Blue Beetle film review

 

This film was apparently originally intended to go directly onto to streaming yet thankfully has ended up on the big screen where it actually belongs. There is a case though that it might have benefitted from being released in a less crowded period which is replete with superhero and action movies but I’ve given up trying to discern DC’s motives which are as opaque and contradictory as Elon Musk's. Is this the last of the old universe or the first of the new one? Never mind about that, instead let’s enjoy this quirky origin story that is essentially untied from all that baggage and given a chance to stand on its own two feet. Or however many feet beetles have. Yes, there are elements of the plot that you will correctly guess long before they happen and yet the overall package is so likeable and frantic, so well performed and constructed that you can overlook such things and just enjoy it.

 

In Palmera City there is a social divide with wooden roofed houses cramped together in the shadow of gleaming skyscrapers and the owners of the latter would be happier to see the former squeezed out. Recent college graduate Jaimie Reyes returns home with big ideas only to find his family in something of a difficult place. He vows to do what he can but thanks to his mouthy sister gets fired from working at the ostentatious mansion of super rich Victoria Kord. She runs a whole corporation inherited after her brother mysteriously vanished. I wonder if all real life corporations also have a shady science division like those in these kind of films always do. After Jaimie instinctively steps in to defend her niece, Jenny the latter promises to get him a job in the main offices.

On the next day he turns up though, Jenny herself is in peril having taken a mysterious object whose powers her Aunt is planning to use for her own ends. Stuck with no other options she persuades Jaime to take what appears to be a food box to look after on the promise he will not open it. Egged on by his curious family Jaimie does open it and a metallic blue scarab inside attaches itself to him, turning into full body armour complete with a talking internal operations system leading to gymnastically chaotic results. It doesn’t take too long for evil Aunt Victoria to find the scarab’s whereabouts and her niece’s involvement leading to a raid that turns from slightly comedic to deadly serious in minutes.

While the sheer number of superhero films out there now make it nigh on impossible not to trip over familiar tropes, where Blue Beetle scores well is in refreshing them. So the idea of the importance of family- whether natural or acquired- is a theme that runs through a lot of movies these days but rarely is it conveyed with as much warmth and love as here. Just a few minutes in the company of the hectic Reyes clan will convince you they really are a family with all the quirks you would expect. They laugh, shout, joke, bicker and in these noisy scenes bond easily with the viewer. After five minutes you really do not want anything bad to happen to them. It is a long time since I’ve been so worried for a fictional family which is testament to the superb way they have been written and acted. When something bad does happen to one of them I really felt like it was happening to someone I knew well.

Action wise Blue Beetle largely avoids going too big and is sure to keep its lively characters front and centre however mad the sequences get. There is an inevitability to some of the plot progression and hints of other superhero origin stories abound yet the realisation plays out so likeably and is so action packed that it doesn't matter.

One of the important aspects of the movie of course is that, Susan Sarandon aside, more or less the entire cast are Latino though this inclusivity only stretches so far. The family soon mostly speak English after initial sub titled banter but at significant moments revert to their own language. I actually think more subtitled sequences would be fine. Even so it is something of a landmark and the script highlights issues of discrimination between the rich and poor personified by Victoria’s disdain for the whole community. Pleasingly the story doesn’t just pay lip service to `family` and `community` like so many features but feeds it into some excellent scenes later on when the Reyes mob descend on the Kord hideout armed with a selection of weapons to try and free Jaimie who has been snared. And at the end we see everyone come together to help rebuild in a scene that will lift your heart.

Somehow managing to make an impact despite this busy narrative Xolo Mariduena is a wily choice having some experience of leading a large cast with Cobra Kai. He puts in a winning turn as Jaimie’s initial bewilderment turns to determination and makes an inspiring yet down to earth hero. Determined  not to use his powers to kill anyone is a good moral strand that runs through Jaimie's story and later tests him. The actor plays it all really well.

Sterling support comes from Bruna Marquezine as Jenny who perfectly balances the character’s mixed loyalties. The Reyes family are all terrific especially Adriana Barraza as a humourously resourceful grandmother and George Lopez as Uncle Rudy who has some surprises for them in their hour of need. Susan Sarandon brings her acting heft to bear with Victoria, an interesting antagonist whose ruthlessness is driven by political and personal motivation. The character only comes off the rails near the end when the threat is suddenly and unnecessarily expanded. There’s an especially dangerous enemy for Jaimie to do battle with as he has an earlier prototype of Blue Beetle’s own suit. Carapax provides the muscle for Victoria’s schemes and is a powerful presence with actor Raoul Max Trujillo adding stony faced menace.

A synth heavy, 80s leaning soundtrack hints at simpler films of the past whose essence this movie captures so well and wraps everything up in an irresistible package. I almost feel I should apologise for liking it because most of the movies I’ve enjoyed this year have not fared too well at the box office but I can’t help it. For me Blue Beetle is fun, thrilling, rousing and on a couple of occasions quite emotional. I really hope we get to see more of the Reyes family and this unlikely yet likeable hero before too long.