[Warning: This review contains spoilers.]
I want to get this out of the way; I am disappointed with this film’s performance at the box office. I went to see this movie the second week it was out due to scheduling conflicts, and I was genuinely enjoying my experience. Comic-based films haven’t impacted me since “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” Additionally, Blue Beetle is a character I have always believed deserved an adaptation. I am not going to pretend to know all about his comics in the past or his origin, so I will strictly talk about what I loved about what the film presented.
You have 100% seen this movie before.
I do not mean that in a harsh way. However, it is very easy to say that this movie is not anything new nor is it anything I cannot see somewhere else. But, and this is a very big but, it does this and capitalizes on cliches and tropes by flipping them in ways that are fresh. For example, the theme of family is the second most prevalent part of the movie, besides the fact it is focused on Blue Beetle. In a more formulaic film, they would show the main character cares about their family in the beginning and maybe have a heartwarming ending by having a parent come in and help or inspire the main character.
In “Blue Beetle,” however, Jaime Reyes’s (Xolo Maridueña) family is constantly involved with and helps him deal with the threat of the evil side of Kord Industries. A scene that deeply hit me was the scene where his father (Damián Alcázar) was killed by a foot soldier, and this drove the rest of the family to take action to help Jaime defeat the said evil corporation. They had built up the dynamic of Jaime and his father’s relationship very well through a conversation they had on the porch. You could tell that his father wanted the best for him and truly believed in him, and his death very much broke me. It does the “family is the most important thing” trope, but actually capitalized by making me believe it.
Another example is that the “right-hand henchman turns on the main bad guy” trope was done extremely well in this movie as well. It turned out that Ignacio Carapax (Raoul Trujillo), the right-hand man, had lost his mother to a bombing attack, so he became enraged. Throughout the movie we see him refer to a locket with her picture seemingly considering whether he’s doing the right thing. Once he completely transformed into the upgraded OMAC Suit and Jaime fought against him, Jaime convinced him that he could change. He then turns around to destroy what was left of the villains and dies in the process. While he did not repent completely for his wrongs, I feel as though they produced a good threat for Jaime while also creating a character that is worth watching grow. It is unfortunate that he died right away, but it made sense for what the movie was going for.
This movie was also visually stunning. The suit for Jaime being practical was the best choice they could have made. That way you can touch things up in post-production with CGI without having to make a complete digitally generated suit. The coloring was also very well done, and almost no shots in this movie were boring.
The film also had great comedy. I loved the fact that the grandmother (Adriana Barraza) used to be a freedom fighter and knew how to use a Gatling gun. Not to mention, George Lopez as Uncle Rudy was an incredible source of comedy and heart. I also loved that he was technologically savvy regardless of his unorthodox practices. There were a few jokes that I only chuckled at, but for the most part, I thought as a whole it was a very funny movie.
All in all, this movie deserved better for how much effort I can tell was put into it. I also greatly appreciate more diverse castings and implementing more representation. I also have been a Maridueña fan since I first saw Cobra Kai, and it was incredible seeing him in this arena. Next time, go to your local movie theaters and support local businesses so movies like this do not flop again.
Final Rating – 8.2/10
