Blue Beetle is impressing critics to such an extent that it's managed to land a "Fresh" rating on the internet's most trusted review-aggregator site.
Per Rotten Tomatoes, Jaime Reyes' first live-action movie has earned a Tomatometer rating of 83% off of 80 reviews. While the audience score has yet to be logged, the movie is on track to being one of the DC Universe's best-reviewed films yet. "Led by Xolo Maridueña's magnetic performance in the title role, Blue Beetle is a refreshingly family-focused superhero movie with plenty of humor and heart," reads the official description provided by Rotten Tomatoes.
Many critics who attended an early screening of Blue Beetle noted that while the movie's story is slightly bloated with a few too many characters, its theme of family bonding and emphasis on Hispanic culture elevates the overall experience. Most reviewers agreed that Maridueña's portrayal of the young superhero carries the plot while others criticized director Angel Manuel Soto for flat and lifeless direction. Despite this positivity, the film is still projected to score low numbers at the box office, following a trend of recent DCU flops in the wake of Black Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash.
Preparing for Blue Beetle
The praise heaped upon Maridueña is seemingly earned as the Cobra Kai star has spent a great deal of time preparing for his role as a superhero. The actor recently noted that when he was a child, his mother used to read comic books to him so he could fall asleep. "My mother, who helped raise me and was reading me bedtime stories at night, definitely was reading comic books instead of, you know, Goodnight Moon," he said. "So for that reason, of course, I knew who Blue Beetle was and had watched Young Justice and was familiar with the character."
As for the future of the character, many fans are unsure about whether Jaime Reyes will play a key role in DCU going forward given that DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran have confirmed plans to reboot the franchise. Gunn recently put speculation to rest when he reassured audiences that Blue Beetle will be a key player in the story at large. "I can’t wait for audiences to meet Jaime Reyes, who will be an amazing part of the DCU going forward!" the filmmaker said.
Blue Beetle flies into theaters on Aug. 18.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes