Blue Beetle (2023)

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

❝ The love that I have for my family, that's what makes me strong. ❞

This movie feels like home, both figuratively and literally. 

It brought me back to growing up in Mexico, watching El Chapulín Colorado with my grandma on the couch or hearing my mother reference María la del Barrio every 10 minutes. Watching it unfold on the big screen, it felt like a long-lost memory coming back.

You can tell that this is Ángel Manuel Soto’s passion project. I like superhero movies, but what really made this was the elements outside of that. 

The devotion that's put into the character of Jaime Reyes by Xolo Maridueña, and by the supporting cast as the Reyes family goes to show how much heart the movie has; and that’s what makes it stand out in a genre that feels like it’s on its last legs. 

There were scenes that moved me, like the conversations between Jaime and his father Alberto, played by Damian Alcazar. There were scenes that brought back deep feelings and fears I had as a kid, about home invasions and losing everything. But there were also scenes that gave me nostalgic glimpses, like being the first person in your family to graduate college, or the never-ending noise of a full household. 

The cinematography was hit-or-miss (candles vs quantumania) and of course, the synth score was a creative genius touch that suits the character in a way that wouldn't work with other characters.  

As a comic book movie, it's nothing groundbreaking but it's still fun. It reminded me a lot of Sam Raimi's first Spider-Man, with amazing action sequences and flash but still with some substance to it. It was also refreshing to see an origin story that also works as a standalone film again. Like hello, I'm well aware that this is supposed to set up another 46 planned projects in a huge franchise, but at least it’s not shoving it in my face every five seconds. 

With Blue Beetle as one of the closing blockbusters of the season, I think we can say that the summer of 2023 showed us that cinema is alive and breathing as long as we have filmmakers and actors with passion and vision. Across the Spider-Verse, Barbie, Oppenheimer, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and now Blue Beetle.

Can't wait to see what's next in store for Jaime in the DCU. Animo mijo!