‘Blue Beetle’ is the superhero DC needs to revive its franchise

In a sea of repetitive superhero movies, “Blue Beetle” blasts through typical narratives and gives a niche comic book character the center stage he deserves.

The movie begins with the ominous excavation of an alien sphere as Victoria Kord, the main villain, tries to extract an alien scarab with infinite power. Separately, Jaime Reyes arrives home after graduating college and is welcomed by his whole family.

Family is at the core of “Blue Beetle” culturally and emotionally for all the characters. Each member of the Reyes family plays a crucial role in the film, which surprised me more than most Marvel film plot twists. But Marvel has never been my favorite for writing intriguing storylines — that’s all on DC.

Combining the acting, plot, villain, themes of political struggles for immigrant families and excellent score, this movie puts DC back in my good graces.

I was hesitant to see this movie, knowing DC’s track record and haphazard plot styles. It's released enough disaster movies in the last five years, “Wonder Woman: 1984” and “Aquaman” being two of the worst. But the writers and director fueled this movie with strength and grief and triumph. I can’t delve into the plot too much without spoiling a good movie.

If you want fun shenanigans, this movie has everything you need for a summer blockbuster. George Lopez is Reyes’ uncle, an eccentric conspiracy theorist with a deep love for his nephew and family. Even after he sees Reyes’ transformation with the blue scarab, the creature that gives Reyes his abilities, he skeptically goes along with his nephew’s mission.

Jenny Kord, the villain’s niece, was also one of my favorite characters, having a strong sense of justice for the harm her family’s military empire had caused. She envies Reyes’ family dynamic and the love he had been shown for years versus the loneliness she felt as an only child. It was a complex concept to place in such a lighthearted film, but DC always adds a darkness to its stories that intrigues me.

Plotting the rich against the poor, that’s an easy plot; having the rich heiress envy a poor immigrant hero because he has a loving family, now that’s more interesting.

This is DC’s chance to reestablish itself in the superhero film industry. If it continues to make movies like “Blue Beetle,” fans of all ages won’t be able to resist such a strong and loveable hero like Jaime Reyes. He’s human, funny and most of all, the superhero we need right now.

Rating: 8.5/10

@earlgreyincense

elizonar@miamioh.edu