Blue Beetle: What Did and Didn't Work In The New DCU

If you judge whether a movie is good or not by box office numbers alone, then Blue Beetle won’t be for you. The movie that was never intended as a box office release was set to stream on Max (formerly HBO Max) but was pushed to the big screen. What the decision behind that was is known by the studio heads, but no one expected this movie to run away with the box office. To be honest, the fact that it unseated Barbie after a great theatrical run for that movie should be considered a success.

Now that the DCEU era has ended, Blue Beetle is the first movie in the new DCU continuity. While it may not have an impact on the bigger picture, it lays the groundwork for what to expect out of the newer DC superhero movies in the future. So what worked? What didn’t? How does it all tie in?

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First and foremost, after watching Blue Beetle there’s a dramatic shift in tone. The DCEU wasn’t exactly known for a family-friendly approach to their movies. Between a dark and brooding Batman, an alienated Superman, and the heartbreak in The Flash, DC movies have been more about loss and the absence of heroism. Sure, the good guys saved the day in most cases, but not without dramatic sacrifice or loss.

While that is a pillar of superheroes and comic books, these movies lost their sense of charm along the way. They didn’t connect with the audience the way the characters should of. Blue Beetle pivots from that major pitfall. While Jaime’s story is told and he does experience loss, there is a sense of hope throughout. The character is young, charming, and relatable. You feel yourself rooting for him as a person, not just because he’s your favorite character. Couple that with a few good fight scenes and laughs and it comes out on top.

Yet, Blue Beetle isn’t without its faults. Some of the early dialogue doesn’t fit in. It drags when getting to the action, more so because he’s a character that needs developing. Someone like Spider-man has been seen in many iterations while Blue Beetle/Jaime Reyes is still fairly new to most audiences. As the story progresses the energy picks up, but there are moments that seem out of place. It won’t be too off-putting but it throws off the energy of scenes from time to time.

All in all, Blue Beetle should be considered a success even if it doesn’t crush the box office. There was a young cast that DC can easily form future projects around. There was an energy that made the film exciting. While it was a typical origin story, it was a good break from the DCEU that hasn’t always been the best. If this is the new tone of DC movies, most fans will be pleased going forward.