Blue Beetle
Reviews
Manuel São Bento
MORE SPOILER-FREE MINI-REVIEWS @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/mini-reviews-2023-edition Blue Beetle follows the usual superhero origin formulas, being extremely predictable, and lacking narrative creativity, but all these issues are well-compensated by a proudly Latino cast that offers exceptionally genuine performances - Xolo Maridueña is quite impressive - and by the magnificently rich Mexican culture that encompasses the film. Entertainment is also guaranteed due to a good mix of CGI action with choreographed fight sequences, as well as an energetic score (Bobby Krlic). A movie that nonsensically finds itself labeled as part of the DCEU when it clearly belongs to the saga. James Gunn probably didn't want to risk starting the DCU with a lesser-known character, which is an understandable reason, but keeping it attached to a soon-to-be-extinguished cinematic universe is very questionable. There are no doubts: we will see Jaime Reyes again. Rating: B+
scherbakovx
⁃ Some months before release: 'Nah, it looks too mediocre, I don't even know who this Blue Beetle is. Okay, at least he has a sword from Final Fantasy!' ⁃ Some days before release: "Wow, what is it? Good rating? Now I'm hooked!" ⁃ Some minutes after leaving the cinema: "Ooohhhh........" In a few words, I didn't like it. Blue Beetle looks like a superhero origin combined with Iron Man, Venom, and Spider-Man, adding just a bit of the family dynamic from Encanto (or Fast & Furious, you decide). The only outstanding thing is the cringe factor: strange jokes, graphics that are far from the best, and a derivative plot — everything looks like it was made in the 00s. It's not bad, really; sometimes, it's even good — you'll definitely giggle if you're into this style. However, it's not enough to label the movie as a good one. P.S. While watching this one, I've finally come up with the thought that I'm always bored during the first act. All these character introductions and exposition setups look like they're for people who are watching the first movie in their life. It doesn't matter if I like the film; I'm always waiting for the real action to begin 🙁
CinemaSerf
Maybe this should just have been called the "Blue Bottle" after the annoying blowfly that buzzes around annoyingly to no apparent purpose? Susan Sarandon (why?) is the megalomanic corporate mogul "Kord" who is out to create a super-soldier ("OMAC") using an extra-terrestrial scarab that can synergise an human being with an almost indestructible endo-skeleton. Fortunately for all of us, her cleaning lady likes to use the luxury bathroom at her home, and when she is caught and quite literally dumped, she and her brother find themselves out of work and introduced to "Jenny" (Bruna Marquezine) - the strong-minded niece of our baddie - who is determined to thwart the militarisation of her daddy's company. She smuggles the gadget out of their HQ and manages to pass it to the rather earnest and drippy brother "Jaime" (Xolo Maridueña) with strict instructions not to even open the box. Of course they do, and next thing he and the glowing blue gizmo are best mates - he can fly, zip around with great speed and has, of course, super-human strength. "Cord" is determined to get it back, so she energises her already semi-mechanised henchman "Carapax" (Raoul Max Trujillo) for a gradual/glacial build up to a denouement that a bat could see from space. This has all the feel to it of a standard television movie. Great visual effects but lightning pyrotechnics, cleaving a bus in half and endless explosions are no longer enough to sell a film. There has to be some semblance of originality with the thing. Aside from it's bilinguality, this has precious little by way of innovation to shout for it. The characters are largely forgettable - especially the annoying uncle "Rudy" (George Lopez) who's astonishing adeptness with all things super-tech was just plain daft! It's also way, way too long and I felt the ominous presence of a sequel looming at the end quite sad. This is a weak story with a weak cast that seems designed to fill a gap in the USA's expanding and under-served Hispanic market. I think it may work there? I'm not so sure anyone else needs this.
Yvonnelim99
Blue beetle is very awesome!! WoW!👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Admiral Toad
The Good: Light-hearted and family centric. Love story does not involve a centuries old god. Overall a very positive message. The Bad: Very stereotypical superhero story-line. Big CGI villain and some pretty uninteresting fight scenes.
GenerationofSwine
I mean, it's not bad. It has the message, but it isn't screamed at you at the top of it's lungs like most movies are these days. In fact, it's so subtle that it's not even much of a distraction. Not that it doesn't have it's distractions. It has the same "because the plot needs it" occurrences that make you roll your eyes that seem to plague just about every movie these days... but even that is sort of muted. The themes are fun and decent enough where you would actually want your kids to see it... and in the end it doesn't try to do anything new, it just attempts to make itself into a fun and enjoyable film. That's really all I ask for in movies, especially these days. I want to have fun at the box office again, and this movie delivers that. It's just... you forgot it was even released didn't you? And you hardly ever heard of the character. There was next to no publicity. It wasn't really advertised, it came at a time when people were burned out from all the political super hero movies, and let's face it, everyone is sick of the huge CGI fight with the huge CGI villain/army. So, at the end you had a bit of a flop, and an undeserving one at that, because the movie is fun, it does entertain, and it deserved more than it got.
