The “old” DC universe is being replaced by a new plan by James Gunn and Peter Safran and it seems this move is urgently needed. Black Adam starring Dwayne Johnson fell massively short of financial expectations, while The Flash was last a $200 million flop.
Blue Beetle is now the penultimate DC film of this ancient universe before its conclusion with Aquaman: Lost Kingdom. I watched the blockbuster in advance and describe you the strengths and major weaknesses of the superhero spectacle.
What is Blue Beetle about?
In the DC film, directed by Angel Manuel Soto, Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) returns home to his family after graduating from college. Here he has to keep his head above water with odd jobs.
After meeting Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine), niece of powerful entrepreneur Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon), he comes into possession of a Scarab artifact that grants it superhuman superpowers. Kord Industries intends to recapture the item by force to use it to craft advanced weapon technology.
A charismatic star and great family dynamics are Blue Beetle’s strengths
The new DC film scores above all with the main actor. After making his mark in Cobra Kai, Xolo Maridueña emerges as the DC version of Peter Parker in Blue Beetle.
Much like the teenager behind Spider-Man, Jaime Reyes (slightly older) is also a A bundle of energy that balances embarrassing situation comedy with a lot of charm. The Blue Beetle protagonist is still a long way from the charisma of an experienced superhero and is embodied by Maridueña more like an immature, overwhelmed beginner who is increasingly merging with his new skills.
But the emotional heart of Soto’s film is the dynamic surrounding the main character. Through Jaime’s parents, sister, cheeky uncle, and a grandmother (who later turns into a surprising secret weapon), Blue Beetle lives on one Latin American energy between chaos and cordiality.
Warner Bros.
Blue Beetle
Later in the film, when Jaime has to be rescued by his family, the members join forces to form a powerful superhero squad with no superhuman powers. Together they make for some of the most entertaining Blue Beetle scenes.
As a superhero film, Blue Beetle serves every conceivable story cliché
Overall, the positive points of the DC film only slightly hide the fact that Blue Beetle the umpteenth variant of a superhero origin story gets presented as it has been presented continuously for the last 10 to 15 years.
From the introduction of the main characters, through the obligatory first transformation scene with surprised-shocked discovery of the abilities, to the big showdown in the finale, practically every moment of the DC film is predictable.
Besides slight variation in the character drawing, Blue Beetle offers no reason to be interested in the stale story framework. Especially since, in addition to the clichés in terms of content, we also know all the time that this new superhero will probably no longer be offered a future anyway when the new DC plan comes into force.
Unfortunately, Blue Beetle sums up the current superhero fatigue perfectly. Here we see an artificial product composed of algorithms that have been calculated precisely over the years. Were it not for the charismatic stars, Blue Beetle would pass for one of the most empty, pointless cinematic experiences of the year.
Blue Beetle in Podcast: Stolen Superhero Story
At this point you will find external content that complements the article. You can show it and hide it again with one click.
Can we still expect a highlight from the old DC universe with “Blue Beetle”? Or does the appearance of the blue bug give us the next proof of why James Gunn really needs a course correction? You’ll get the answer in the new edition of the FILMSTARTS podcast on the screen, in which Sebastian, Julius and Markus talked extensively about the strengths and weaknesses of the blockbuster.
The screen love is the weekly cinema and film podcast of our colleagues from FILMSTARTS.
*. If you make a purchase through these links or sign up for a subscription, we will receive a commission. .