Blue Beetle [2023] – Xolo Maridueña, Bruna Marquezine

Blue Beetle might not be the best superhero movie out there, but it was certainly fun to watch even when it made absolutely no sense.

Starring Xolo Maridueña, I was pleaseantly surprised to see how LatinX this movie is. No, I don’t know anything about the character’s origins in the comics, but Maridueña made me appreciate Jaime Reyes. Maridueña plays Reyes. He’s a mexican newly gradute looking for a job at a fancy company. He suddely gains powers and ends up facing a formidable foe played by Susan Sarandon.

Iron Man suit meets Spider-Man’s humanity, with a latin twist. This movie could have easily been called Blue Beetle & His Amazing Family. Don’t get me wrong, this movie has a lot going for it. It’s about a superhero that feels more real than almost all others; A loving family that is very realistic, and amazing music.

However, this movie also has a lot going against it. The filmmakers are more concerned with the supporting players than the superhero they push to the background. There’s a sweet, important message in here about the importance of family, but it’s buried in a heavily cliched superhero flick that is too predictable. Sadly, major parts of this movie (the dialogue and some scenes) could get swapped with that of a dozen other superhero flicks and no one would know the difference.

Should You Watch It?

Even though I really enjoyed some parts of this movie, It feels aimless to be honest. At the end, I was left with that feeling that it was cut down from under the knees before it even started. Blue Beetle generates just enough goodwill to warrant a tepid recommendation.

Where Can I Watch It?

You can stream DC Studios’ Blue Beetle exclusively on Max in USA and Crave in Canada.