| Title | Blue Beetle |
|---|---|
| Genre: | Comedy |
| MPAA Rating: | PG-13 |
| Runtime | 02:07:00 |
| Release Date (USA): | August 18, 2023 |
| Director: | Angel Manuel Soto |
| Main Cast: | Xolo Maridueña, Adriana Barraza, Damián Alcázar, Raoul Max Trujillo, Susan Sarandon, George Lopez |
| Summary: | After Jaime Reyes graduates from college and returns to his hometown Palmera City, he is chosen to become a symbiotic host to the Scarab, an ancient alien biotechnological relic that grants him a powerful exoskeleton armor, turning him into the superhero Blue Beetle. |
Useful links:
This is the place for all your general discussion, personal and/or linked reviews regarding the new 2023 film, Blue Beetle, pinned for your convenience!
Please, for the benefit of the community, use spoiler formatting if you must reveal!
If you have a new cinematic release you think should be pinned, let us know (one to two weeks in advance, alsjeblieft)! And remember, just use your search icon to find past Megapost discussions!
You must log in or register to comment.
Y’ALL. It seems like nobody here has read a blue beetle comic or seen the movie, and you’re already shitting on it? Come on. This is the beginning of the new DCU, and any blue beetle fan can see from the trailer they’re going to be doing some interesting stuff in this movie. Be nice.
No, it’s the second to last film of the DCEU. If it does well a sequel may find its way into DCU, but DCU does not officially begin until 2025.
James Gunn has said it’s part of the DCU but does not consider it the first DCU film.
BB also has references to Man of Steel, so no, it’s the second to last film of the DCEU
Gunn has confirmed that BB is the first character of the rebooted universe, for which Superman will be the first film.
https://www.cbr.com/james-gunn-blue-beetle-part-of-new-dcu/
I can see why, it’s well done, fun, and has multiple deep cuts to comics history.
And from the reviewers I usually follow, the film has consistently received “it’s fun and better than some other super hero movies” reviews.
Username checks out
I was surprised at the oblique Dan Garret references and the EXTENSIVE Ted Kord references, complete with a Ted Kord mid credit stinger.
I did NOT expect OMAC. That’s a deep fucking cut out of left field. I can see why James Gunn wants to keep this
So they took from the disney cover art school then?
Yeah, this poster is absolutely horrible. It looks like a mid-2000s B-movie.
I have only seen the trailer and I legit thought this was a Marvel movie… So I’d say it is safe to assume that is what happened.
So, without knowing anything about the source material, I have no interesting in seeing this film and the trailer didn’t do anything to change my mind.
But that’s me … if you’ve seen it, what was it that drew you in?
I’m an old school Blue Beetle fan from the 70s. Loved every minute of it.
That’s cool! That sounds like the true experience fans are after in this comic movie era … see, for the first time, their fav character brought to life.
Haven’t watched it, the trailer or read anything about it.
I will pirate it once available to see if Booster Gold is in it. About it.
Booster is not in it. Wrong B.B. But he is going to have a TV show and there is room for Ted Kord to pop up in it.
https://dcextendeduniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Booster_Gold_(TV_series)
I like the character and the actor, so I saw it today and was very pleasantly surprised and enjoyed it a lot.
I plan on seeing this tomorrow! Blue beetle has some great writing in its comics.
So, Ant Man?
Blue Beetle is closer to Cyborg from Tean Titans than Ant Man. At least it looks like this iteration anyway, which would be based on the third version of the character.
He gets his suit via a Scarab in his spine that sheilds him in nanotechnology.
He has the ability to neturalize magic, which is a prevalent power in the DC universe.
Flies with wings.
Can use electromagnetic abilities from the nanotechnology. Can also create sheilds.
I much prefer the second Blue Beetle; Ted Kord, who is more like Batman.
Ted Kord and Booster Gold are one of my favourite DC pairings.
Now that we have this version it will be quite some time before we get any other version sadly.
Booster Gold and Blue Beetle could easily have thier own TV show from their point of view of being outsiders in the Justice League.
While the heavy hitters are dealing with the big bad the lower members are always cleaning up the mess or fighting henchmen.
It may be sooner than you think…
Gunn has stated that this Blue Beetle is the first character in the rebooted universe, there is a stinger in the credits hinting at the return of Ted Kord and a Booster Gold HBO Max show is on the list.
I won’t get my hopes up. But nice if true
No. Ant Man can shrink while maintaining his original mass. Fun with Pym Particles.
This Blue Beetle, the 3rd, merges with an alien super weapon in the form of a scarab. The scarab uses nanites to give him super powers, flight, strength, minor invulnerability, and the power to craft weapons on an as needed basis.
The previous Blue Beetle, Ted Kord, ran around with Batman style tech maybe 20 years before, only not as good. LOL. He also had a flying beetle ship called the Bug. This version of the character was the basis for Nite Owl in Watchmen.
The other previous Blue Beetle, Dan Garrett, discovered the scarab in an arcaeological dig and it gave him mild invulnerability, flight and energy blasts.
So I’m an old school Blue Beetle fan from back in the 70s. I was getting the Modern Comics reprints of the Charleton stuff from the 60s:
https://box01.comicbookplus.com/viewer/29/29befccc2cde787632eaee5aa35ca696/0.jpg
Up through the 80s when he was knocked off for Nite Owl in the Watchmen, his own book at DC, getting shot in the head by Maxwell Lord (Wonder Woman 84 Maxwell Lord).
I even remember the Xaime Reyes reboot…
So let me just say, +1 - No notes. Everything about this movie is wonderful. Yeah, there was little too much of this:
https://youtu.be/n42PunZ3Xno#t=1m30s
But… once the bugs are worked out… yeah, it’s all good. There’s a lot to like here. You might think Rudy is the new breakout character… no, surprise! It’s Nana.
A full on Bug sequence set to Kickstart My Heart? Yeah, I’m down for that. 80’s Kord Tech built on a Nintendo Power Glove? Sure, why not?
Early mid credits sequence teasing a sequel, end credits sequence featuring a TV show gag used earlier in the movie.
I was excited about this movie and ready to be let down, but it met my expectations and in some ways exceeded them. Yea, it falls into a lot of super hero tropes and some scenes were awkwardly set up (dad dying, the family didn’t run and was like 20 feet away, Jenny walking up to them from stage left saying ‘I can help’, among others, all felt a bit a bit unnatural), but the humor was excellent (the old man on the escalator swiping on tinder, George Lopez was hilarious, Nana), the story moved along quite well, and it was visually quite good, no moments where I was annoyed at noticing CGI).
All in all, I hope to see more blue beetle in the DCU.
Overall, I thought it was a cute enough movie.
The CGI and costume looked rough to my eyes, but I gave it more slack afterwards when I found out this was originally slated to be an HBOmax release. The superhero aspects also felt a little played out and dragged a little, but nothing that was an active detriment to the movie
Where the movie really shines, though, is the family. They are the heart of the movie and have phenomenal chemistry. I’m glad they’re carrying over to the James Gunn universe, as it would have been a waste of elephantine proportion to lose this cast. As a quick aside, I wish we got a little more of the dad and a little less of a George Lopez, but their overall dynamic was still great.
My biggest issue with the movie, though: not enough Harvey Guillén! He’s great in What We Do in the Shadows and when I saw him on screen, I was anticipating him to steal the show in Blue Beetle. Unfortunately, he did not get nearly as much attention as I’d hoped; but I pray he’ll somehow return for the next one (though I doubt it).
