DC Studios' latest flick 'Blue Beetle' marks the introduction of its Mexican-American superhero Jaime Reyes, aka Blue Beetle, with all the typical tropes associated with superhero movies.
'Blue Beetle', which is the 14th installment of the DC Extended Universe, might not draw much anticipation from the franchise's fans but may be worth a one-time watch.
The film, set in a fictional place named 'Palmera City', revolves around 22-year-old Jaime Reyes, possessed by an ancient alien technology called 'Scarab' (a term that comic book fans may recognise from Marvel's 'Moonknight'). The 'Scarab', which chooses him as its symbiotic host and attaches to his spine, endows him with superhuman abilities alongside an exoskeleton armor.
Jaime is neither a techie nor a fan of any superhero, but a youngster who wants to give his family a better life. However, these abilities make him new foes and expose him to a chaotic environment. The movie focuses on how Jaime accepts his abilities and deals with the mayhem brought on by having an artifact from an ancient realm.
'Blue Beetle' might not have anything new to offer comic fanatics, reminding them of Marvel's Peter Parker, aka Spiderman, and sometimes even Ironman due to the voice communicating suit. The creators have included all the typical features of a superhero film, with the exception of a few things, such as the fact that the superhero is not focused on saving technology from falling into the wrong hands or protecting the world.
Another aspect of 'Blue Beetle' that stands out is the fact that Jaime does not keep his superhero identity a secret from his family, which is unusual in such films. His sole aim is to keep his family safe from those attempting to take possession of the 'Scarab' by any means necessary.
Remarkably, the makers have also left no stone unturned to celebrate the vibrant nature of Latino culture through this film. However, the audience could become distracted by the Spanish conversations and accent. The decision to wrap up the movie in two hours without a lot of lag or superfluous scenes was a good choice by the creators.
Xolo Maridueña shines as Jaime Reyes with an impressive performance. Susan Sarandon as Victoria Kord and Raoul Max Trujillo as Ignacio Carapax/OOMAC have done their part in a justifiable way. Bruna Marquezine as Jenny Kord, Adriana Barraza as Jamie's Nana, George Lopez as Rudy Reyes, and Belissa Escobedo as Milagro Reyes add life to the film.
On the whole, DC's 'Blue Beetle' gives a fair introduction of a superhero who might have potential for the franchise's upcoming films, despite the lack of an interesting plot or intriguing post-credit scenes.
