Film Review: BLUE BEETLE (2023): The Latest DC Superhero Movie Offers Audiences a Wild, Energetic and Wholly Entertaining Ride

Blue Beetle Review

Blue Beetle (2023) Film Review, a movie directed by Angel Manuel Soto, written by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer and starring Xolo Maridueña, Bruna Marquezine, Becky G, Damián Alcázar, George Lopez, Adriana Barraza, Belissa Escobedo, Elpidia Carrillo, Susan Sarandon, Harvey Guillen, Raoul Max Trujillo, Jorge Jimenez, Gabriella Ortiz, Modesto Lacen and Oshun Ramirez.

Blue Beetle, directed with terrific dedication by Angel Manuel Soto, is an end-of-summer superhero movie treat. It’s rare to have an action film so full of heart, energy and humor but Soto’s new movie contains a lot of all of the above making it one of the more successful DC films of late. One of the biggest surprises of the entire film is the terrific supporting appearance of George Lopez who steals the show whenever he appears on screen. The whole cast of this movie is excellent but Lopez is certainly in a category all his own as a character with a beard and a wild sense of humor called “Uncle Rudy.” Rudy drives a Toyota truck around that plays an integral part in the action during some key scenes within the very enjoyable picture. It also doesn’t hurt that the visual effects are very admirable and one of the villains is played by none other than the great Oscar-winner Susan Sarandon.

The Blue Beetle was once a heroic wealthy hero but he died. He was someone along the lines of Bruce Wayne/Batman. His daughter, Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine), now works for the company that was built by the man behind the Blue Beetle. Marquezine is quietly effective as Jenny, playing a woman with a tragic past who has put up a wall that doesn’t allow her to be close to others. Soon, a nice guy will change her life forever. Xolo Maridueña plays Jaime Reyes, that guy. He’s a 20-something member of a struggling but loving Mexican family. Jaime has just graduated college. He, along with his sister, Milagro (Belissa Escobedo), have obtained jobs at a luxury location where Milagro proceeds to use a private bathroom. By the way, Escobedo is very funny in the early scenes of the film which should be duly noted. Both Jaime and Milagro are fired by the wicked Victoria Kord (Sarandon) and Jenny feels bad and offers Jaime a chance at a new position. Jenny proceeds to give Jaime her phone number.

Victoria, it seems, is planning on building an army and has her own wicked schemes that are in her best interest rather than those around her. The plot of Blue Beetle gets underway when Jaime gets a blue scarab attached to him that gives him special powers which will literally change his life forever. When Jaime gets excited, he can transform into a flying blue superhero. An action scene that comes early in the movie between Jaime and Victoria’s henchman (Raoul Max Trujillo) keeps the tension building as Uncle Rudy and that Toyota eventually play into the scene rather effectively.

Escobedo is, as stated, hilarious as Milagro who doesn’t think college is for her because she doesn’t want to be stuck with a large debt. The Reyes family is headed by Alberto (a fine Damián Alcázar) who loves his family and tips a server well when taking his family out to dinner. Alberto and his crew don’t have a lot of money, though, and are losing their home but they do have a lot of heart. And that heart will go a long way as the movie progresses and events happen which are both moving and packed with suspense throughout.

Of course, the budding romance between Jaime and Jenny is at the center of the picture. These are two young, good-looking stars who are appealing to watch throughout. Lopez gives the movie an edge that ultimately makes the film a real winner, though. The bond between Jaime and Uncle Rudy becomes an important one as Alberto soon encounters a potentially dangerous fate.

Blue Beetle is, above all else, very relatable. It’s hard to not sympathize with Jaime as he tries to cope with his newfound powers and, in the middle of all the danger and excitement, tries to fall in love. The icing on the cake is Adriana Barraza as Nana Reyes, a character with a lot of personality who is the soul of the Reyes family. Barraza has a couple of truly memorable scenes and is a standout cast member, to be certain.

Sarandon chews into her villain role with terrific zest and enthusiasm. She doesn’t have as much screen time as she could have had but the way that Victoria goes after her evil plans and tries to achieve things at the cost of the feelings of others makes her one of the most memorable movie villains of the summer. Trujillo more than holds his own beside her.

If Blue Beetle has its flaws, there are very few of them. That’s because the solid action scenes get the job done in terms of sheer entertainment value. One scene where the crew of heroes are riding in a beetle ship and Jaime must try to get on it while some flames are coming after him particularly stands out as one the best. The movie could have had more explanation in terms of its basic plot development but it’s not a complicated story to follow at all. There’s more than enough here to please comic book fans. The film also keeps its tone consistent and doesn’t falter in creating memorable characters.

George Lopez is what people may remember most about Blue Beetle, though. Whoever thought Lopez would be the most exciting thing about a superhero movie chock full of action set pieces? For whatever reason you decide to see Blue Beetle, three things about it will stand out the most: its tremendous heart, its well developed love story and its roaring performance from the versatile Lopez. Also, stay put as the credits roll for a segue into potential future films with the Blue Beetle at their helm.

Rating: 8/10

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