Blue Beetle is the story of how Jaime Reyes’ (Xolo Maridueña) life changed forever. After successfully being the first member in his family to graduate college, Jaime’s career prospects are dim. Aimless, he returns to Palmera City to move back in with his very loving family. With the help of his sister Milagro (Belissa Escobedo), Jaime secures low-level employment at Kord Industries, a tech conglomerate run by the ruthless Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon). Victoria’s current pursuit is to unlock the power of an ancient artifact of mysterious origin known as the Scarab. When Jaime inadvertently bonds with the Scarab, it transforms him into the Blue Beetle: a superhero with a near indestructible exoskeleton and the ability to conjure combat accessories from his imagination. With Kord Industries hellbent on retrieving the Scarab, Jaime must do whatever it takes to keep his family safe.
RELATED: Blue Beetle Tracking For $30M Opening Weekend At Box Office
What works in Blue Beetle is the focus on fun and family. Director Ángel Manuel Soto (Charm City Kings) wisely chooses to differentiate his comic book movie by exploring how integral Jaime’s father (Damián Alcázar), mother (Rocio Reyes) and even Uncle Rudy (George Lopez) are to his identity and character. Blue Beetle is really celebration of Latino culture and family, particularly the unconditional love and support they provide. Additionally, Blue Beetle is uproariously funny. With a grounded approach, writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer crafts a script that delivers high-stakes on a localized scale along with plenty of laughs at the simple absurdity of the situations Jaime finds himself in. To this point, it would be remiss to not acknowledge the great work Maridueña does with the character. He imbues Reyes with the perfect mix of wit, charm, and awkwardness that makes him relatable and easy to root for.
Individuals uninterested in superhero movies writ large may not be won over by Blue Beetle. While the film explores new corners of the genre, it shares the vast majority of its narrative with other, similar properties. As such, some people may find the story to be slightly derivative.
Blue Beetle is a delightful movie. Chock full of great action scenes, heart, and humor, Blue Beetle manages to stand out as a refreshing entry among comic book movies. Highly recommended for all audiences.
Recommended if you Enjoyed: Spider-Man, Iron Man
Blue Beetle is available exclusively in theaters starting on August 18th.
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