The Reel Rejects - MOVIE REVIEW: Just Watched BLUE BEETLE!! Instant Reaction & Review!

Episode Date: August 16, 2023

RIGHT OUT-OF-THEATER MOVIE REVIEW! Support The Codex: https://shorturl.at/czHQS Blue Beetle Movie & Reaction (No Spoilers) for the DCEU / Beginning of James Gunn DCU Universe (That's A Lot Of DC Explanation). After a really fun Blue Beetle Trailer Reaction highlighting the Latino cast/culture, the box office failure of The Flash Movie, and the controversial firing of Henry Cavill Superman & New David Corenswet Superman, it's time to see if Xolo Maridueña (Cobra Kai) as Jaime Reyes will leave an impression. The film is directed by Angel Manuel Soto & stars George Lopez (Gregorio Reyes), Bruna Marquezine, Susan Sarandon as Victoria Kord Belissa Escobedo as Milagros Reyes, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo, Raoul Max Trujillo as Carapax the Indestructible Man. We break down the movie's plot, characters, & touch on references / easter eggs. Zack Snyder (Justice League) has shown his support for this flick alongside David Ayer (Suicide Squad), here's hoping DC Fans show their support too! #BlueBeetle #DCU #DCEU #Superman #batman #TheFlash #WonderWoman #JusticeLeague #ZackSnyder #CobraKai #Review #MovieReview POWERED BY @GFUEL Visit https://gfuel.ly/3wD5Ygo and use code REJECTNATION for 20% off select tubs!! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-reel-rejects/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Open my eyes. I had no idea. burn all my DC memorabilia. Go woken, your brain expands. This is usually the idea, but, you know, don't quote me on that. No, no, no, no. You heard in the context of the movie, the kind of character he is. Oh, he's always saying, like, this guy's character saying stuff like that

about anybody who comes into this conversation. That BS out of the way right now. Leave a like on this video that would be very much appreciated. Now, before we go into things... Reject Nation, for those who know me well, know I love graphic novels, and know I've always wanted to write a great graphic novel myself, which is why when we were asked to shout out the codex, I was intrigued. I specifically asked to get familiar with the comic before shouting them out, and I am literally

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codex will give you this unparalleled experience so don't forget to click that link below we've got to get our thoughts out on this end of dCEU beginning of dc u movie it's the fulcrum points and uh with the way this movie works, you're like, yeah, this could be in the DCEU or the DCU in the way the movie handles the references to the other character. It's in the perfect position. James Gunn is right. John, give them a quick plot description of this movie. Yes,

all right. Jaime Reyes, back from college. Down's luck looking for a job. Finds an opportunity at the cord building where he stumbles upon the scarab, the artifact that unleashes the Blue Beetle powers. He takes it home. I'm seeing the movie all over again. And then it chooses

him. He gets the powers, but then Oh, no, what? I'm enjoying it. I'm enjoying it. She's trying to exact her own special tech that hinges on the bluebeater powers. Yeah. And yeah, and then she's going to come after him. Better ruin your flow.

You helped my flow so much. I think I helped. Thank you for that. I appreciate you willing to endure. I could not have handled it at the role to reverse. My act one experience of this movie. A lot of act one is not very strong. It took me a while to kind of understand what this movie was really going for.

Even kind of just feeling the crowd where they weren't even and really reacting to a lot of the jokes that were being thrown out there and stuff. It's not all bad in Act 1. Like when you're meeting the characters, there are some charms to be had, especially, you know, I think instantly with the family dynamic of the Reyes family,

that right away just clicks. It's really, really strong. But there's other aspects with the way that pacing was being done, and a lot of the comedy and the exposition. Things that were going through that immediately started having me go. This sort of feels like if someone was like,

hey, they made a Blue Beetle movie in 2000, You ever watch it? And I'm like, that's what they put on the theater for me. But I kept going, let's just wait for when the actual Blue Beetle shit starts going down. Let's just wait for act two. And I've got to say, by the time it got to act two, the parts you see in the trailer were Jaime Reyes, you know, comes into contact with the scarab. It was pretty fast. It was really, really fast.

The charm of this movie quickly started to take over. I would say almost instantaneously, it started to take over. Like, if you just hold out until act two, you're like, whoa, wait. wait a minute this movie's becoming genuinely fun yeah it's becoming genuinely endearing the heart and the comedy is actually starting to really work right now everything that i was becoming cinema not all not everything there's like especially things about the villains that i want to go into that doesn't quite work with this movie but i'll save it right there so that way i can let john get some opinions in here the first 10 to 15 minutes i was sitting there being a little bit worried

because i was like okay this is feeling a little bit flat i can feel people performing and stuff like that but Once you, yeah, get on the adventure and the family ensemble really gets a chance to lock together and you get everybody in the same room and you really start to let the scenes breathe. Absolutely. The movie comes to life and that spirit, that part is present throughout the whole rest of the movie for the moments that are like surprisingly interesting as well as the moments that are like, oh, that's pretty familiar too. Rest you guys are shirt right now, it's way better than the Flash movie.

