DC Studios

Supergirl (2026): A Colorless, Boring Super Snooze

Posted on by Jack Drees

“Supergirl” is directed by Craig Gillespie (Dumb Money, Cruella) and stars Milly Alcock (Upright, House of the Dragon), Matthias Schoenaerts (The Danish Girl, Red Sparrow), Eve Ridley (3 Body Problem, Emerald), David Krumholtz (The Santa Clause, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle), Emily Beecham (Daphne, 1899), David Corenswet (Pearl, Twisters), and Jason Momoa (Aquaman, A Minecraft Movie). This film is about Kara Zor-El, also known as Supergirl, as she races to hunt down an adversary who harmed her dog, Krypto.

The DC Universe started with a big bang last year with the incredibly enjoyable “Superman.” It brought a particular flair to comic book movies that gave me a solid first impression of what its cinematic universe could be. It was helmed by James Gunn, who alongside Peter Safran, is forging the timeline in which this movie belongs. Now a year later, we get “Supergirl,” directed by Craig Gillespie. While I have not seen all of his filmography, he can crank out a decent picture. “I, Tonya,” while not the best sports movie I have seen, was stunning to look at and brought an excellent performance out of Margot Robbie. More recently, he did “Dumb Money,” which is not only based on an unbelievable true story, but it is also very funny. I recommend checking both movies out.

Craig Gillespie has proven that he can be a visionary director. I thought his work on “I, Tonya” came off as something that only he could helm. Sadly, “Supergirl” feels like it was made by a committee. For all I know, “Supergirl” was Gillespie’s vision. He could have had final say on just about everything. I highly doubt it, as this is a cinematic universe, and certain checkboxes need to be marked off so future stories can happen and the timeline is not ruined. That said, if Gillespie made most of the choices as this film’s director… I will praise him in certain regards.

The action scenes, while not the best I have ever seen, are sometimes fun to look at. I also saw the film in IMAX, which features an exclusive, taller aspect ratio in select scenes. I thought the occasional enhancements added to some sequences. They did a better job at enhancing the experience than “Mortal Kombat II,” which was a fun movie, but the aspect ratio switches in that project’s case were oftentimes distracting. I thought he also got some good performances out of the cast, most especially Jason Momoa. Although to be fair, I could clearly tell Momoa was just happy to be in the movie regardless of the script or director, simply because he finally got to portray Lobo, a role some would argue he was practically born to play.

But who am I kidding? I nearly fell asleep watching this movie.

If anything, “Supergirl” feels like it is directed by someone doing a lackluster James Gunn impression. I like James Gunn, for the record. In fact, he even produced this movie. I think Gunn has some bangers on his resume including “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Slither,” and even “Superman,” which kicked this universe off. But “Superman” had elements of a project that James Gunn would normally write or direct, but those elements are not entirely effective in this case. I would want to give points in regards to keeping the cinematic universe consistent, but at the same time, not really, because I thought “Superman” was fun whereas “Supergirl” was melatonin in the form of a comic book movie. “Superman” had quite a few laughs, some good music, and a great villain in Lex Luthor. “Supergirl” on the other hand was not that funny, had some odd song choices, and had a fairly forgettable antagonist.

When I hear the terms “summer movie” or “summer blockbuster,” I think of big, loud, fun, adventurous escapes where you can munch popcorn and have a good time. This is not the only kind of movie that should come out during the summer, but that is often the stereotype that comes to mind. I expect to go into movies featuring superheroes, robots, dinosaurs, fast cars, or even robotic dinosaurs that are able to turn into fast cars, you name it, expecting to have fun. Sitting through “Supergirl” gave me the sense I was sitting in a cosmic DMV. The film felt soulless and tiresome. I hate to say that especially because this film follows an incredibly joyous and exciting “Superman” film from the year before.

I knew exactly how my experience with “Supergirl” would wind up from the opening scene. One of the first things shown on screen in this tinkle-riddled terror of a film is Krypto the Superdog pissing on a newspaper. I will not judge. When you gotta go you gotta go. But you took this adorable, albeit sometimes vicious sidekick that Superman had in his movie last year, and he does one of the most unattractive things any creature can do. Also, this is not the only reference to things coming out of particular holes during the movie. As these references continued through the dialogue and visuals, I was almost convinced someone was trying too hard to cater to the under 5s.

