With the release of Blue Beetle, it has become the seventh DCEU (DC Extended Universe) movie in a row to flop. Many are left to wonder if this movie deserved the treatment it got.
The DC superhero Blue Beetle is by far one of the lesser-known superheroes when compared to the hall of fame of heroes, such as the spectacular Spider-Man, the Dark Knight, the Man of Steel, and more. Making his first debut in the 1939’s comic “Mystery Men Comics” No. 01, the character has since then made his appearance in multiple DC projects including Smallville, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Young Justice, and Justice League Action. Still very unknown to the broader audience, the announcement of his live-action movie made the day of all six Blue Beetle fans, including myself.
Though originally slated for a direct-to-streaming release on HBO Max, after new management, it premiered on the big screen this past August 18th, 2023. While very hesitant at first about Blue Beetle, the news of the theatrical release excited me as it meant the studio heads at DC saw it worthy enough to play on the big screen.
In the film, we follow the story of Jaime Reyes played by Xolo Mariduena, most known for his role in Cobra Kai. Freshly out of college, he returns to his family in hopes to get them out of debt with his newly earned degree. Only to discover that his years in college doesn’t automatically guarantee him a well earning nine to five job. It is then when he finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology called the Scarab.
Bestowed with an incredible suit of armor that’s capable of extraordinary things, Jaime was chosen by the Scarab to be its symbiotic host. Unlike every single superhero trope though, where the hero’s parents/family member dies in order to further develop the hero. Jaime differs by having his family by his side as he becomes the superhero Blue Beetle.
While the story offers plenty of action, just the right amount of comedy without undercutting the serious moments of the story. The overall plot falls short as it follows the basic principle of every origin superhero film. Jaime’s Hispanic family is the only factor separating Blue Beetle from every single superhero origin film already made.
With multiple superhero origin movies already existing in today’s time, it is hard nowadays for any superhero movie in general to stand out. The villain of the story doesn’t help the movie’s case as he falls completely flat with his very one-dimensional character. Conrad Carapax, played by Raoul Trujillo, is very clear his only purpose is to serve as an antagonist for the sake of having a plot and nothing more.
While the film certainly has its moments and did not by any means deserve its box office flop. The film is a generic superhero origin film that doesn’t bring anything new to the superhero genre. Adding to the fact that the superhero is hardly known, the movie’s flop was bound to happen.
I’d recommend this movie to any hardcore DC fan or Hispanics. For casual fans into the Blue Beetle world, I’d give it an A-. For cinephiles I’d give It a B+ and critically I’d give it a B+.
