BLUE BEETLE

US, 2023, 127 minutes, Colour.

Xolo Mariduena, Adriana Barraza, George Lopez, Susan Sarandon, Bruna Marquezine, Becky G, Damian Alcazar, Belissa Escobedo, Elpidia Carillo, Harvey Guillen, Raoul Max Trujillo..

Directed by Angel Manel Soto.

Audiences who have enjoyed the movies from DC Comics, especially the more prominent with Batman, Superman, Justice League (and various combinations) but are not familiar with the comics, may not know Blue Beetle. But, checking indicates that he first appeared in comics form, in fact, as early as 1939 and has had two incarnations, referenced in this film, but now we see the Blue Beetle, 21^st-century style, and he is Latino, Xolo Mariduena. And the film is very Latino in writing and sensibilities and indirection by Angel Manuel Soto..

We are in Palmara City, more than a touch of Florida atmosphere, and Jaime, early 20s, arrives back home after completing his college degree, only to find that his close family, mother, father, nana, sister Milagro, uncle Rudy, are about to lose their home. And they are being put out by the enormous Kord Corporation, taking over the city but with sinister intentions of taking over the world, absolute military power. And the CEO is none other than Susan Sarandon, absolutely ruthless, easily able to dispose of rivals and inconveniences. Except, that her niece, Jenny, daughter of a previous Blue Beetle, has a conscience and social concern.

We spend the early part of the film getting to know the family, the family bonds, the neighbourhood, and apart from Susan Sarandon and Jenny, the cast and characters are all Latino. Plenty of Latino ethos, family bonding, supporting jobs, plenty of humour, but Nana busy at her sewing machine and father having had a heart attack.

The screenplay seems plausible enough (actually plausible is not the right word for this kind of contrived scenario) for Jaime to become transformed into an unsuspecting superhero – lots of action and comedy in the painful change, rocket into the stratosphere and down again, tested bullet-proof…

Because Jaime has encountered niece Jenny and been attracted to her, he is ultra-willing to help her against her aunt.

So, lots of stunt work eventually, certainly a lot of confrontations between Blue Beetle and another transformed human-machine, urged to listen to his inner voice, experiencing upsets in the family but technical-geek Uncle Rudy to the rescue. And, wondering why Adriana Barraza as Nana gets such high billing, that question answered when she moves from the sewing machine to high-powered rifles remembering her revolutionary days!

In a way, it all goes as expected but is clearly geared to the young superhero fans demographic – perhaps a bit all too obvious for older fans. And it is more than clearly geared to the US Latino audiences and Latino audiences everywhere, reminders of their being Prest, migration from Central and South America, border walls and hostilities, difficulties of migration, documentation, employment, seeing themselves as impoverished second-class citizens.

In the end, with all the heroics (and, what a relief when the exclamation so often throughout the film is just “what the hell” instead of the other over frequently used expletive), Jenny now in charge and the family have ambitions to make America great again in the better sense – which means that it is highly unlikely that there will be screenings of Blue Beetle at Mar-a-Lago!

1. DC comics and the film versions? Blue Beetle is lesser-known? The comics since 1939?
2. Television intentions, cinema release, popularity?
3. The Latin perspective on the film, characters and situations, US after the Trump era, cast, writer, director?
4. A different superhero, origin story, reluctant, unaware? Transformation, becoming the Blue Beetle, the previous Beatles, Jenny is stealing the beetle, the box, in Jaime’s care, Milagro opening it, Jaime’s experience, his back, the scarab, wings, the inner voice? The testing, into the stratosphere, landing, bullets…?
5. The background of the Cord company, origins, hopes for peace? Victoria, despising her brother, controlling her niece, building the Empire, the buildings, offices, interiors…? Transforming the man into a weapon? Is doing her will? The contrast with Sanchez, portly, the scientist?
6. Jaime, the family, the various members, the bonds, at college, returning, the airport, the house, losing the house? The interactions, the father with your heart attack and recovery, the mother and her care, Nana and her sewing, uncle Rudy and his appearance, tech knowledge? Milagro and her teasing Jaime? The job, the Anglo characters, the swimming pool, Milagro using the toilet, Jaime overhearing the conversation, to rescue Jenny, the promise for the interview, going to the office, waiting, Jenny giving him the box?
7. Victoria, her control, her manner, cruel, using people, the military? Press conferences? A voice-over at the offices? The plan for a single weapon? Gaining the beetle? It’s disappearing, setting her military to find it?
8. The family, Jaime and’s experience, the threats, Rudy and his machines, the car, helping Jenny? The father, his heart attack, death, yet appearing to his son? Nana, the sewing machine, the heavy military artillery, her memories of revolution?
9. The many fights, Jaime and the dangers, needing help from the others? Jenny taking him to the old house, the memories, her mother’s paintings, the superhero is? Getting everything to start up again? Rudy and his method of kicking machines to start them?
10. Grow working with Jenny? Jenny welcomed into the family? Her being cut off, recovery, trapped by her aunt?
11. Victoria, pleased at the transformation, but wanting her henchmen to get it back?
12. The range of struggles, the special effects, the fights?
13. Jaime listening to his inner voice, the voice of the Blue Beetle, urging him to listen to his inner self, listening to his father, two Rudy? Helping the henchmen with his memories, his realisation that Victoria had destroyed him? His destroying her?
14. Jaime, trapped, Sanchez helping him? The final rescue?
15. The aftermath, Jenny, the company, to make America great – and the contrast with the trump kind of language and ethos with the reality of oppression of Latinos in the US and getting into the US?
16. The final credits and Jenny’s father making contact?