There was a time when superhero films were simple. It didn’t need us to keep abreast of what was happening in multiple universes across franchises and watch them on different platforms. There was a time when superhero films were simple. In many ways, DC’s latest, Blue Beetle, which is said to be the relaunch of the DC Extended Universe under James Gunn and Peter Safran, is a simple film. There is a sentient entity. There is an unassuming youngster. There are corporate conglomerates with world-domination aspirations. And through a simple switcheroo… bam! We have the Blue Beetle.
Cast: Xolo Maridueña, Adriana Barraza, Damián Alcázar, Susan Sarandon, George Lopez
Director: Ángel Manuel Soto
We are so used to overtly complex subplots that the power of good ol’ simplicity hits us like a ton of bricks. Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) returns from Gotham Law School to his city of Palmera, which is a rather colourful version of Gotham but run by Kord Industries. Beneath all the colour, there is the problem of this conglomerate taking over the livelihoods and living spaces of the Mexicans who have been living in the city since forever. The big bad Kord Industries is run by Victoria (a terrific Susan Sarandon), who wants to harness the power of the ‘Scarab’ — a sentient and symbiote AI (Alien Intelligence) — to create an army of super soldiers. But there is one glitch… the scarab aka Khaji-da chooses its host… and no points guessing who is Khaji-da’s new host.
The film is essentially an origins story of how Jaime and Khaji-da become the Blue Beetle, and it takes quite a fascinating route to get there. Most origin stories have similar beats, be it the DCEU or the MCU, but one thing that is common across the board is the importance of a secret identity. In fact, subverting this concept was the biggest highlight of MCU’s first revamp all the way back in 2008 with Iron Man. Similarly, Jaime becomes Blue Beetle right in front of his eclectic but loving family, and it is their presence that adds wind beneath this beetle’s wings.
Considering how the origins story doesn’t really do anything new and is too careful to not look like anything old, Blue Beetle almost gets lost in the middle. But the light at the end of this tunnel is the familial connections that fuel the journey, and act as effective power surges whenever the film tends to saunter instead of sprinting. Be it Jaime’s street-smart and sassy sister Milagro (Belissa Escobedo), his techie motormouth uncle Rudy (George Lopez), parents (Damían Alcázar, Elpidia Carrillo), and grandma Nana (Adriana Barraza), it is the family that holds the film together. They not only join the comedy portions but hold their own in the adventure ones too by turning up to save the superhero in the most unexpected of ways. Although the scenes featuring Jaime and Kord’s good-natured heir apparent Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine) are ordinary at best, and distracting at worst, they help in pushing the plot forward, and for that, it warrants its stay.
While the film is about a young man, bolstered by the love for his family, accepting the cards handed out to him, and becoming the eponymous superhero, Blue Beetle isn’t without its own set of nuances. The film acknowledges the hardships faced by the downtrodden, especially immigrants. Through a wonderfully poignant monologue by the otherwise genial Uncle Rudy and a couple of conversations between Jaime and his father, we are made aware of the sacrifices an immigrant family has to do to just be together. “Our superpower is being invisible to people like that,” says Milagro when talking about the Kords just not responding to a simple ‘hello’. There is a killer line about the term ‘alien’ that Rudy delivers in passing, which is heartwrenching yet reflects a sense of nonchalance about their plight.
By the time Jaime, and in many ways, we, understand the sentient being’s full potential, Blue Beetle reaches its end. The primary antagonist and her super soldier prototype have an interesting connection, but the spoils come too late into the narrative, and it feels more like an afterthought. Also, the superhero isn’t really stretched to his limits, and rather ironically, the high-flying film feels more at home when it is grounded by the family portions. The conversations between the family members give us a better insight into the superhero when compared to the slightly uninspiring and generic action set-pieces.
But for all intents and purposes, there is no doubt that Blue Beetle is a safe first step for the new DCEU. It is young, vibrant, politically correct, pertinent, and a decent origin story. As Jaime’s father says, “Life is a journey… family should just go on it together.” In 2013, we started on a journey with Zack Snyder and DCEU with Man of Steel. A decade later, here we are with another blue alien saving the day. With Blue Beetle, we have buckled in our seatbelts tight for the next part of this journey, and it is going to be interesting, and hopefully, a lot of fun to see where Gunn and Safran take us from here.
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