Blue Beetle movie review: Xolo Mariduena's film has its heart in the right place with the perfect dose of entertainment

Cast: Xolo Maridueña, Adriana Barraza, Damían Alcázar, Raoul Max Trujillo, Susan Sarandon, George Lopez, Elpidia Carrillo, Bruna Marquezine, Belissa Escobedo, Harvey Guillén, Becky G Director: Ángel Manuel Soto Language: English In recent times, we have seen DC movies turning out to be a dreadful experience for fans and cinegoers due to their poor execution but not Blue Beetle, which is a refreshing affair or as Uncle Rudy puts it, “He’s like Superman of Metropolis or the Flash of Central City — but not as good.” Maybe, however, this superhero has its own charm and is certainly very likeable. Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) comes back to his hometown Palmera City after completing his degree and while his family welcomes him with all smiles and love, in no time he is given the bad news that they have shut down their auto shop and are about to lose their house in a town, which is forcefully gentrified by Victoria Kord’s (Susan Sarandon) Kord Industries, a tech firm known for creating global conflicts. Jaime crosses the path with Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine), Victoria’s kinder niece, who promises to give him a job so that he can support his family. However, things turnaround strange when she hands him over a blue scarab (which is a piece of alien biotechnology) instead of a job opportunity. Jenny tells Jaime to guard the scarab and keep it safe, however, the excited Reyes family opens the box and gets curious after seeing the blue thing in a bug shape. While the Reyes family tries to have fun with that scarab, the entity chooses Jaime as the host and gives him a super-suit with unique superpowers and abilities. Well, that’s how director Ángel Manuel Soto gives us the first Latino superhero. While Jaime is still learning to control and manage his powers, little does he know that the new superhero has to take on Victoria to protect the scarab and also his family from her nefarious hands. So, will he be able to save his family, the entity and prevent the global conflict? Well, for that you have to watch Blue Beetle on the big canvas. Talking about the performances, Xolo Mariduena is delightful as Jaime Reyes aka Blue Beetle. His goofiness with a great combination of uncertainty will find resonance among the cinegoers. Sarandon is bad and “sexy in a Cruella Kardashian sort of way,” as described by Jaime’s sister Milagro (Belissa Escobedo). George Lopez as Rudy is hilarious with some great punchlines, which raise the entertainment quotient of the film to another level. While Blue Beetle will remind you of Spider-Man: Homecoming , Black Panther and even Iron Man in some places, director Ángel Manuel Soto has smartly infused some emotional elements, which makes it an adventurous superhero flick with the unique combination of family drama. Rating: 3 (out of 5 stars)

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