The DC cinematic universe is in a really strange place right now. Hiring James Gunn to oversee it all is a smart idea, but his coming in and cleaning the house took everyone by surprise. Some movies such as The Flash, Aquaman 2, and today’s topic Blue Beetle were already too far along to be halted. While I am writing these words we are still waiting on Aquaman 2, The Flash was a huge failure, and for many, Blue Beetle is the start of this new DC cinematic universe.
How to Download Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle was released on 18 August 2023. Two months after its premiere you can expect to be able to download it or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and check the current availability.
Key Facts about Blue Beetle
| Fact | Information |
|---|---|
| Movie Title | Blue Beetle |
| Release Date | August 18, 2023 |
| Superhero Origin Character | Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle |
| Lead Actor | Xolo Maridueña |
| Entertaining and Heartfelt | Focuses on an immigrant family’s challenges. |
| Reyes Family Dynamics | Significant family role in the movie. |
| Character Performances | Belissa Escobedo (Mila) and George Lopez (Uncle Rudy) noted for their roles. |
| Superhero Origin | Jaime’s transformation after receiving a mysterious scarab. |
| Scarab’s Role and Impact | Scarab forms a symbiotic bond with host, akin to a character. |
| Villains and Video Game References | Susan Sarandon’s acting critiqued; video game references present. |
| Final Thoughts and Recommendation | Movie recommended for its entertainment value. |
The Movie Review
Personal Connection and Expectations
I am sure that many people had no idea who Blue Beetle was, but I had some real invested interest in this movie. My son grew up watching Batman the Brave and the Bold and Blue Beetle was his favorite character. Even though he is 15 now, we knew that this was a movie that we had to see together as watching that show was a real bonding experience for us.
Xolo Maridueña’s Impact
As well as my personal reasons for wanting to see Blue Beetle and for the movie to be good. I am a huge Cobra Kai fan and Xolo Maridueña who plays Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle seems like such an awesome dude, I really wanted his first big movie to be a success for him. I hope that it all works out and that word of mouth gets more people to go and see this in the theatre.
Entertaining and Heartfelt
I had a lot of fun with Blue Beetle! It is not going to top any of the big hits from Marvel or even DC, but this is just a pure fun time and I was entertained all the way through. It is about an immigrant family that is just trying to get by and Jaime has returned home from college to find that they are about to lose the house and that his dad recently suffered a heart attack!
The Reyes Family Dynamics
While on the surface things look bad. The Reyes family are awesome and the dad has such a calming influence on everyone that when he says things will be alright, you believe him. As well as the dad we have Jaime’s mother, grandmother, sister, and uncle. The family, especially the sister and uncle play a pretty major role in the movie.
Character Performances
Belissa Escobedo plays his sister, Mila and she is awesome. However, the show stealer here for me was Uncle Rudy played by George Lopez. He was such a blast and you could tell that he was having a great time. While Blue Beetle is a typical superhero action movie, it also has a real family message at its core which I liked.
The Superhero Origin
Jaime meets Jenny Kord whose aunt runs Kord Industries after her father, Ted Kord disappeared. Jenny gives Jaime this strange box that contains a weird scarab and the rest, as they say, is history. It is a fun superhero origin story and one that I think has a good blend of action, comedy, and drama.
Scarab’s Role and Impact
While many may look at the Blue Beetle costume and just think that it is some kind of Iron Man knock-off (Blue Beetle actually came way before Iron Man) that is not the case. The Scarab is sentient and it forms a symbiotic bond with its host, it is almost like a character in itself.
Villains and Video Game References
The villains in the movie are not the best. Look, Susan Sarandon is a movie legend, but her acting here is pretty bad, I know this sounds crazy, but from an acting point of view, she is the weak link here! The other bad guy on the surface is just a rival for Jaime to fight that looks like him, but he does end up having a bit more depth than you would think, plus at the very least his suit is really cool.
One thing I did get a kick out of in the movie where the video game references. We have all seen Cloud’s Buster Sword in the trailer, but there are a handful of other video game references during the movie that I thought were a lot of fun. Some were pretty deep cuts too like a freaking Nokia N Gage!
Final Thoughts and Recommendation
Overall, Blue Beetle is a hit. Me and my son really enjoyed this movie and I would not be against seeing it again. At my theatre, it was about half full which I was surprised with as I had heard that people were not going to see this. I highly recommend that you make the effort to do so it is a fun and entertaining time!
