The story begins as Jaime Reyes returns to his hometown, the futuristic, fictional, and horribly fake-looking Palmera City, having studied for a pre-law degree in Gotham. He doesn't say whether he met Bruce Wayne while he was at university, but things didn't go well for his family in the meantime. His dad is recovering from a heart attack, and the family is about to be kicked out of its cosy barrio house by developers from the evil Kord corporation.
The one distinguishing feature that Blue Beetle has are its Latin elements. The key members of its creative team have a Latin background, including its Puerto Rican director, Ángel Manuel Soto. There are even some comments in the screenplay about how Mexican people need their own superhero, and how they're exploited by white Americans. But don't imagine that the film's politics are as challenging or as well integrated as, say, those in Black Panther.
Presumably, the filmmakers were hoping to explore such matters in a sequel or two, but they may have been over-optimistic. James Gunn, the writer-director of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, is now masterminding a reboot of DC's superhero universe, beginning with a Superman film he is directing himself – and Blue Beetle comes across as a relic of the ill-fated pre-Gunn era.
If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Culture, head over to our
Entertainment Entertainment Latest News, Entertainment Entertainment Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: GlamourMagUK - 🏆 2. / 98 Read more »
Source: GraziaUK - 🏆 15. / 78 Read more »