Starring: Xolo Mariduena, Adriana Barraza, George Lopez, Susan Sarandon, Bruna Marquezine, Becky G, Damian Alcazar, Belissa Escobedo, Elpidia Carillo, Harvey Guillen, Raoul Max Trujillo
Distributor: Universal
Runtime: 127 mins. Reviewed in Sep 2023
Reviewer: Fr Peter Malone msc
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Jaime becomes an unexpected superhero, transformed by weapons technology, supporting his Latino family and confronting the controlling CEO, Victoria Kord.
Audiences who have enjoyed the movies from DC Comics, especially the more prominent with Batman, Superman, Justice League (and various combinations) but are not familiar with the comics, may not know Blue Beetle. But, checking indicates that he first appeared in comics form, in fact, as early as 1939 and has had two incarnations, referenced in this film, but now we see the Blue Beetle, 21st-century style, and he is Latino, Xolo Mariduena. And the film is very Latino in writing and sensibilities and in its direction by Soto.
We are in Palmera City, which has more than a touch of Florida atmosphere. Jaime, in his early 20s, arrives back home after completing his college degree, only to find that his close family – mother, father, nana, sister Milagro, uncle Rudy – are about to lose their home to the sinister and all-powerful Kord Corporation. The CEO is none other than Susan Sarandon, absolutely ruthless, easily able to dispose of rivals and inconveniences. Except, that her niece, Jenny (Marquezine) is daughter of a previous Blue Beetle and has a conscience and social concern.
We spend the early part of the film getting to know the family and the neighbourhood. There is plenty of Latino ethos, with the emphasis on family bonding, support and humour. The screenplay seems plausible enough (actually plausible is not the right word for this kind of contrived scenario) for Jaime to become transformed into an unsuspecting superhero – lots of action and comedy in the painful change.
Because Jaime has encountered niece Jenny and been attracted to her, he is ultra-willing to help her against her aunt. So, lots of stunt work eventually, certainly a lot of confrontations between Blue Beetle and another transformed human-machine, urged to listen to his inner voice, experiencing upsets in the family but technical-geek Uncle Rudy to the rescue. And, wondering why Adriana Barraza as Nana gets such high billing, that question answered when she moves from the sewing machine to high-powered rifles remembering her revolutionary days.
In a way, it all goes as expected but is clearly geared to the young superhero fans demographic – perhaps a bit all too obvious for older fans. And it is more than clearly geared to the US Latino audiences and Latino audiences everywhere, and reminders of the difficulties of migration, documentation, employment, and acceptance into their new society.
In the end, with all the heroics (and, what a relief when the exclamation so often throughout the film is just ‘what the hell’ instead of the other over frequently used expletive), Jenny now in charge and the family have ambitions to make America great again in the better sense – which means that it is highly unlikely that there will be screenings of Blue Beetle at Mar-a-Lago.
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