DC has already proven in the past with the first "Shazam!" that a superhero movie can work if the focus is not primarily on being a hero but on topics that everyone can understand, such as family. In "Blue Beetle", the theme of family is again clearly the standout. The film has heart, and Xolo Maridueña, known mainly from "Cobra Kai", is an excellent leading man. The rest of the Reyes family also leaves a lasting impression right from the start, especially George Lopez as Uncle Rudy.

The film's effects are also solid. The "Blue Beetle" suit does look more like something from a CW show than a movie production in some scenes, and some borrowings from Iron Man are a bit too obvious. But all in all, it works quite well, and the look of the film is definitely memorable. In the end, however, it didn't convince me completely. The villains (Susan Sarandon and Raoul Max Trujillo) are far too one-dimensional and boring for that. And also, the superhero part of the story is a bit too generic for my taste. I definitely had to roll my eyes a time or two as well. Still, I'd say there have been worse comic-book adaptations this year.

I mean, it's not bad. It has the message, but it isn't screamed at you at the top of it's lungs like most movies are these days. In fact, it's so subtle that it's not even much of a distraction.

Not that it doesn't have it's distractions. It has the same "because the plot needs it" occurrences that make you roll your eyes that seem to plague just about every movie these days... but even that is sort of muted.

The themes are fun and decent enough where you would actually want your kids to see it... and in the end it doesn't try to do anything new, it just attempts to make itself into a fun and enjoyable film. That's really all I ask for in movies, especially these days. I want to have fun at the box office again, and this movie delivers that.

It's just... you forgot it was even released didn't you?
And you hardly ever heard of the character. There was next to no publicity. It wasn't really advertised, it came at a time when people were burned out from all the political super hero movies, and let's face it, everyone is sick of the huge CGI fight with the huge CGI villain/army.

So, at the end you had a bit of a flop, and an undeserving one at that, because the movie is fun, it does entertain, and it deserved more than it got.

'Blue Beetle' won me over in the end.

I wasn't personally convinced by it for large periods, not that I was finding it anything boring, irritating or anything close to that but I just wasn't really feeling the vibe. However, across the second half of the film I could feel myself gradually becoming more invested in the events onscreen.

Much of the cast match each other in terms of standard, they all try and subsequently produce solid displays. I will say that I really enjoyed George Lopez's performance as Rudy, he brings a lot of life and humour to the film via that role.

Xolo Maridueña is more than decent as the titular character, while Bruna Marquezine makes for a good match alongside Maridueña; even if her character's Kord family portion of the story didn't interest me as much as the Reyes', in that sense the less said about Susan Sarandon the better here - extremely meh, at best.

I very much wouldn't say the filmmakers hit the ball out of the park with this 2023 release, but I can certainly see potential with the character going forward - given they are reportedly planning to continue with him within the DCU. As for this, it's a serviceable superhero watch.

Ooof another disposable entry into the hellish cgi nightmare that is cinema these days. I cant even recall if this was DC or Marvel, I think DC? Really scraping the bottom of the barrel here, including trying to make this relatively gross looking hero silhouette seem cool. Kinda reminds me of that spiderman character in venture bros who spews silk from an orifice in his lower back, but this one is less funny. Just odd.

⁃ Some months before release: 'Nah, it looks too mediocre, I don't even know who this Blue Beetle is. Okay, at least he has a sword from Final Fantasy!'
⁃ Some days before release: "Wow, what is it? Good rating? Now I'm hooked!"
⁃ Some minutes after leaving the cinema: "Ooohhhh........"

In a few words, I didn't like it. Blue Beetle looks like a superhero origin combined with Iron Man, Venom, and Spider-Man, adding just a bit of the family dynamic from Encanto (or Fast & Furious, you decide).

The only outstanding thing is the cringe factor: strange jokes, graphics that are far from the best, and a derivative plot — everything looks like it was made in the 00s. It's not bad, really; sometimes, it's even good — you'll definitely giggle if you're into this style. However, it's not enough to label the movie as a good one.

P.S. While watching this one, I've finally come up with the thought that I'm always bored during the first act. All these character introductions and exposition setups look like they're for people who are watching the first movie in their life. It doesn't matter if I like the film; I'm always waiting for the real action to begin 🙁