“Blue Beetle” is about a recent college grad Jaime Reyes who returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it and finds himself in possession of an ancient relic, the Scarab. When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Blue Beetle. The movie stars Adriana Barraza, Damían Alcázar, Raoul Max Trujillo, Susan Sarandon, George Lopez, Elpidia Carrillo, Bruna Marquezine, Belissa Escobedo, and Harvey Guillén. The film, directed by Ángel Manuel Soto, with a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer based on characters from DC, started screening in the country last Wednesday, August 16.
*NO spoilers ahead
If Batman has Alfred, the Joker has Harley Quinn, and Superman has Lois Lane, this new superhero from the DC Universe (DCU), well… has his entire family.
Though not officially part of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), nor the first official film from the DCU, the recently released film from Warner Bros. Pictures based on the DC character “Blue Beetle” is quite different from the DCEU’s much more serious interpretation of DC’s characters.
This film is lighthearted and surprisingly easy to watch for a DC film – and while most superheroes focus on fighting the villains, Blue Beetle, or Jaime Reyes (played by Xolo Maridueña), is focused on his family – tackling the strength of love, compassion, sacrifice, and kindness – which is a delight to watch.
As such, the film is committed to showing this through the culture of the family – with director Ángel Manuel Soto showing his dedication by capturing the essence and richness of the Latin culture for the first Latino superhero in DC’s film history.
Moreover, with the Latin culture bearing similarities to Philippine culture, the film gives a sense of familiarity while watching it – from their values to their nuances, any Filipino viewer is bound to “get it.” It’s humorously relatable, and doesn’t seem to have any dull moments in the entire film.
Not to mention, Inka Magnaye’s homage as the magnificent voice of Scarab (or Khaji Da) for the Philippines’ release of the film, which you’ll understand if you watch the film.
However, these are not to say that the film is just that–a showcase of the Latin culture. The film is still a DC film after all, so it is filled with action-packed sequences that show the prowess of Scarab, which is both pleasing and mesmerizing to watch – from the costume changes to the fighting sequence, every frame is worth watching.
For the pop culture geek, or for the, dare I say, DC Universe connoisseur, there will definitely be expectations to be met, but for regular viewers or enjoyers of any superhero film, the Blue Beetle is a great watch – the actors especially the ones playing the members of the Reyes family are all standouts, all of whom shined during their scenes and had some remarkable lines that are not so easy to forget, Ánimo!
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