Blue Beetle Movie Review: A Family Drama that Deserves a Lot of Attention

Blue Beetle, one of the strongest entries in the DC Extended Universe, was directed by Angel Manuel Soto and written by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer. In it, Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) has just arrived home after completing his pre-law degree only to discover the family home is on the verge of being repossessed. His sister lands him a job where she works: the mansion belonging to our villain Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon). Victoria’s brother was a superhero many years ago who went missing; the original Blue Beetle who relied on technology and brains to fight crime in lieu of having any superhuman powers. Victoria is obsessed with the real Blue Beetle, an ancient, alien scarab that chooses a host, fuses with them, and creates a super powered exo-skeleton that surrounds the host, giving them super-strength, the ability to fly, and cool swords for arms.

Through a series of mishaps, coincidences, and luck, the real Blue Beetle chooses Jaime as its host. Victoria knows he has the scarab and is willing to destroy anything or anyone to get it back. During all this action, Jaime is able to begin a romance with Victoria’s niece, Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine). Jenny is the daughter of the “original” Blue Beetle and is able to help stop Victoria. In the meantime, Victoria is so desperate to retrieve the scarab because she is attempting to create a One Man Army Corps – men who are infused with Blue Beetle technology so they can be sold to the military. And, yes, as far as names go, One Man Army Corps doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. It doesn’t matter though, she has been very successful without the scarab and has created a one-man war machine in Ignacio Carapax (Raul Max Trujillo). While there have been many examples of characters that successfully walk the line between good and evil, Trujillo’s portrayal of Carapax is heartfelt and moving in ways rarely seen in superhero movies.

An interesting aspect of Blue Beetle is that Jaime never becomes a true “hero” like we have experienced in so many recent superhero films. For the bulk of the film, Jaime is learning the ropes and mostly getting his ass kicked. While this is a superhero movie, at its core it is a film about the not-so-secret power of la familia. Jaime is surrounded by an extremely supportive family who kid around with each other, make jokes at each other’s expense, but above all, love each other very much. For once, all of the family makes a crucial impact on the story. Jaime’s sister, Milagro (Belissa Escobedo), is the scrappy one who gets the unfortunate job of scraping gum off the bottoms of chairs and tables. However, to keep her job secure, she happens to also be the one placing all that gum under those chairs and tables. 

Jaime’s parents are the foundation of the family unit. His father, Alberto (Damian Alcazar), is the positive one in the bunch, constantly saying that everything will be alright. His mother, Rocio (Elpidia Carrillo) keeps everybody together in the face of adversity. Nana Reyes (Adriana Baraza), the matriarch, is the glue that holds it all together. Then there is Uncle Rudy (George Lopez), whose spark for life is infectious with his humor and wit. In fact, Lopez is astonishingly good in this role. He deserves leading-man status instead of being relegated to the feisty sidekick.

This is a great action flick in many ways. The focus on the family, for one, is especially poignant. The fact that Jaime is just barely in control of the scarab adds to the humor as well as the suspense. The romance is genuine, believable, and moves at a much more languorous, and palatable pace. You owe it to yourself to sit down with Blue Beetle. Stick through the credits for an interesting, though not unusual, twist.