The first trailer for the latest DC superhero film, “Blue Beetle,” inspired no hopes or expectations. Humor was promised due to the presence of legend George Lopez, and I always enjoyed Blue Beetle as a character (he was my main in “Injustice 2” after all). Yet, it didn’t feel like the character needed its own film. However, as soon as the credits rolled I turned to my buddy and said “Wow, that was way better than it had any reason to be.”
Synopsis
The film revolves around recent college graduate Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) returning to his family in Palmera City. He learns his family is in danger of losing their house and immediately gets to work helping them attempt to keep it. Reyes manages to snag a potential position at Kord Industries, the generic evil super corporation of the film. This leads to him being “chosen” by the Scarab, an alien piece of technology that binds to the host and gives them the ability to become the Blue Beetle.
Family
The story is nothing revolutionary, or even particularly interesting. Though, it really isn’t meant to be the driving point of the film. The movie is way more focused on making you understand and appreciate the Reyes’ family dynamic. Everyone in the family is so charismatic and likable that I could not help but smile most of the time they were sitting at their dining room table.
George Lopez especially absolutely kills it. He improved every scene he was in and always gave Xolo Maridueña a chance to shine. This is the first film I’ve seen with Maridueña, and the young actor shows much promise. He manages to always capture attention and it feels like he was a part of the Reyes family.
The Issues
I have a few issues with the film, but none are too drastic for me to not recommend going and seeing it. First off, Susan Sarandon totally phones it in as “big bad” Victoria Kord. The villain is a corny 80s villain that has a no-depth past of “I want money and I am mad that things didn’t go my way.”
Every line of dialogue she speaks sounds like it was her first take and she denied doing any others. It feels like she was on set for three days and they had to get all of her scenes filmed as fast as possible.
The movie itself is also too long. The plot is not interesting enough to warrant being over two hours. The movie would’ve been way better at a tight hour and a half. Lastly, the CGI in the movie is mostly awful. The futuristic cityscapes and the ending climactic battle feel like they are out of a video game, in a way that is actually kind of jarring. One scene at the end actually made me laugh at how bad it looked.
Flaws aside, this movie rules. It’s fun, captivating and a breath of fresh air in the crowded superhero space. The focus on family, particularly how important their Hispanic heritage is to their identity, is entirely charming and makes the film worth watching. Definitely go and see it if you are at all interested in a great, funny and at times tender family film with some cartoon fighting spread throughout.
