TV & Movies

Blue Beetle review: A fun family romp with feeling

Lucy-Jo Finnighan
Still from DC movie Blue BeetleDC/Warner Bros.

The DCEU’s Blue Beetle is very much a movie you’ve seen before, but it’s also something worth watching again.

The DCEU is currently in turmoil, with films being panned and axed all over the place. However, that hasn’t stopped the new Blue Beetle movie from being released. The film’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally here.

Blue Beetle follows Jaime Reyes, a newly graduated young man thrust into danger when he is charged with looking after a Scarab, which ends up giving him unimaginable powers.

It’s a superhero movie fit for all ages, and intentionally feels reminiscent of 80s and 90s adventure movies. But how does it do this? Well, let’s get into it. Warning: Mild Blue Beetle spoilers ahead!

Blue Beetle is cliché, but likably so

Now, Blue Beetle is many great things, but one thing it won’t be praised for is originality. Our ensemble cast is filled with stock characters that we’ve all seen before, and you already know what purpose they will play in the story from their first interactions alone.

The story is predictable, to the point of parody. We know a certain character is going to die and we know an almost kiss is going to be interrupted, to the point that we’re not even worrying about spoiling you here.

However, there can be something very comforting about tropes, and Blue Beetle definitely performs these cliches well. Not only that, but in terms of representation, it may allow a Latin audience to indulge themselves in the cliched American movies and tropes they never got to see themselves in prior to Blue Beetle.

Jaime is your stereotypical young main character, but it’s incredibly easy to root for him, especially with Xolo Maridueña’s enthusiastic performance. Most of the performances hold up, despite their roles being cookie-cutter, with George Lopez’s Uncle Rudy being a humorous standout.

The family’s sense of comradery is heart-warming, and you can feel the cast’s enjoyment at playing these roles, inevitably making you enjoy watching them. Even Susan Sarandon’s wooden performance feels intentional and right for the movie, as she is your classic corporation head kid’s movie villain. Speaking of which…

This flick is a family action movie, both in good and bad ways

Blue Beetle is cliched for a reason, as it is intending to evoke the classic family adventure movies that spanned the end of the 20th century. Think the Goonies, Indiana Jones, and arguably even Spy Kids.

This sense of homage rears its head both in good and bad ways. For example, while having a child-like (and sometimes overdone) sense of humor, the movie’s action isn’t afraid to be gory, with some scenes potentially having kids hiding behind their hands. There are also plenty of fun locations that our characters traverse to, and a climax that will no doubt be recreated as a rollercoaster somewhere in a Universal Studios theme park.

Sadly, the effects also feel reminiscent of a 90s family movie. The superpowered weapons and other creative childlike gadgets are incredibly poorly rendered. For example, while one character holds a glowing shield in front of her face, no light reflects onto her, making it clear we aren’t watching something tangible.

The action works best when it’s at its most grounded, which allows it to be both brutal and emotional. There are actually a number of moments that could easily have you crying, as Blue Beetle doesn’t shy away from the danger that a superhero life can bring. What sells this emotion is the earnestness this movie has; often forgoing the now standard Joss Whedon style quipping to stay present in the characters’ pain, much to our gratitude.

Blue Beetle review score: 3/5

While no masterpiece, Blue Beetle has clearly accomplished what it’s set out to do. The characters are likable, the action fun, and the escapism easy. And at its core, it will make you feel what it wants you to feel, which is a triumph in its own right.

It’s been obvious from the beginning that Blue Beetle is set to be a DCEU movie that we all forget, but you can’t help but feel a twinge of sadness for that. Because for what it lacks in originality, it more than makes up for in heart.

Blue Beetle is now in cinemas. For more DC content, click here, and you can check out our other coverage below:

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