#just okay

[schizogamy]

fucking- like Okay

[silveragelovechild]

BLUE BEETLE (Minor Spoilers)

I was unsure if I wanted to see “Blue Beetle”. Is it one of the last of the old DCEU movies? Or, as suggested by recent articles, the first of the new DCU films under James Gunn and James Safran.

Well, the movie was green lit by Warner in 2021 to be part of mid-budget films to be released exclusively on HBO Max. But with the regime change… and lucky for it, with Safran as a producer, it got a theatrical release date.

As I’m not a fan of Warner/Gunn’s new direction for DC Comics movies, I hesitated. But because the Blue Beetle features the Jaime Reyes version of the character, Warner’s first Mexican superhero, I felt I should at least see it.

First, does this feel like an introduction to a new DC Universe? Flat out, No. The story is set in a fictional city in the Florida Keys, and except for very minor passing references to Batman, Superman, and the Flash, there is no sense of the outside world and the heroes that might inhabit it. So this movie is largely standalone and could exist in any of DC’s multiverses (included the Arrowverse).

What sets this movie apart from other superhero movies is its focus on “La familia”. We have Jaime, his sister, mom and dad, Uncle Rudy, and Nana the abuelita - and they all love each other very much.

This is both good and bad, because like the Shazam-Family in Zachary Levi’s films, Jaime is never on a solo mission. He has to share a lot of screen time and plot with his family.

As Superhero family go, this one is extraordinary… Tio Rudy (played by George Lopez) is a veritable tech genius (someone actually refers to him as Doc Brown). And Nana? She’s played by well known Mexican actress Adriana Barraza. Her character was once a “revolucionista” who can handle a machine gun twice her size. As I don’t recall any revolutions in Mexico in the past 50+ years, maybe in her youth grandma traveled to Nicaragua in the 1980s to fight with the Contras.

These additions are meant to be playful, but each needs a setup, and an arc and conclusion which make the movie less and less about Jaime.

Xolo Maridueña is charming as Jaime. His devotion to his family is his defining trait. Once the alien scarab takes over his body, he’s constantly trying to stop it from killing anybody. An odd juxtaposition because in Tio Rudy’s and Abuelita’s action scenes, they don’t hesitate killing (remember that machine gun?).

Susan Sarandon plays a generic corporate villain and offers nothing special. Her #1 henchman is played by Raoul Trujillo. He eventually becomes a red version of the Beetle (don’t you hate it when the villain becomes a copy of the hero). He and Jaime have many fight scenes (CGI versus CGI like in the Iron Man movies).

The ending gets bogged down in too many fight scenes:

Jaime’s sister versus generic henchmen

Tio Rudy versus generics henchmen

Abuelita versus generic henchmen

Jaime versus generic henchmen

Jaime versus Raoul Trujillo (twice at the end and at least 4 times across the movie).

In all, I thought “Blue Beetle” was just “okay”. Certainly better than “Quantumania” and “Thor L&T” but not has good as either WW movie or the recent Flash (which I enjoyed quite a bit).

NOTE:The plot references the Golden Age Blue Beetle (Dan Garrett) and the Silver Age version (Ted Kord) but neither appear. But we do get to see Kord’s airship, the Bug, in action.

Post Credit Scenes: Shortly after the credit start, there is a scene referencing Ted Kord. At the very end of the credits, there is another bit that is not worth waiting for (trust me!). And there are NO cameos by any other heroes or actors.

Best Line:

“My name is Sanchez, pendeja!”

[1o1percentmilk]

THE DARK

[jiminie-and-his-pinky-finger]

I just want to be okay

[thebigbrrrr]

sisi will say a guy on love is blind seems okay and my immediate response is 🤨

[blund3r-bust3r]

i want to love the dragon prince but there’s just so much holding it back

[buddiewho]

Maybe this is unpopular opinion, but I’ve been thinking. For me, I’ve held onto Buck as a bisexual since end of season 1, most especially at the start of season 2. Here we are now and I still believe he’s a bisexual. Totally bi, so of course he’d be with a woman and might actually have a bigger preference for them. Totally legit, right? However, what I often see portrayed with bisexuality is the “straight” relationship. So to the general audience a bisexual (Buck) being with Taylor is a “heterosexual” relationship, when technically speaking we all know it still makes you bi. And it’s still probably a very gay relationship especially if we’re talking about the bisexual person being open. What I think most shows go for is the “straight” relationship and never actually show bisexual people being with the same sex or even other genders.

Funny enough, when they so get together I’ve always thought it’d be great if both Buck and Eddie are bisexual and someone asks, “So you’re gay now?” Then they share a glance similar to this one:

Buck proudly answers, “Nope, total bisexual. This man however is gay and…” (since the story seems to be changing like so for Eddie) Buck pauses to smile at his boyfriend, then continues, “He is completely and wholeheartedly taken.” Eddie gives Buck a wink. They go about their day of work or whatever. Basically, we know these two have 1000 percent more chemistry than the women they’ve been with or are with currently. And so…why wouldn’t we still be heading for some good shit? Also once together, nothing much changes except it’s looks like this 👇but they just mean more, ya know?

More touching 👆from Eddie that’ll just linger a little longer. Ya know?

Just a little longer.