Blue Beetle Review - A Promising Start At The New DC Superhero With Old Ideas

Blue Beetle Review: DC Studios latest superhero drama, Blue Beetle, marks Ángel Manuel Soto's debut in the superhero genre. DC has been looking to turn the tide for a while and has had a few impressive successes recently, especially with Joker and The Batman. Blue Beetle is fresh stuff, alright, but does it really matter if superhero theories are old? A new suite and powers are enough? I guess Not. It's not just DC; Marvel too is suffering from an insufficiency of new conflicts and thrills. It's just that earlier we used to get one or two superhero movies a year; now we get a lot of them, and that too after watching so much stuff already. Blue Beetle is funny with Mexican humour—that's new! The suit, theme, and powers are also quite new. Though the film lacks newness in storytelling. We all know how one gets power and tries to use it while tackling dangers, doing romance, and saving family. Blue Beetle is that mixture again, with some tech talk we have been seeing from Iron Man, Wayne, and Hulk for years. Nevertheless, it's a promising start for a new superhero, if that's what you're looking for.The film begins with Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) returning home after graduation, and he learns that his family is gonna lose the house in Palmera City. He is fired from a job by Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon) while trying to save Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine) amidst an argument. Jenny might have a job for him, and he visits Kord's office to meet her. Jenny gives him a Scarab to protect, which is childishly opened by his family. Jaime is now chosen to become a symbiotic host to the Scarab, an ancient alien biotechnological relic that grants him a powerful exoskeleton armour, turning him into the superhero "Blue Beetle". Victoria and her bodyguard robot, Conrad (Raoul Max Trujillo) are after the code of Blue Beetle, which jointly puts Jaime's family in danger. Jaime and Kha-Ji must work together to protect the family and the code, but will it be enough?Coming as a fresh film, Blue Beetle has no load of expectations. So even if it's underwhelming at parts, it still doesn't bother you much. It can't be the same when you watch The Batman or Superman movies because they are hugely popular superheroes and their films come with certain baggage. The screenplay of Blue Beetle is the main concern, as it deals with new ideas in old ways. It's 2023, and we are still being fed two decades-old conflicts. Why? The building collapses, but the Hero wouldn't be hurt, or even the heroine, even if there is large destruction right around her. One of the family members must get hurt so that the Hero can get angry and unleash his powers. In no time, the hero and heroine would come close to kissing each other, and someone would enter the room. Don't you dare ask when they fell in love. It's just there. Don't tell me you haven't been familiar with all these things, because if you are not, Blue Beetle is going to feed all of them for the first time. But if you have tasted them before, then this might get you away from the table in no time.The handsome Xolo Maridueña will be the girls favourite soon, at least as a crush. He has that personality and kindness in his natural role as Jaime Reyes. But as Blue Beetle, he is still immature. That's what the course of his character demands, by the way. Raoul Max Trujillo has been pretty impressive as the antagonist here. He might have only a few scenes to show his face and act, but he is damn good there. The female baddie played by Susan Sarandon didn't look evil at all, but you know why. It's just that female touch that makes things difficult for her. Jaime's love interest, Bruna Marquezine, is cute but nothing that can be remembered or even discussed. Surprisingly, all the family members of Jaime seem to have a blast. Damián Alcázar, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo, and Belissa Escobedo have rocked more as a unit than as individuals. Harvey Guillén's Sanchez goes unnoticed until before the last lines, when he speaks in Mexican.Talking about the visual effects, Blue Beetle is your old laser show put together with high-tech weapons. Some of the destruction scenes look grand on the big screen without any 3D effects. The cinematography by Pawel Pogorzelski is fine, whereas Craig Alpert's edit keeps the crispness intact. Technically, it's a well-made film, no doubt, considering the $120 million budget. The studio took good care of the production design, as nothing really looked outdated or ugly here. However, Blue Beetle needed a little brainstorming on the paper, which is clearly missing. Of course, you don't expect a typical superhero entertainer to be a smart and intelligent film, but what's wrong with being a bit more clever? Ángel Manuel Soto's storytelling is well-versed in your regular superhero flicks that you have been enjoying over the years. He makes you a simple popcorn entertainer when the world is getting more advanced with multiverses and emotionally powerful tales. Could he have done better? Yes, I guess so. Blue Beetle isn't a bad film at all, but it isn't great enough to be recommended. It's just a matter of your expectations, whether you want to go for it desperately or not. But yes, it can be viewed once for a fresh attempt in the money-spinning genre.