r96sk
<em>'Blue Beetle'</em> won me over in the end. I wasn't personally convinced by it for large periods, not that I was finding it anything boring, irritating or anything close to that but I just wasn't really feeling the vibe. However, across the second half of the film I could feel myself gradually becoming more invested in the events onscreen. Much of the cast match each other in terms of standard, they all try and subsequently produce solid displays. I will say that I really enjoyed George Lopez's performance as Rudy, he brings a lot of life and humour to the film via that role. Xolo Maridueña is more than decent as the titular character, while Bruna Marquezine makes for a good match alongside Maridueña; even if her character's Kord family portion of the story didn't interest me as much as the Reyes', in that sense the less said about Susan Sarandon the better here - extremely meh, at best. I very much wouldn't say the filmmakers hit the ball out of the park with this 2023 release, but I can certainly see potential with the character going forward - given they are reportedly planning to continue with him within the DCU. As for this, it's a serviceable superhero watch.
justhappytobehere
Ooof another disposable entry into the hellish cgi nightmare that is cinema these days. I cant even recall if this was DC or Marvel, I think DC? Really scraping the bottom of the barrel here, including trying to make this relatively gross looking hero silhouette seem cool. Kinda reminds me of that spiderman character in venture bros who spews silk from an orifice in his lower back, but this one is less funny. Just odd.
Movie Recommendation
Meg 2: The Trench2023-08-02An exploratory dive into the deepest depths of the ocean of a daring research team spirals into chaos when a malevolent mining operation threatens their mission and forces them into a high-stakes battle for survival.More...
Gran Turismo2023-08-09The ultimate wish-fulfillment tale of a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won him a series of Nissan competitions to become an actual professional racecar driver.More...
Retribution2023-08-23When a mysterious caller plants a bomb under his car seat, a bank executive begins a high-speed chase across the city to complete a specific series of tasks — all with his kids trapped in the back seat.More...
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem2023-07-31After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O'Neil helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.More...
Talk to Me2023-07-26When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.More...
Uri: The Surgical Strike2019-01-11Following the roguish terrorist attacks at Uri Army Base camp in Kashmir, India takes the fight to the enemy, in its most successful covert operation till date with one and only one objective of avenging their fallen heroes.More...
No One Will Save You2023-09-21A lonely woman battles extraterrestrials who threaten her future while forcing her to face her past.More...
57 Seconds2023-09-29When a tech blogger lands an interview with a tech guru and stops an attack on him, he finds a mysterious ring that takes him back 57 seconds into the past.More...
The Nun II2023-09-06In 1956 France, a priest is violently murdered, and Sister Irene begins to investigate. She once again comes face-to-face with a powerful evil.More...
Haunted Mansion2023-07-26A woman and her son enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters.More...
The Flash2023-06-13When his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry Allen becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. In order to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry's only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?More...
The Equalizer 32023-08-30Robert McCall finds himself at home in Southern Italy but he discovers his friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall knows what he has to do: become his friends' protector by taking on the mafia.More...
Barbie2023-07-19Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.More...
Elemental2023-06-14In a city where fire, water, land and air residents live together, a fiery young woman and a go-with-the-flow guy will discover something elemental: how much they have in common.More...
They Cloned Tyrone2023-06-14A series of eerie events thrusts an unlikely trio onto the trail of a nefarious government conspiracy lurking directly beneath their neighborhood.More...
Kandahar2023-05-25After his mission is exposed, an undercover CIA operative stuck deep in hostile territory in Afghanistan must fight his way out, alongside his Afghan translator, to an extraction point in Kandahar, all whilst avoiding elite enemy forces and foreign spies tasked with hunting them down.More...
I Am the End of the World2025-01-09Forced to come back to Palermo to take care of his elderly parents, a deadpan driver-for-hire takes advantage of the situation to get back at the rigid authority figures who ruined his teenage years.More...
Muzzle2023-09-29LAPD K-9 officer Jake Rosser has just witnessed the shocking murder of his dedicated partner by a mysterious assailant. As he investigates the shooter’s identity, he uncovers a vast conspiracy that has a choke-hold on the city in this thrilling journey through the tangled streets of Los Angeles and the corrupt bureaucracy of the LAPD.More...
Jules2023-08-10A flying saucer lands in the backyard of an elderly suburbanite with memory problems, who forms a bond with the scared alien inside.More...
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom2023-12-20Black Manta seeks revenge on Aquaman for his father's death. Wielding the Black Trident's power, he becomes a formidable foe. To defend Atlantis, Arthur (Aquaman) forges an alliance with his imprisoned brother. They must protect the kingdom.More...
Similar Movies
The Secret of Roan In...
