Blue Beetle review: A huge step in the right direction for the DCU

Blue Beetle is not only a wonderfully done new installment in the DCU, but it’s also a celebration of Latin heritage on the big screen.

I literally just came home from watching Blue Beetle on the silver screen, and I do admit: I immediately called my parents and sister out of pure joy, satisfaction, awe, and excitement, urging them to go watch it.

For some context, I hail from Guarulhos, a big city in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, having lived in the good ol’ US of A for the last 22 years. Despite the distance and time, the rich fabric of my Latin roots remains tightly woven into my identity – if you know me personally, you can attest to that. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that watching Blue Beetle, a film that feels like a tribute to the Latin community, resonated with me on a deeply personal level. It was especially heartening to see Latin heritages, including my own Brazilian background, beautifully represented in my favorite movie genre for the first time in my life.

For even more context, if you haven’t read any of my reviews before, I strive to feel an emotional connection with whatever movie I’m watching, and that’s how my reviews are written. After all, if you’re sitting down to watch a movie and don’t want to feel anything, then… why the hell are you watching a movie?

While I am not going to spoil much of the plot of the movie, I will be talking about key parts that do have spoilers. Continue reading at your own risk!

Blue Beetle review

Blue Beetle starts off with what I considered to be an overly comedic portrayal of your stereotypical Latin family – loud, obnoxious, poor, overly loving, overly close – and I found myself absolutely annoyed in the beginning. However, I was very happy to see that despite the initial over-the-top antics, the characters soon grew on me and became their own people.

The story that revolves around Jaime Reyes, his family, and other Latinx in the movie is, in essence, a commentary on the prevalent and frustratingly ongoing exploitation of immigrants by the privileged – who are mostly rich, white people. While the core family’s Mexican heritage is central, the inclusion of various Latin cultures—including my own Brazilian heritage by having the wonderful Bruna Marquezine as Jenny Kord—added an undescribable sense of authenticity and relatability.

Beyond the cultural elements, Blue Beetle also puts the spotlight on the challenges of immigration, capturing the constant fear of law enforcement within immigrant families. The truth of the matter is, many immigrant families live with a constant fear of getting in any kind of trouble with the law, or even calling the cops as we see in the movie, because of the threat of deportation.

Regardless of legal status – undocumented, waiting for visas, or having family members who are at different stages of the immigration process – there is always a looming fear of being separated from your loved ones over any kind of legal complications. Blue Beetle’s story touches on this a lot throughout the movie, highlighting the constant state of anxiety that some families experience on a daily basis.

However, the film wasn’t without its flaws. The villain could have been a lot more fleshed out. I also was not a big fan of how Susan Sarandon portrayed Victoria Kord – beyond being underdeveloped in my opinion, I felt like Sarandon was just delivering lines from a script. There was no looming threat coming from her when she didn’t have her fancy electronics or Carapax by her side. It brought me back to how much I despised Michelle Pfeiffer’s acting in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which is awful because both Pfeiffer and Sarandon are top-notch actresses.

But redemption arcs, like Carapax’s sad backstory, added depth and serves as a reminder to viewers that even the most twisted characters are the way they are for specific reasons. That’s what Victoria Kord’s character doesn’t have in the entirety of the movie.

While Blue Beetle is obviously a part of the superhero world, it also hits hard with themes of family, purpose, and self-discovery in a way rarely seen within the genre. There’s an organic warmth in the portrayal of Jaime’s family and their bonds with each other, the kind that says, “You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us.” And trust me, watching Nana properly hold and use a machine gun without hesitation was one of the movie’s standout moments out of many.

Though James Gunn has avoided being too involved in Blue Beetle, his spirit is felt throughout the movie, with hints of the same charm and wit seen in Guardians of the Galaxy. The humor, the way the action scenes unfold, even subtle details like the sound of Uncle Ruddy’s horn (the La Cucaracha jingle also present in Marvel’s Ant-Man movies) and the Deadpool-like vibes in certain scenes feel like an ode to Gunn leaving Marvel to reboot the DCU.

Or maybe I’m just grasping at straws on this aspect.

Blue Beetle is a DCU gem, one that had me both laughing and crying in totally equal parts. And while I’ve always loved superhero films, this one will forever hold a special place in my heart. As a light-skinned Latina who can definitely pass for your average American, I had always taken for granted what I thought feeling represented in a movie felt like. But for the very first time in my life, I actually felt represented in my favorite genre. It’s… quite a priceless feeling.

With everything I just said in mind, I am happy to give Blue Beetle a soaring 9.75 out of 10. If you have Latin roots or just appreciate a well-made, fun, and exciting movie, I urge you to go support it and watch it in theaters.

And a word to the wise: don’t rush out of the theater – the mid-credit scene is a game-changer and there’s a fun post-credit scene as well.

Here’s to more movies that not only entertain but also resonate deeply, reminding us of the stories that truly matter. Well done, Blue Beetle.