As a fan of DC Comics, I couldn’t wait to buy a ticket to watch the new adaptation of one of my favorite superheroes: “Blue Beetle.” This film has helped DC Comics make cinematic history as the first comic book company to release a mainstream film featuring a Mexican American superhero as the titular hero.
Directed by Puerto Rican filmmaker Ángel Manuel Soto. “Blue Beetle” tells the story of Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña), a college graduate who returns to his hometown of Palamera City to find out that his family is about to lose their house due to financial hardships. Overwhelmed by the thought of losing the house, Jaime and his little sister, Milagro, manage to get custodial jobs at the mansion of Victoria Kord, CEO of Kord Industries and the film’s antagonist. While working, Jaime tries to stop a feud between Kord and her niece, Jennie, but ends up getting fired. To make amends for Milagro and Jaime’s bad luck, Jennie tells Jaime to meet her at Kord Tower for a new job.
After an abrupt turn of events involving a SWAT team and a burger box, Jaime soon finds an ancient artifact called “The Scarab,” which bonds Jaime’s spine and brain and transforms him into a crime-fighting superhero called “The Blue Beetle.” As a result, Jaime and his family become prime targets for Kord Industries who want to use the Scarab for the wrong reasons.
For those who are unfamiliar with the source material; Jaime Reyes is not only the first Mexican American character to become the Blue Beetle, but also the first Mexican American superhero to become a title character for a mainstream superhero film. When it comes to how faithful the film is to the source material, there are a few critiques concerning the setting of the film. For example, in the comics, Jaime Reyes is from El Paso, Texas, not the Gotham-like metropolis of Palamera City. These “bugs” in the character’s origin story are irrelevant when you look at other aspects of the film, such as the special effects and overall message.
“Blue Beetle” is not only a superhero film, but also a family film. The central message of the film is that there is nothing more important or stronger than family. Throughout the film, the audience can tell that the most important thing to Jaime is to keep his family safe and out of danger. However, Reyes isn’t the only superhero that is present in Blue Beetle. Jaime’s family also takes center stage throughout the film.
For example, when their house gets burned down and Jaime gets taken to Kord Industries; his entire family don’t sit around, oblivious to what is happening around them. Not a chance! Every member of the Reyes family, including his grandmother, barges into Kord Industries with an artillery of machine guns and a bug shaped automobile to rescue Jaime.
Like the close familial connections presented in the film, family is a core principle of the Hispanic community. According to Dimensions of Culture’s article on the cultural values of Latino families, “a strong emphasis is placed on family as the major source of one’s identity and protection against the hardships of life.” Even though “Blue Beetle” is just the first step forwards in terms of Hispanic representation in superhero movies, it’s a start in the extensive list of Mexican American stories to be brought to the big screen.
As an avid DC Comics fan, I thoroughly enjoyed this adaptation of “Blue Beetle” and encourage any fan of DC Comics to set aside two hours to enjoy an action-packed family film that will surely become one of your favorites.