1994-05-14Ten-year-old Fiona is sent to live with her grandparents in a small fishing village in Donegal, Ireland. She soon learns the local legend that an ancestor of hers married a Selkie – a seal who can turn into a human. Years earlier, her baby brother was washed out to sea and never seen again, so when Fiona spies a naked little boy on the abandoned Isle of Roan Inish, she is compelled to investigate.Delta Farce
2007-05-11Three bumbling Army reservists are hustled onto a plane headed for combat in Iraq -- but the fact that the plane drops them in Mexico doesn't stop them from "liberating" what they believe to be the Middle East.Paul Blart: Mall Cop
2009-01-15When a shopping mall is taken over by a gang of organized crooks, it's up to a mild-mannered security guard to save the day.Ultimate Avengers: Th...
2006-02-21When a nuclear missile was fired at Washington in 1945, Captain America managed to detonate it in the upper atmosphere. But then he fell miles into the icy depths of the North Atlantic, where he remained lost for over sixty years. But now, with the world facing the very same evil, Captain America must rise again as our last hope for survival.The Guyver
1991-03-18FBI agent Max Reed witnesses Dr. Tetsu Segawa - a researcher for the mysterious Chronos Corporation - being murdered. Dr. Segawa had stolen an alien device known as "The Guyver" from Chronos. College student Sean Barker, whose girlfriend's father was Dr. Segawa, finds the Guyver's hiding spot while watching the forensic team investigating the crime scene.Crank: High Voltage
2009-04-16Chelios faces a Chinese mobster who has stolen his nearly indestructible heart and replaced it with a battery-powered ticker that requires regular jolts of electricity to keep working.The Pirates Who Don't...
2008-01-11A boatload of beloved VeggieTales pals embark on a fun and fresh pirate adventure with their trademark humor and silly songs in The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything - A VeggieTales Movie! Larry the Cucumber, Mr. Lunt and Pa Grape find themselves on the ride of their lives when they are mysteriously whisked back to the time when pirates ruled the high seas.Monsters vs Aliens
2009-03-19When Susan Murphy is unwittingly clobbered by a meteor full of outer space gunk on her wedding day, she mysteriously grows to 49-feet-11-inches. The military jumps into action and captures Susan, secreting her away to a covert government compound. She is renamed Ginormica and placed in confinement with a ragtag group of Monsters...Litterbugs
2016-01-01Helped by her self-made flying mechanical creatures, a young inventor and an enigmatic pint-sized superhero defeat the town bullies and find an unexpected friendship.Batman & Mr. Freeze: ...
1998-02-11When Mr. Freeze kidnaps Barbara Gordon, as an involuntary organ donor to save his dying wife, Batman and Robin must find her before the operation can begin.The Sky Crawlers
2008-08-02Youngsters called Kildren, who are destined to live eternally in their adolescence. The Kildren are conscious that every day could be the last, because they fight a war as entertainment, organized and operated by adults. But as they embrace the reality they are faced with, they live their day-to-day lives to the full.Ultra
2006-09-01Superhero Pearl Penalosa juggles the impossible combination of keeping up a social life, searching for love, and battling the forces of evil.Captain America
1990-12-14During World War II, a brave, patriotic American Soldier undergoes experiments to become a new supersoldier, "Captain America". Racing to Germany to sabotage the rockets of Nazi baddie "Red Skull", Captain America winds up frozen until the 1990s. He reawakens to find that the Red Skull has changed identities and is now planning to kidnap the President of the United States.Justice League: The N...
2008-02-26The human race is threatened by a powerful creature, and only the combined power of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and The Flash can stop it. But can they overcome their differences to thwart this enemy using the combined strength of their newly formed Justice League?Zoom
2006-08-11Jack Shepard is an out-of-shape auto shop owner, far removed from the man who once protected the world's freedom. Reluctantly called back into action by the government, Jack is tasked with turning a ragtag group of kids with special powers into a new generation of superheroes to save the world from certain destruction.Kozha: New adventure
2025-03-13Coming soonThe Batman/Superman M...
1997-10-04As the Joker visits Metropolis with a plan to kill Superman for Lex Luthor, Batman pursues the clown to Superman's turf.Astro Boy
2009-10-15Set in the futuristic Metro City, Astro Boy (Atom) is a young robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist in the image of the son he had lost. Unable to fulfill his creator's expectations, Astro embarks on a journey in search of acceptance, experiencing betrayal and a netherworld of robot gladiators, before returning to save Metro City and reconcile with the father who rejected him.Kamen Rider Revice: T...
2021-07-22When the evil Orteca convinces an office worker to contract with and unleash the Spider Deadman, Ikki Igarashi transforms into Kamen Rider Revi to stop them! At his side is Kamen Rider Vice... a devil that lives inside his mind that Ikki has made a deal with!Liyoki
2020-09-14Liyoki, a silverback gorilla, lives peacefully with his family, when they are attacked by poachers.