It sounds like it's one movie. It's like one movie that has character in it. The character grows. There were a couple of times where the emotional swells actually got to me. I was really enjoying it. There's times here where this movie has this nostalgic elements that do feel like a genuine 80-s sci-fi movie. At times, a 90s sci-fi movie, obviously a 2000s movie. It's a playlist of earlier films.

There were times where, yeah, you know, it's been a while since we've seen just a pure origin film. Sometimes to a fault, though, it feels like a Marvel phase one film. Some of the best parts of a Marvel phase one film and some of the weakest parts of a Marvel phase one film as well. Everything that it was going for, the director was aimed for, and then with the cast, like the chemistry, with the family dynamic, like the Reyes family doesn't just feel like an afterthought. I could imagine the interviews where you hear them saying, like, yeah, Jaime is the main character, but the Reyes family's like the emotional core to it. And sometimes you hear shit like that, and it just sounds like fluff.

It sounds like, oh, maybe that was the intent, but it gets lost in the weeds. We want to flatter all the people who are all you bought to, yeah, bring this to one. Yeah, yeah, it gets lost. That is not the case here. They are all so integral, and other than, I would say, the mom who gets one little moment to shine. She's the only player in the whole ensemble of the family who doesn't really shine. But the rest of the family, I mean, the dad, the sister, who at first I thought was annoying, but then I really grew to like her as well.

Abuela. Mama, Marlago. She was amazing. She was the standout of the family. Absolutely. And Uncle Rudy. Uncle Rudy, George Lopez. Again, Act 1, George Lopez, kind of annoying.

But then by the time he's really funny, he's really funny and he's really embodying this character right now. He does a great job. Well, the thing that surprised me so much is that, yes, it is certainly about Jaime Reyes, but the ensemble of the family is much more present than I accept. to the point where there are times where you're spending time with Justin that. Yeah. As, you know, Jaime is in different states of peril and whatnot. So, like, it really is like a family ensemble movie.

And Jaime Reyes, it really feels like, hey, you know, Miguel from Cobra Kai? Let's put him in here. Put him in his whole family, right? And they never had a white mentor. Doesn't it feel like that? No, it definitely feels like a stone's throw from Cobra Cye. It really just pulled it out from it. Yeah.

But he's good though. He's really good. He is, he is. And it's a fun movie because you kind of get to watch him sort of grow into the role because it's like, we've watched him grow on Cobra Kai. That's a streaming, but I'll call it TV show. So then this, you know, starts out feeling a little bit like a TV movie.

It feels a little man for TV. It grows into feeling like an actual movie. And his performance, I think, grows to suit that. You see, the difference with this kind of movie is that the charm of it and the things that work really work to the point that the faults of this film, the cons, which we will go into, they're, you know, they come and go.

The fault's coming, it doesn't, it's not like the faults just dissipate after act one and then it just, it's great from there. It can be a bit bumpy in certain moments of the movie, but the things that work just so for, at least for me, and I feel like for the audience, you could feel the audience getting one over by the experience as well.

It just overtakes it. It's like a Marvel Phase I movie with Latina, Latino backdrop interlaced throughout the entire experience. If we didn't miss Marvel during phase one, it would feel kind of like this. Because, too, I mean, the cultural element. It's very strong.

It's very strong. It's very present. In order that they turn to the camera to be like, Mexico. Yeah, like there is, I mean. It feels natural. Yeah, the personality just shines. It feels like you're being invited into,

you know, a home filled with customs that, you know, as a white guy I might not be familiar with, but you feel very welcome and it feels like, Yeah, it's not stopping to hold your hand. It's kind of throwing you into the rhythm of everything, but I think that's good. It brings everything to life. And it really makes for some great, again,

keep using the more ensemble, but some great scenes where they let the actors really breathe and interact with each other. The ensemble is so important to this film. Now, let's talk about like the Blue Beetle Power Set itself. I like the Blue Beetle Power Set. It's kind of like, you've seen Jackie Chan's The Tuxedo. It's kind of like that, but more negotiation and cooperation.

Customization. Yeah. Like, requests can be made. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like if Karen and Spider-Man's No Way Home was like a little bit more assertive. It's a bit of tuxedo meets, meets Karen from the Spider-Man suit, meets symbiote venom. Sure. Eddie Brock.

Yeah. Right? It's all those amalgamations into one. The powers look cool. My favorite parts of the fighting were when you could tell that they were using CGI to enhance practical stunt work, practical bites, because this movie does have third-act syndrome of crazy amounts of CGI are happening, and it's not super effective because it does have the typical third-act syndrome of that. I don't want to make it a bash fest of the flash. Not to the point of the flash,

which that third act I actually liked. I'm on record for saying that I actually like that third act. I know a lot of people have that complaint, but it has more Marvel Phase 1 type of effect, where characters of similar effects, it's a lot of CG got. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But there is a lot of fun to be had with the power set. I did find myself, though, craving more personality from the Scarab. Because they do establish that slight spoiler here. I mean, you could literally look up on Wikipedia.

You feel like, what's the Scarab? From the comic, they do establish it's an alien entity, but they treat it so much like it's a robotic entity. They treat it so much like it's an android. I did find myself craving a bit more of just give it a personality, you know? The things that they're finding it threatened by, that it's going to overtake Jaime. And that he's not going to have any control or say what he can do and that it could just be this lethal weapon that could destroy all.

