Film Review: Blue Beetle (8.5/10)

Jason Diaz
Sep 6, 2025
3 min read

Finally — a superhero who feels like somebody’s cousin, not a brand asset.

“Blue Beetle,” directed by Ángel Manuel Soto, isn’t the biggest DC movie you’ll ever see. But it might be the most alive. It’s got heart, culture, and a big blue exosuit that somehow feels more human than half of Marvel’s current lineup. Soto and writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer do something Hollywood rarely lets Latino filmmakers do in the superhero lane — make the movie about us without turning it into a cultural checklist.

It’s not perfect, but it’s personal — and that’s what makes it land.

STORY (2/2)

Meet Jaime Reyes (played with real-deal charisma by Xolo Maridueña), a recent college grad just trying to help his family and figure out life in a city that forgot about working people. Then he accidentally fuses with an alien scarab that turns him into a living weapon. Classic comic-book chaos — except this one actually has stakes that feel familiar.

The beauty of “Blue Beetle” is how it treats family like the real superpower. Jaime’s world isn’t a backdrop; it’s the heartbeat. The dinner-table jokes, the Spanglish, the sense that the whole neighborhood raised this kid — it’s not window dressing. It’s the story.

Sure, the plot hits the same beats you’ve seen before — reluctant hero, evil tech company, big CGI finale — but Soto roots it in something universal: trying to hold onto who you are when the world keeps upgrading you.

VISUALS (2/2)

Visually, this thing pops. It’s bold, colorful, and confident in a way DC movies haven’t been in years. The suit looks incredible — more Power Ranger-meets-Iron Man than the comic’s clunky bug-bot — and the transformation sequence is easily one of the most jaw-dropping moments in recent superhero cinema.

The camera actually moves like it’s having fun. The fight scenes have rhythm. The city — a made-up mash-up of Miami, El Paso, and Mexico City — feels alive. There are moments where the CGI edges blur a little, sure, but Soto’s visual energy carries it. It’s kinetic, not just noisy.

SOUND (1/2)

Here’s where the film stumbles a bit. The score bumps — some nice hip-hop and Latin-trap touches that make the fights pulse — but sometimes it’s a little too eager to dominate the mix. There are scenes where the music’s yelling while the characters are whispering.

That said, the sound design during Beetle’s armor sequences? 🔥 Pure theater candy. If you’ve got surround sound, this thing slaps.

CHARACTER (1/2)

What sells Blue Beetle is the people, not the powers.

Xolo Maridueña gives Jaime real texture — a superhero who’s awkward, loving, and terrified, all at once. The supporting cast brings the soul: Belissa Escobedo kills every scene as the sister who refuses to stay in the background, and Adriana Barraza (as Nana) steals the whole third act with a moment that made my theater erupt.

And Bruna Marquezine’s Jenny Kord? She’s not just “the love interest.” She’s the moral compass, the reminder that maybe corporations shouldn’t own legacies — or superheroes.

FACTOR X (1.5/2)

Look, I’m not gonna act like this movie reinvented the wheel. It still does the obligatory sky-beam finale. There’s a villain who feels like he’s on loan from another DC film. But damn if it doesn’t have something most blockbusters lost — heart.

“Blue Beetle” isn’t selling nostalgia or trauma. It’s celebrating survival. It’s the first Latino superhero movie that feels like it wasn’t made for a focus group. You can feel the pride in every frame — the laughter, the struggle, the warmth of a family that believes in you even when you don’t believe in yourself.

“Blue Beetle” doesn’t just represent — it resonates. It’s not flawless, but it’s real.And honestly? I’ll take real over perfect any day.