Cinemagoers 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 visual fireworks that neatly meld the practical and the virtual, but it is the likable interplay between its down-to-earth characters that gives the film oomph, making it more than just a Shazam-style romp.