There could have been more fun with the writing to be had with the cooperation. Him learning to bond with it instead of it just being essentially a robot that occasionally has a liner to where you can see that it is becoming more sentient. Yeah, the arc there between them kind of co-mingling and learning to work together. It's there, it's just one of the most sparse aspects of the movie to the point where you could almost forget about it and not have the experience changed that much.

Yeah. So yeah, it's like if they are graced with the ability to make a Blue Beetle part too, I will want much more sort of back and forth or some kind of, I mean, not to make it just venom, but that has like a very strong element of entity and protect. antagonist together.

And I feel like, yeah, that was a bit missing here. I thought it was really missing. They harp on what the scarab is quite a bit. Yeah, and it's such a formidable presence, and it has this very unique, you know, set of powers and abilities and a unique look and stuff like that. There are times where it is really impressive what they do. Kind of like how Green Lantern can just use its imagination

to conjure up weapons. That's what this, how the Scarab works. Anything you can dream, it can make. Yeah, and so at times it is pretty sweet. You know, like some other things that really don't work, Susan Sarandon, I feel like the bio on her was generic villain. Yes. Yeah, she's there.

Just be as cold and extremely apathetic to anyone's emotions in any regard. Like there's, you know, every corporate villain in every one of these, just study all of those and don't get too crazy with it, all right? Yeah, it's really- Stay in the pocket. It is not ridden well. I thought the villains overall were written weak. Kara packs, you know, there was something intriguing.

about Carapax. He's craving the indestructible Iron Man. Yes. You know, I think his character name in the comics is the indestructible man. The performer there, for you mean for knowing the actor's name, you could tell that he was aiming to bring depth to the performance the entire time.

So he brought a level of intrigue whenever he wasn't like robotic mask, just through the body language. You're like, I feel like there's something deeper here he's going for, but the writing and the treatment of his character is not really servicing it. It's very requisite, yeah. And then way late into the movie, they decided to go, here's his character.

And they give you a very interesting bit there to help the third act kind of like, okay, we're doing the big passion crash. But like, it's maybe a little too late, but I'm glad they put it in. It's like in the middle of the road a little too late. You're like, it works. It made this more effective, but it's a good part of this movie.

It was still kind of... I would still be checking out, though, whenever he was on screen. Sure, yeah, yeah, yeah. It doesn't fix the part where for two-thirds of this movie, I was like, oh, whatever, you know, He's just another big overpowered guy. It doesn't make me look back on those and go,

wow, those scenes are much better now, yeah. But from here on, great. Right now the movie's pretty much over. It's not exactly entirely original. No, I can't say that. It's not entirely a really predictable movie by every stretch. Even the post-credits scene. A lot of stuff that reminds you like Spider-Man.

Yeah, even the post-credits end, I turned to John, like, halfway through. I was like, I bet you this is what the post-credits is going to be. It was exactly what the post-credit scenes is going to be. what the postcarded scene was. So I'm not even diving into what the topic is of it because I don't want to possibly give away what might happen in this film.

Because Henry Cavill shows up. Yeah, Henry Cavill shows up. He's on Bat. I've heard a lot about you. I will say that another character too, that I'll end off, but just because we're at the end of the review. Jenny, Court? Yes.

She's another character who I felt like the actress brought a lot to it. Act just really elevated that role. Yeah, because 99% of her character is just her telling us her backstory and lamenting her pains. Just reminding us that she's the good one. She's the good one. The court family who's remaining right now. She just

pretty much shows up to give her. In fact, there's one scene, she's like, I don't really talk about this and she's crying. I'm like, this is all you've talked about. I know. This is your whole is your backstory and who your father is and all these things? Yeah, yeah. The thing is that I guess the part that can sound like apprehensive in the way and the tenure

of my voice is because I feel like saying the words fun and charming are often a cop-out when it comes to this genre when it can be a weak film. What they pitched us on the trailers, this movie did and more. So, yeah, I got exactly what I wanted. Color me impressed with certain key moments of this film. The way they had the whole character ensemble here was just so refreshing. It was one of the most refreshing elements was like, oh, wow, look, the actual family around our central character is truly crucial to the whole experience.

and they really do shine. They elevate the film, and so I recommend the movie. I do. I recommend it. Go watch it. I hope it gets the sequel, because I feel like a sequel would just leave us with a more refined, more polished version of this. Yeah, and I would be very excited to see Sholo Marduena as Jaime Reyes, interacting with a potential future Team Titans team or something like that.

He seems like a great introduction to that idea if that's what they want to do. And I hope that this does well, because, yeah, the things that it does get right, it really gets right with a lot of care and a lot of a plumb. And it makes up for me for the stuff that, yeah, is like rote or that is pretty predictable or flat or whatever else. Well, guys, those are our thoughts on Blue Beetle. It's a recommendation from John and I.

What do you think? Do you want to see Blue Beetle carry on to the D.C. universe? Leave your thoughts down below. We'll talk with you guys soon. Thank you so much for being here.