‘Blue Beetle’ review: DC film’s stunning cast performance breathes life into tired plot
- Starring Xolo Maridueña in the lead role, the movie shines a spotlight on family and community bonds and features effortless Latino representation
- Predictable plotlines and clichés leave room for improvement, but engaging actors, enthusiasm make it a film to watch
Xolo Maridueña stars as Jaime Reyes in “Blue Beetle.” Photo: Warner Bros Pictures/TNSBlue Beetle, the newest stand-alone instalment in the DC Extended Universe, touches on evocative themes such as family and societal classes in an endearing superhero movie. Starring Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes (Blue Beetle), Bruna Marquezine as Jenny Kord, and Raoul Trujillo as Conrad Carapax, the film focuses on the conflict between Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon), a power-hungry CEO, and Jaime as the gutsy electric-blue hero.
Based on the DC Comics character, the touching movie shines a spotlight on the intricacies of familial relationships, led by the stunning performance of the cast.
Jaime, a fresh-faced college pre-law graduate, returns home from university only to find that the family house is being sold due to financial difficulties. To earn more money, he and his younger sister (Belissa Escobedo) take up a cleaning job at a mansion belonging to Victoria Kord, the CEO of Kord Industries. While in the house, he overhears a heated conversation between Victoria and her niece, Jenny. After standing up for Jenny when Victoria threatens her with her menacing bodyguard-of-sorts, Carapax, Jaime gets fired along with his sister.
To repay him, Jenny tells Jaime to drop by the Kord Industries skyscraper for a job opportunity. In a twist of events, she hands him a fast-food takeaway box, telling him to keep it hidden and unseen. Persuaded by his family, he opens it, discovering the Scarab – an ancient alien artefact located by Victoria, who wants it to conduct her One Man Army Corp (OMAC) project. The Scarab fuses to Jaime’s body, transforming him into the sleekly-armoured Blue Beetle. The Scarab has a persona, Khaji-Da (Becky G), who actively responds to Jaime’s thoughts and actions, similar to the Marvel character Venom.
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A particularly illuminating element of the film is the theme of family and the unbreakable bonds holding a community together. Throughout the movie, the loyalty and steadfastness of the Reyeses are explored, subtly displaying the dynamics within the tight-knit Latino family. The authentic portrayals from the actors tie it all together, allowing the audience to feel connections with the family members. The movie is generously littered with humorous moments, adding to this effect.
On the other hand, the somewhat-predictable aspects of the movie leave room for improvement. The clichés of the privileged but emotionally scarred character, the semi-antagonist with a tragic background, and the meek sidekick who finally rebels against the villain are all there. The ending fight scene also follows a formula, with Blue Beetle first gaining the upper hand, then steadily losing ground until he remembers something close to his heart, ultimately defeating his opponent.
Despite this, the spectacular work of the actors brings the movie a sense of refreshment, distracting from the tired plotline that has become a little too familiar. The Mexican representation also deserves praise; it doesn’t come off as pandering or forced, and the colourful vocabulary brings a touch of pizazz to the movie. The film also sheds light on the complex issues surrounding the Latino community and reflects the host of hideous actions carried out on rural, “third-world” communities by entities under the banner of imperialism.
Overall, Blue Beetle is an enjoyable, independent DC product: it is engaging in all the right places, and the performances only add to this. The fact that it lacks in some areas does not take away from the apparent enthusiasm that has gone into this project.