Story

Jaime Reyes (Xolo Mariduena) has just graduated from university and returned home to his proud mother (Elpidia Carrillo), father (Damian Alcazar), sister Milagro (Belissa Escobedo), Uncle Rudy (George Lopez) and Nana (Adriana Barraza). Jaime’s family is to be evicted from their home, so Jaime agrees to work with his sister, cleaning the mansion of Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon), CEO of Kord Industries.

Jaime intervenes when he sees Victoria abusing her niece Jenny (Bruna Marquezine), which causes him to lose his job. Jenny promises Jaime a new job and arranges to meet him at the head office of Kord Industries the following day. It turns out that Victoria has discovered an ancient alien creature called the Scarab. Victoria is plotting to use the Scarab to boost her One Man Army Corps (OMAC) to take over the world. Jenny is determined to prevent this and breaks into Victoria’s office to steal the Scarab. While being chased, Jenny hands the Scarab, hidden in a box, to Jaime for safe keeping.

When Jaime gets home, his family persuades him to open the box. The Scarab leaps out of the box and enters his body, covering him in an armoured exoskeleton with great powers.

As the ‘Blue Beetle’, Jaime now has the power to battle Victoria’s army, which is also armed with exoskeletons. The army is led by Victoria’s lieutenant, Carapax (Raoul Max Trujillo), a formidable foe. In the ensuing battles, Jaime’s house is destroyed, causing his father to die from a heart attack. Carapax captures Jaime and takes him to Victoria’s island and laboratory, where she plans to transfer the Scarab’s code from Jaime to Carapax.

Jaime must summon all his courage to prevent this happening and to continue the war against Kord and OMAC.

Themes

Science fiction; superheroes; world dominion; action adventure; separation of children from parents; loss of a parent

Violence

Blue Beetle has a lot of stylised comic style violence with little blood or gore. For example:

• There are many explosions. Armed combatants fight using various weapons, like knives, swords, automatic rifles and axes. And there’s hand-to-hand fighting, including punching, kicking and throwing people long distances.
• Carapax and Blue Beetle fight several times in prolonged fight sequences using their superpowers.
• Other violence includes Blue Beetle flying across the ocean, into a city and up buildings. He crashes onto a bus, splitting it in half.
• Soldiers arrest Jaime’s family, forcibly taking them from their house and making them kneel on the ground. Blue Beetle arrives and starts firing at the soldiers. Victoria tells the soldiers to target the family because the bullets don’t affect Blue Beetle. The soldiers kick Jaime’s father to the ground. He has blood on his mouth and then suffers a heart attack and dies. The soldiers blow up the house. Jaime is trapped by a huge weapon and dragged along the ground by ropes.
• Victoria orders Carapax to kill Jaime, who’s screaming in pain.
• Jenny is trapped under rubble after an explosion.

Sexual references

Blue Beetle has some sexual references. For example:

• Milagro says that Jenny Kord has a sexy walk, like the Kardashians.
• Uncle Rudy talks about his testicle being 7 times bigger than normal.
• Jenny and Jaime are about to kiss a few times and are interrupted. They eventually kiss.

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

Blue Beetle shows some use of substances. For example:

• Characters drink alcohol in several scenes, including from bottles and cans.
• Some guys are sitting around and say, ‘How long ago did we take it?’ When the Blue Beetle splits a bus in half, they say, ‘It just hit me’.

Nudity and sexual activity

Blue Beetle has some nudity and sexual activity. For example, when the Blue Beetle returns as Jaime, he’s naked. Nothing is shown, but the scene shows Jaime trying to hide his genitals.

Product placement

The following products are displayed or used in Blue Beetle: Starbucks.

Coarse language

Blue Beetle has some coarse language.

Ideas to discuss with your children

Blue Beetle is a science fiction action adventure, based on the Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle DC character. The movie is fast moving and full of action and comic-style violence.

There are some disturbing themes, however, concerning abandoned children in comparison to the stability of a loving family. The movie is also quite intense in parts and is therefore not suitable for children under 12. It’s best suited to teenage and older viewers.

The main messages from Blue Beetle are to do with the importance of a supporting, loving family and good triumphing over evil.

Values in Blue Beetle that you could reinforce with your children include bravery, courage, heroism, purpose, community support, and people before profits.

Blue Beetle could also give you the chance to talk with your children about how superheroes are unrealistic and their actions would be harmful in real life.