When recent college gradaute comes across a valuable piece of military tech designed by Kord Industries, he suddenly gets attached to a sentient scarab and becomes its host. He must use his new suit to discover his identity and fight for his family.

Blue Beetle has no concern with scale or world-building like the other last few DCEU films, but feels effortless in building beautiful family dynamics among the Reyes family that give our lead character a real soul and a reason to fight. It’s lovely to see such a supportive family with no strings attached in a superhero film, and see Jaime as a college graduate going through relatable life issues. But the character could’ve easily still fallen flat in the script had the film not struck gold with its casting. Xolo Mariduena is a ray of light and as Jaime. Not a moment goes by where you don’t feel his charm and energy as a magnetic and empathetic presence, but as Jaime learns, he isn’t the same without his family. He’s surrounded by a cast of fantastic performers as the family. George Lopez in particular is absolutely hilarious as his Uncle Rudy, not to mention a scene-stealing Adriana Barazza as his grandma. Belissa Escobedo is also a breakout as Jaime’s sister Milagro who is an incredibly layered and likable character, and these actors come together to build a support system that helps Jaime understand the importance of family while cheering him on on his own journey. Bruna Marquezene is also great as Jenny Kord and adds a lot to the film, and Harvey Guillen has a small but hysterical role. Susan Sarandon is well-cast as Victoria Kord, though her lines and motives are riddled with superhero corporate baddie cliches.

Though the cast helps make the movie as soulful as it is, the visual look of the film can be underwhelming. The 80s campy feel is appreciable but the quality of the CGI and the lighting choices are uninteresting, and occasionally questionable. That being sad, the cheeky energy converts enough into smiles and emotion that the audience feels for its lead characters, making Jaime Reyes potentially one of the best DCEU protagonists, and worth a watch for fans of superhero films.