Skip to main content

Blue Beetle (2023)

 


Blue Beetle is a niche comic book hero and this is his origin story adapted to fit the silver screen.

Blue Beetle is directed by Angel Manuel Soto, who has brought you hits like. *checks notes* Oh he hasn't really done anything worth seeing. I'm sure he would disagree with me but let me be frank: I take issue with both his direction and how he promoted the movie. The film could have used more time in the oven as the CGI isn't up to par. Many scenes felt they could have been cut and I wonder if it was his choice to intentionally steal scenes from other comic book movies. There are scenes taken straight from Iron Man, Spider-Man, and even Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. It doesn't seem like homage either.

There are two shining parts of the movie and those are Xolo Maridueña and Bruna Marquezine who have on-screen chemistry. They make the movie at least bearable to watch. Belissa Escobedo on the other hand couldn't help show her attraction towards Xolo despite being cast as his sister. This is probably Soto's fault for not catching it. She exudes contempt and is generally an insufferable girl boss. One out of four that is. That's right there are four girl boss characters who each have a chance to save the main character who happens to be a man. Feminist overtones are through the roof, four girl boss characters, two female CEOs, Grandma straight up murdering incompetent male soldiers, both male father figures are beta and one of them is a manchild with George Lopez. I know he was supposed to be the comic relief but most people in the audience didn't laugh at any of his quips including the hate for Batman which still confuses me. 

Susan Sarandon really phoned it in on this one. She delivers exposition and doesn't even attempt sinister emotion with mediocre writing. One of her worse performances and I loved her in Speed Racer.

The movie steals good scenes from other movies and doesn't add anything new to the comic book genre that you haven't already seen. Marquezine and Maridueña save the movie from being a complete disaster. The movie is just barely above Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Result: C-

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie (2026)

Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie is another cookie-cutter entry in the Paw Patrol franchise, so there isn't much to say about the story itself. This time, the focus is on Marshall, the team's resident firefighter, or perhaps "firedog" in this case. The movie is wholesome and delivers exactly what you'd expect from a Paw Patrol film, even if it doesn't do much to distinguish itself from the previous entries. Mckenna Grace voices Skye, although you would never know it from the performance. Her voice is so normal for the character that Grace's usual presence is virtually unrecognizable. Terry Crews , on the other hand, voices Alistair Stonewall, and you can definitely tell it's him. His recognizable voice and personality come through clearly and make the character more memorable. Snoop Dogg also makes a fun cameo as Dave, the owner of a yacht who enjoys fishing. It's a small role, but his recognizable voice and personality make it a welcome surprise. T...
Post a Comment
Read more

The End of Oak Street (2026)

The End of Oak Street starts with Anne Hathaway immediately establishing herself as the film's strongest performer, especially when compared to the wooden performance from Ewan McGregor . The premise of a writer struggling with an unsupportive spouse hits close to home for me. The split-focus direction from David Robert Mitchell isn't particularly new or uniquely executed. Instead, it often feels disorienting without accomplishing what I assume was the intention. Mitchell also struggles with the screenplay, as the dialogue can be atrocious at times and boring the rest of the time. This isn't his first failed attempt at writing interesting characters, which makes it understandable why he hasn't written or directed anything in eight years. Anne Hathaway is easily the best part of the film. She brings enough personality and emotional weight to keep the movie watchable despite the material surrounding her. Unfortunately, even Hathaway can't carry the entire film. Ew...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sleepwalker (2026)

Sleepwalker is a horror thriller written and directed by Brandon Auman , who quickly reminds us why his career has primarily been in television rather than feature films. Writing for children's television can sometimes get away with simplistic dialogue and storytelling, but those weaknesses become glaring when stretched into a feature-length horror movie. The screenplay is filled with clunky dialogue and predictable horror beats, while the jump scares rarely land. Instead of creating tension, the film repeatedly left me sighing in boredom. Hayden Panettiere delivers a strong performance despite the material she's been given. It's clear that many of her lines weren't written with much care, but she does what she can to make the character feel believable. Knowing this is her final film makes the performance bittersweet, especially because she deserved a much better script to go out on. Fortunately, her performance here doesn't diminish the work she's done in bet...
Post a Comment
Read more