The latest in the DCEU movie has hit the cinemas, so we check out Blue Beetle in IMAX for our review and see how the new movie is in the IMAX format at Cineworld in Broughton for our review.
From Warner Bros. Pictures comes the feature film “Blue Beetle,” marking the DC Super Hero’s first time on the big screen. The film, directed by Ángel Manuel Soto, stars Xolo Maridueña in the title role and his alter ego, Jaime Reyes. Recent college grad Jaime Reyes returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not entirely as he left it.
As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab. When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armour capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero BLUE BEETLE.
I have to say that Blue Beetle is one of those comic book characters that I really hadn’t heard much about and so after seeing the trailer I was intrigued to check out the movie and what better way to check out Blue Beetle in IMAX! But before my thoughts on the film, let’s just have a recap of who Blue Beetle is.
Blue Beetle is a beloved character in the DC Comics universe, known for his unique blend of science fiction and superhero storytelling. Created by writer Charles Wojtkowski and artist Steve Ditko, Blue Beetle made his debut in “Mystery Men Comics #1” in 1939, published by Fox Comics. Over the years, Blue Beetle has undergone several transformations and has been portrayed by different characters.
The most well-known incarnation of Blue Beetle is Jaime Reyes, a young Latino hero who first appeared in “Infinite Crisis #3” in 2006. Jaime Reyes is a high school student from El Paso, Texas, who discovers an alien scarab that fuses with him, granting him a powerful suit of armour and incredible abilities. As Blue Beetle, Jaime fights crime alongside other DC heroes, showcasing his resourcefulness, intelligence, and determination to protect his city. With his unique storyline and diverse background, Blue Beetle has become a fan-favourite character, resonating with audiences who appreciate his rich mythology and representation.
For me, this new DC Comics movie was something I wasn’t totally sure about, especially after The Flash movie which was quite frankly terrible, so I had hoped that this would make up for that movie and I wasn’t disappointed. The start of the film gave me those same vibes that I got seeing Iron Man from Marvel back in 2008, the opening scene really set up the movie for being spectacular in the IMAX format and I was excited to see how Blue Beetle would play out.
As the film is an origin story it does start slowly as we are introduced to Jaime (Xolo Maridueña) and his family, which I have to say is an amazing collection of characters! Nana (Adriana Barraza) and Uncle Rudy (George Lopez) really steal their scenes and they certainly gave me plenty of chuckles, plus I so need to see Nana’s back story after this movie, you will see what I mean when you see the movie.
But once the Blue Beetle movie finds its feet and the Scarab finds its host in Jaime the film is a roller coaster ride of action and adventure, OK this is a film that may not appeal to everyone but for me, I thoroughly enjoyed the action and comedy elements. The special effects look amazing and the cast really works well together as a family.
Blue Beetle’s story isn’t a complicated one and everyone runs nicely for the 2h 7m runtime, it really didn’t seem that long to me, at the screening I was at there were several children with their parents as the movie is a 12A and they weren’t getting bored which is always good to see, so there was certainly something in there to keep them entertained as well. Although I have to say that a couple of scenes may have been a little too much for the likes of a 4-6-year-old!
Susan Sarandon was good as the villain as she plays Victoria Kord wants to build an O.M.A.C. (One Man Army Corps) with the aid of the Scarab, but getting the Scarab and its code to build the O.M.A.C. is another matter, so Carapax (Raoul Max Trujillo) is sent on a mission to get the Scarab from Jaime at whatever it costs.
Ángel Manuel Soto has brought us a fun movie that certainly is a breath of fresh air in the DCEU at the moment, it’s such a shame that The Flash couldn’t have been as much fun as Blue Beetle. I also loved the soundtrack with Mexican versions of songs and great compositions from Bobby Krlic (aka The Haxan Cloak), a soundtrack I will be adding to my CD collection.
Blue Beetle in IMAX
Blue Beetle was made to be experienced in IMAX. Filmed for IMAX with IMAX-certified digital cameras, audiences who watch Blue Beetle in IMAX will find themselves totally immersed in IMAX-exclusive 1.90:1 aspect ratio, which provides up to 26% more picture, in select sequences throughout the film, exactly how Director Angel Manuel Soto intended.
The IMAX scenes in Blue Beetle which there are many look amazing on the screen, they open up seamlessly and give you more of the expanse that you are watching, such as Jamie’s first flight into space as Blue Beetle as the screen goes in IMAX format and we get to see more of the scene and the fastness of the Earth below him.
The sound in the IMAX release of Blue Beetle is pin sharp with very quiet scenes picking up the background sounds with precision and blasting out some serious bass for the explosions etc.
Does Blue Beetle have an end credits scene?
Yes, Blu Beetle does have a mid-credits and end-credits scene, early on in the film we learn that Jenny Kord’s father went missing and now he is presumed dead after being obsessed with the Scarab and not being able to bond with it. But in a mid-credit scene (Spoiler ahead folks) as we enter the Blue Beetle lair all the lights come on and we hear “All Out of Love” by Air Supply begin to play before a strange message comes on to a computer screen and we hear a voice as the computer screen is shown with interference and the voice says, Hello, hello! Oh my God, it’s working. Whoever turned on my computer, get a message to my daughter Jenny Kord. Tell her I love her and I’m alive.“, we then get a final line to confirm who is alive, “Ted Kord is alive!“
There is more at the end of the credits of the film, but this is an animated sequence of El Chapulín which was seen briefly earlier on in Blue Beetle.
Blue Beetle in IMAX looks and sounds amazing
Movie title: Blue Beetle (2023)
Movie description: An alien scarab chooses college graduate Jaime Reyes to be its symbiotic host, bestowing the teenager with a suit of armour that's capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero known as Blue Beetle.
Date published: August 19, 2023
Country: UK
Duration: 2h 7m
Director(s): Angel Manuel Soto
Actor(s): Xolo Maridueña, Bruna Marquezine, Becky G
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Summary
Blue Beetle is full of action and adventure, it looks and sounds amazing in IMAX and is a fun movie.
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
