Blue Beetle by Ángel Manuel Soto (2023)
I’ve been pretty lukewarm on DC’s live-action superhero titles, 2017’s Wonder Woman notwithstanding, and Blue Beetle doesn’t reverse the trend. It’s heart is certainly in the right place, especially for the way in which it showcases Latino family and culture. (And, of course, for the way it takes on greedy industrialists.) With its young, likable protagonist, the film seems to be aiming for a Spider-Man vibe — there’s even an Uncle Ben moment — but it’s just too goofy and uneven. Blue Beetle’s neon-drenched synthwave aesthetic does look slick at times, but it also instantly dates the film, and though it’s part of the DC Extended Universe, it feels curiously cut off from the broader DCEU aside from the obligatory Superman and Batman (and Big Belly Burger) references. I enjoyed seeing some tokusatsu inspiration in the film’s superpowered smackdowns, but that also felt like one stylistic flourish too many.
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