In fact, much of the movie revolves around Krypto. Well, sort of. Krypto does not exactly do much in this film. Krypto the Superdog is not doing a ton of “super” things. Part of it is due to what ends up being Supergirl’s inciting incident. Krypto gets shot with an arrow, leaving Supergirl with three days to keep him from dying. On paper, this should work. People want to see a dog’s owner kick butt whenever their pet gets put in peril. This could have been the “John Wick” of comic book movies! Maybe we will get to see Kara kill a guy with a pencil. For whatever reason, the movie does not give enough time to fully engage me into Kara and Krypto’s connection. I may sound like a moron, because I thought “Superman” did a good job at handling Krypto. He was cute, but not cuddly. This movie fails to give the dog a role this time around that matches the decency of the one he had in his previous go. When it comes to Krypto’s presence in “Supergirl,” he is nothing more than a pawn.

For those who have not been on the Internet that long, chances are you will run into, get this, sexist men who think women belong in the kitchen. Imagine that! If you clicked on this blog to see if there was a man running it with that viewpoint, you have come to the wrong place. I am not a woman, so my opinion here may not be as valid, but I think women deserve a better movie with its particular lead. This is not to say that Kara is a weak character. Judging by her powers and some of her actions in the film, she is quite strong. However, I wish the film gave her more of a personality. Yes, we see she loves to party. Yes, we see she loves her dog. But I never found myself attached to the character. Milly Alcock is not given the best material to work with, which may play into why a good portion of her line delivery feels flat in every other scene.

Part of my lack of enthusiasm towards Kara may be part of the film’s intentions. There is a line in this film given by Kara that sums up the differences between her and her super-cousin, Clark. She says that Clark sees the good in everyone, whereas she sees the truth. First off, did she steal Wonder Woman’s lasso? Give that back! It belongs to her! Second, I reflect on last year’s “Superman” with the sense that not only did I have fun watching it, but Clark maintained a sense of fun despite the many obstacles standing in his way. There is almost no fun to be had in “Supergirl.”

The film tries to be comedic, but I rarely even chuckled. In fact, while my auditorium was not quite sold out, there were a decent number of people there of various ages. I do not think a single person uttered a sound during the entire movie.

To top things off, Superman does appear in select sequences of the film, all of which are arguably the most fun parts of the entire runtime. “Supergirl” to DC sort of plays like “The Book of Boba Fett” does to the “Star Wars” universe. Not only does the film come off as cheap and fail to meet a certain standard, but I found the best part of it was when another character perhaps equal in terms of prominence got some of the spotlight. In this case, Superman is The Mandalorian, who shows up partway through the project and reminds the audience that it is time to have some fun. Supergirl, the “Boba Fett” in this example, is the character who, to my most unpleasant surprise, makes me want to fall asleep whenever she is on screen. Do I despise this character? No. I just was not that engaged with her, partially because I was not convinced she was wholly engaged in her own journey.

Going back to the time when I initially watched this film’s first trailer, I had a bad feeling about how this experience would go, but I was hoping to be wrong. Much like one particularly political intro to a 2016 episode of “The Simpsons,” I must say, “being right sucks.” There is a line from that trailer that made me nearly facepalm. Specifically, when Supergirl has a bunch of guns pointed at her, and she says to everyone holding said guns, “This is not going to end well – for you guys.” She sounds like a stand-up comedian dealing with a heckler, but she is turning her gears way too hard as she hopes to come up with a clever comeback, all the while she has nothing in the tank so she gives a response that makes said comedian go, “better than nothing.”

In fact, speaking of firsts, this script just so happens to be a first. The screenplay is written by Ana Nogueira, who has previous writing credits in theatrical productions and a short film, but “Supergirl” is her first feature-length script. You have to get your start somewhere, but I am not convinced that doing a second film in a cinematic universe featuring well-known comic book characters is the best way to get your feet wet. However, I do think it is smart to have a woman write the screenplay. I think a female perspective would enhance a project like this one. That said, I wish the screenplay had more to write home about and did not make me want to snooze. There is not a single character in the lineup that I found compelling, even if their respective performers are showing signs of effort.

