Blue Beetle (2023) Film Release this August. 2023 will also be a busy year for DC Studios. How come? Before fully stepping into the DC Universe (DCU), the film studio led by James Gunn and Peter Safran still has several dependents. One of them is releasing the scheduled DC Extended Universe (DCEU) films.
After Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) and The Flash (2023), this time it's the turn of Blue Beetle (2023) which is ready to entertain superhero geeks around the world. The film directed by Ángel Manuel Soto (Charm City Kings) is predicted to make up for the failures—both critically and commercially—that Shazam 2 and The Flash received some time ago.
So, does Blue Beetle deserve to be called one of the best superhero films this year? Also, what is the position of the superhero in the future of DCU? For more details, see the Blue Beetle film review below.
1. Tell the origin story of the Blue Beetle
As you know, every superhero has a story or background that shapes their identity. Likewise with the Blue Beetle. In this film, the story begins with a young man named Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) who returns to his hometown, Palmera City, after graduating from university.
Intending to release his longing for his family, Jaime is slapped by the fact that they are threatened with losing their home due to Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon), CEO of Kord Industries, who has ambitions to dominate the city. However, hope comes when Jaime meets Jenny (Bruna Marquezine), Victoria's niece who strongly opposes her aunt's plans.
Initially, their meeting was limited to a job offer. However, this moment opened the way for Jaime to "interact" with Khaji-Da (voiced by Becky G), a mysterious entity that inhabits the Scarab that Jenny stole from Kord Industries' laboratory.
Predictably, Khaji-Da chose Jaime as his host and turned him into a superhero named Blue Beetle. Amidst this situation, Jaime is faced with two choices, to die to escape the Scarab's influence or to accept his destiny as a superhero.
2. The chemistry of the players is solid, really heartwarming!
As a superhero film that carries Latin culture, especially Mexico, Blue Beetle certainly cannot be separated from the family theme. Luckily, this film has a line-up of players who are able to create family warmth in front of the screen.
Playing the titular character, Xolo Maridueña has a convincing charisma that makes Jaime Reyes' character easily liked by the audience. While Damián Alcázar and Elpidia Carrillo radiate parental affection, the surprise comes from Adriana Barraza, George Lopez and Belissa Escobedo who play Jaime's grandmother, uncle and sister respectively.
Not only eccentric, the three of them are good at livening up the atmosphere through whims and remarks that are beyond reason. Especially Barazz. The actress who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination through Babel (2006) is the element of surprise from Blue Beetle. The definition of badass grandmother is really, deh!
3. Not only action and comedy, Blue Beetle also includes emotional moments
When the chemistry between actors and comedy are two things that should be appreciated, what about the action? To be honest, Blue Beetle doesn't have any memorable action scenes when compared to The Flash (2023). However, that doesn't mean that Ángel Manuel Soto is original in serving it.
With moderation in CGI—which is the exact opposite of The Flash—Soto recreates iconic scenes from a number of games and tokusatsu, such as Final Fantasy, Mega Man, and Kamen Rider. In fact, the legendary anime Akira (1988) is said to be one of the filmmakers' inspirations in creating the visual for Palmera City.
What's more, between comedy and action, Blue Beetle is able to insert a number of sentimental moments that successfully stir up feelings. Therefore, it's not an exaggeration to call the 14th film of the DCEU a superhero film made with heart.
4. Will Jaime Reyes return to the DC Universe?
Considering that the DCEU is coming to an end and Blue Beetle is the last new superhero to be introduced, an interesting question arises. Will the superhero appear in James Gunn's DCU? The answer is yes.
Reported by CBR, Gunn confirmed that Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) will return to action in a future DC Studios project. In fact, on one occasion, Gunn mentioned that Blue Beetle is the first character from DCU besides Superman: Legacy (2025), which is the first film.
Hearing this statement, fans speculated that Jaime Reyes aka Blue Beetle would join Superman (David Corenswet), Damian Wayne aka Robin, Kara Zor-El aka Supergirl and Swamp Thing as the new Justice League. Wow, if it's true, it will definitely break, here!
Without a doubt, Blue Beetle is one of the best products from DC Studios. Even though the action scenes are not as bombastic as its predecessor, this film has all the aspects needed for a quality spectacle, namely interesting characters, warm comedy, and a big "heart". After all, you don't have to watch all the DCEU films to follow the Blue Beetle storyline, you know!
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