Blue Beetle is a solid and decent entry of its type, introducing newly-graduated Jaime Reyes as the unwitting recipient of an alien scarab that 'chooses' him, fuses with him symbiotically and imbues him with superpowers. Whilst it offers nothing new in terms of the superhero/origin genre itself - elements of Iron Man, Spider-Man, Venom, Ant-Man, Green Lantern, etc. drift in and out - the warm and lively Mexican settings and central cast sit very well in counterpoint with the glossy hi-tech trappings. In particular, Xolo Mariduena is very human and charming in the lead role, and his eclectic family is lively, engaging and very likeable. Susan Sarandon is thankfully non-pantomime in her villain role here, as the billionaire boss of a hi-tech company attempting to harness the scarab's powers in order to create a Robocop-like army. The politics are blunt about big corporate industry and America, and whilst the well-worn focus on family may seem over-familiar, here it is used to drive the story very purposefully. For DC, Blue Beetle sits alongside the first Shazam! for its warmth and energy, but the main action set pieces, particularly the finale, stand up well against bigger-ticket superhero counterpart films.
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