder superhero pics… as does the film’s surprisingly robust score (courtesy of The Haxan Cloak), which is infused with retro synthesizers almost reminiscent of Stranger Things (and 80s moviemaking in general). This is the rare DC installment that feels… unencumbered. It’s a frosting shot of late-summer escapism, breezily unburdened by the need to slot itself into some tortured Justice League jigsaw puzzle.      

Anyone who’s seen Xolo Mariduena on the hit series Cobra Kai - where he plays the role of Miguel Diaz - is well aware of the young Latino actor’s easy charisma and potential star power. Watching him headline a studio blockbuster is legitimately exciting… his likability in the role couldn’t be more natural. Damian Alcazar and Elpidia Carrillo (Anna from Predator!) are pleasingly sturdy as Jaime’s parents, as is Belissa Escobedo as his sarcastic sister Milagro. But your mileage regarding Lopez’s mugging comic relief and tinfoil hat conspiracy theorist shtick may vary; ditto Oscar nominee Adriana Barraza as Jaime’s beloved abuela, who dubiously morphs into a cartoonish ass-kicker when shit gets real. Sarandon, meanwhile, offers one of the weaker variations of the “respected-actress-slums-for-a-paycheck-by-playing-the-antagonist-in-a-comic-book-movie-or-YA-adaptation” trend… though the rugged Trujillo’s screen presence is fierce. It’s too bad the film isn’t able to capitalize more deeply on the pathos of his damaged, tragic Carapax. ​

Soto shows a confident hand in the fluidly choreographed action scenes (tinged with a distinct anime influence - such as the oversized Cloud Strife buster sword Jaime summons), which frequently utilize practical effects and real locations. But at the end of the day, this is yet another superhero being launched into an already impossibly crowded landscape - there’s a particular sense of lassitude, even without the complication of the film being caught in the crossfire of James Gunn’s impending DC reset. The marketing leaned heavily on the movie’s Latino representation and familial focus as a means of differentiating it from the pack, but there’s only so much that can be done to transcend basic formula as well-worn as this. Blue Beetle is a reminder that comic book movies with a genuine blend of humor and heart always have something to offer… but the pulse also quickens a little less with each boilerplate origin story.