The following contains spoilers for Blue Beetle, in theaters now.
Blue Beetle may be another superhero movie, but at its heart, it's a story about family. This actually isn't entirely unique among these movies, with the recent Shazam! Fury of the Gods also having similar themes. While the Shazam! sequel wasn't quite a hit with audiences, the newest DC movie is fortunately able to overcome its many mistakes.
Blue Beetle's family element is handled in a more organic way than the story of Fury of the Gods, namely when it comes to the family members' role in the story. The same goes for the comedy, which doesn't feel quite as goofy or deprecating. The result is a movie that succeeds at being what Shazam! 2 should have been, delivering a film that's full of heartwarming heroism.
Blue Beetle's Story Is All About Family
Though he has a love interest in the form of Ted Kord's daughter Jennifer, all of Jaime Reyes' supporting cast in Blue Beetle is made up of his family. This includes his parents, conspiracy theorist Uncle Rudy, his grandmother and younger sister Milagro. They help to drive the story, both in terms of Jaime's actions and his desire to make something of himself for their sake. Jaime's family is a major part of the movie throughout its runtime, and they even play a pivotal role in the third act. In fact, they're somewhat more knowledgeable of Jaime's situation than he is.
It's George Lopez' Uncle Rudy that tells his nephew about the exploits of Ted Kord, the second Blue Beetle who had once defended their home of Palmera City. Conversely, Jaime's father is the narrative glue for the family and their strength, though Milagro and even the grandmother have a surprising role in the finale. It's a lot more involved than family members typically are in superhero movies, and it all feels organic and foreshadowed instead of forced.
Audiences Weren't Wowed by Shazam! Fury of the Gods
The first Shazam! movie from 2019 was something of a sleeper hit, and though it wasn't an overwhelming success at the box office, it made enough to earn a sequel amid its very positive reception. Sadly, neither of these victories could be repeated with the 2023 sequel, Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Shazam 2 was criticized for its excessively jokey tone, with the World's Mightiest Mortal reduced to something of a buffoon. Many story elements felt forced or rushed, lacking the proper development needed for the movie's emotional payoff. This could namely be seen in how Billy Batson and his relationship with his foster family were handled.
The movie gives lip service to Billy's fears over aging out of the foster care system. Sadly, he's not shown enough in his mortal form for this to be developed. The romance between Freddy Freeman and Anthea instead takes center stage, though it was arguably the best part of the movie. Conversely, the other members of the "Shazamily" are largely glossed over, making the small tidbits of their story entirely irrelevant. Thus, when they all come together in the final battle, the development rings hollow and rushed. This was already an issue with the first movie, and it's greatly multiplied in the sequel. Now that Blue Beetle is out, many of the movie's flaws are even more apparent.
How Blue Beetle Improves Upon the Shazam Formula
As mentioned, Jaime's family is front and center in Blue Beetle and never come off as narrative afterthoughts. That wasn't the case in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, where Billy's foster parents were barely present in the movie. This was a particularly glaring issue near the movie's climax when Billy reveals his emotional fears to them, with their response being how much they love him. Given that they were rarely seen beforehand, it isn't exactly a strong emotional climax. The same goes for the rest of the Shazamily, who feel almost tacked on and useless in the final battle.
The one exception is Darla using skittles to entice a unicorn, as this was one of the few Chekov's guns that were truly paid off. Every member of the Reyes family has an important role in the fight against the evil Victoria Kord and her cybernetic henchman Conrad Carapax, making everything feel earned, especially since there's a universal tragedy that they suffer. The humor is seen throughout Blue Beetle, and while copious amounts of comedy has been an issue with recent superhero movies, it again feels more organic than what was done in Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
Shazam 2 made its titular hero the butt of most of its jokes, with Billy and the Shazamily seen as failures that did more harm than good. Conversely, Billy's form as Shazam was far too goofy, with most of the humor failing to land. Add in that this silly characterization contradicted how he acted as a child and the whole affair seemed even less natural. Jaime is initially unsure of how to use his powers in Blue Beetle, such as when he dashes against the water while trying to fly. After a while, however, these jokes slow down, and he's treated as a learning yet competent hero. His later actions are actually cool and not done with a sense of pandering to seem funny or catchy to younger viewers.
The result is that Blue Beetle and its title hero don't come off as unnecessarily childish or silly. This, along with how his family are handled, result in a film that's a far "cooler" version of the Shazam! movies. Those (especially the sequel) couldn't quite commit to a tone or direction for the plot and characters, with the narrative as a whole suffering for this indecision. Jaime Reyes' solo movie, however, clearly respects its audience and material, refraining from turning it all into a big joke. By being more authentic, the movie has been far more well-received by critics than the preceding two DC movies, giving moviegoers one of the best new superheroes to hit the big screen in years. While the World's Mightiest Mortal may not have a bright future on the big screen, Blue Beetle most certainly does.
Blue Beetle is now playing in theaters.
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