Plenty of blockbusters have hit the big screen this summer, and while DC hasn’t had the best of luck so far in 2023 (Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash had disappointing box office runs earlier this year), there seem to be plenty of reasons to be excited about Blue Beetle. First and foremost, Xolo Maridueña is set to make history as the first Latino actor to headline a DC movie when the film hits theaters August 18. Critics have already had a chance to screen this long-awaited superhero movie, so let’s see what they think of Blue Beetle.
In addition to Xolo Maridueña in the titular role, the upcoming DC movie stars Adriana Barraza, Susan Sarandon and George Lopez, who was credited in the Blue Beetle early reactions for contributing to some of the movie’s big laughs. Early buzz also celebrated the movie’s Latino representation, and now more expansive feedback. In CinemaBlend’s review of Blue Beetle, Eric Eisenberg rates the film 2.5 stars out of 5, praising Maridueña as an up-and-coming star, but he says the movie overall is disappointing in its lack of originality and maturity. Eisenberg continues:
The principal issue with Blue Beetle is that it far too often feels like it is just riffing on big screen ideas we’ve already seen. It has a strong cultural identity, being the first blockbuster in the genre to feature a Latino hero and a mostly Latino principal cast, but that doesn’t end up driving the story in any meaningful ways (there is some discussion of neighborhood destruction and gentrification, but it’s ultimately just background). Instead, plot developments just feel cribbed from hits of the last few years – from a transformation scene reminiscent of Venom, to a ‘learning to fly’ sequence that plays out almost identical to Iron Man’s, to a villain plot that is practically identical to Ant-Man’s.
Neil Smith of GamesRadar, meanwhile, finds that there’s still life in the old DCEU. This critic gives the movie 3 out of 5 stars, saying Blue Beetle has a positive response to the question: “In a world where Supes and Batman have things pretty much in check, is there any need for another?” Smith writes:
It’s a question that looms large over indie helmer Angel Manuel Soto’s neon-lit postscript to a soon-to-be-revamped DCEU, especially given how alarmingly The Flash crashed and burned this summer. By setting its sights low, though, Blue Beetle nimbly accomplishes more, giving one of DC’s lesser-known crimefighters a sprightly Latin American makeover that, like Black Panther before it, allows a previously neglected demographic to have a champion they can call their own.
That representation is a big part of what Yolanda Machado of Entertainment Weekly likes about Blue Beetle, writing that director Ángel Manuel Soto never loses sight of the community he seeks to honor. Machado grades the movie a B+, saying:
Much like the community it represents, the film doesn't really belong to either [the DCEU or the DCU], though canonically it references other DC heroes like the Flash and Superman. It stands alone, proudly and loudly boasting its Mexican American roots, and making room for an authenticity that elevates a somewhat familiar origin story by creating its own identity so hella Mexican American that if it were to be called anything else, it would be: ¡A huevo! Translation: F--- yeah!
Chris E. Hayner of GameSpot, however, feels like DC’s first headlining Latino superhero deserves better, saying Blue Beetle is formulaic to a fault and feels more like a CW series than a DC blockbuster. Hayner gives the film a “Bad” 3 out of 10, pointing out two of its biggest problems:
First: It was originally planned to be released directly to HBO Max, and the final product feels shows it. It looks cheap and bland, the cinematography makes use of only the most standard TV angles and framing, and the action sequences never look like much. Blue Beetle has the air of a broadcast TV show like The CW's Arrow or The Flash, rather than the introductory chapter of a DC hero on the big screen. Second big problem: Blue Beetle follows the almost-comedy superhero movie formula to a T, and that's mind-numbing at this point.
David Ehrlich of IndieWire agrees that the Latino presence we get in Blue Beetle is long-overdue, which makes it all the more disappointing that it sticks to “the safest cliches of its stale-ass genre.” The critic continues:
On the one hand, the first Latino-led superhero outing from a major studio is a long-overdue lifeline to a woefully underrepresented community of loyal moviegoers (Latinos make up 19 percent of America’s population, but accounted for 29 percent of tickets sold in 2020), and Blue Beetle works hard to ensure that its culture isn’t just another dreadfully rendered CGI costume — the film has plenty of those, which makes it that much easier to tell the difference. On the other hand, this ultra-bland origin story is so feckless and familiar that it seldom feels like the first of anything so much as it does a half-hearted invitation to a party that’s already in the process of shutting down.
The critics seem mixed on how well the latest DC offering delivers. While it sounds like the story doesn’t stray too far from superhero formulas we’ve seen in the past, everyone agrees on the need for more Latino representation in film. Fans who have been waiting for this one and are excited to see Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes will be able to do so when Blue Beetle hits the big screen Friday, August 18. Be sure to check out our 2023 Movie Schedule to see what other films are headed our way soon.
