Blue Beetle review – superhero fun with immigrant survival subtext

When law graduate Jaime is mistakenly turned into a beetle-based avenger, how will he use his new powers to help his beleaguered Latino family? Believable dynamics and boisterous comedy add charm to a familiar genreCinemagoers could be forgiven for suffering from superhero fatigue of late, with outings such as Black Adam, The Flash, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Shazam! Fury of the Gods failing to match spectacle with anything vaguely approaching substance.

This latest offering from DC (and its extended universes) is a little different, focusing on a believable Latino family whose lively interaction really powers the drama.

Directed by Puerto Rican-born film-maker Ángel Manuel Soto, it has something of the anarchic charm of Robert Rodriguez’s Spy Kids flicks, albeit welded to the chassis of a franchise-launching DC FX vehicle.Originally intended to go straight to the streaming service HBO Max, Blue Beetle may be frontloaded with…

Read full article