If there is one thing I think DC has done better than Marvel, it is prioritizing female leads in their own films. We saw it in the DCEU with “Wonder Woman,” and with the current DCU, it only took two movies to make such a reality happen. Granted, we also live in a market that over time has likely become more noticeably open for female-led superhero movies. Plus, as general concepts, Supergirl and Wonder Woman have greater longevity than say Captain Marvel or Black Widow. I highly doubt that “Supergirl” is the second film simply because a woman is the lead. Though if this universe began in 2008 like the MCU did, chances are the world might not have been ready for a female-led superhero film following the failures of Marvel’s “Elektra” and DC’s “Catwoman,” at least from a financial point of view.

This is the second film in the DCU, so the timeline is still young. It is not easy to know where things will go from here. There’s “Clayface,” which sounds promising. Another “Superman” project is on the way. Also, just because this one project was a dud does not mean I am not looking forward to those other two. Sure, maybe my overall optimism about this timeline is lower than it was previously, but I am still onboard. In fact, for all I know, this universe could still turn out better than the previous one. We still have not gotten a deep dive into characters like Batman and Wonder Woman. Those characters are arguably more important to the overall state of DC than Supergirl. If those characters are featured in projects that are not up to a certain standard, then maybe an instant reboot may be necessary. The same can be said if future projects, regardless of the character, happen to showcase the same level of mediocrity that “Supergirl” did.

Also, going back to what I said about this film’s soundtrack, this film has one of the weirdest song placements I remember hearing in any movie ever. Towards the film’s end, there is a big action scene, the picture morphs into slo-mo, and in the background, Jimmy Eat World’s song “The Middle” starts playing. This is a great song. I love this song. I used to work at a Staples location, and this song would play constantly during my shifts. It was one of the highlights of my time there. Too bad they ended up playing a soft, quiet, cover version of it. For all I know, maybe there was a reason why they could not use the original song, but this cover version was not a good fit. Speaking of things that are not good fits, this movie was not exactly a good fit for my schedule. There is a list of more worthwhile things I could have done with my time. Watching this movie kept me from doing those things. Time is too valuable to waste on bad movies. I do not recommend watching this one.

In fact, to my surprise, I think I had a better experience watching the 1984 “Supergirl” movie starring Helen Slater. Sure, it looks dated at times, the villain is a bit over the top, the special effects are laughable, and some of the dialogue is plain awful. But there was a sense of wonder to be had with that film. The score is brilliant, the cinematography is sometimes beautiful, and even if her journey sometimes made for a questionable watch, I liked seeing Supergirl develop as a character. Is the movie flawed? Unquestionably. But it didn’t make me want to fall asleep unlike this 2026 counterpart.

In the end, “Supergirl” is a disappointment. Not only because this is simply a bad movie by itself, but because this sets a bad vibe for the DCU as a whole. Again, this is only the second film, so maybe this will wind up being the one bad movie in the entire run. Perhaps “Clayface” or the next “Superman” installment will change everything. But is this movie as super as its title suggests? Not really. This film lacks color, personality, and fun. I go to a big budget comic book movie with flashy heroes expecting to at the very least have fun. When these kinds of films lack fun, then what is the point of watching it? This wound up being one of the biggest bores of the year, sadly. I am glad to see Jason Momoa finally got to play Lobo, and maybe he will get to play the character again. Although I wish said character had a better start. Milly Alcock tries as the lead, but she is not given decent material to work with. If you want to watch a great DC film, just go watch “Superman.” If you want to watch a solid Craig Gillespie film, go back and watch “Dumb Money.” Avoid “Supergirl” if you can. I am going to give “Supergirl” a 2/10.

“Supergirl” is now playing in theaters everywhere. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! As a reminder, in addition to putting out film reviews like this one, I am also doing a special series in honor of Scene Before’s 10th anniversary called Movie Requests, which features me reviewing movies requested by your favorite stars. Be sure to check out my latest episode featuring Sandi Harding, who suggested I should review “The Goonies!”

I am also happy to announce that the next guest who will be featured in the series is “Lord of the Rings” actor Elijah Wood! I had a chance to talk to Wood in May during a convention in Philadelphia. With his permission, I was able to get his film suggestion. Hopefully, his suggestion is good enough that way he and I can have quite the fellowship! If you want to see the episode of me reviewing Wood’s film of choice, it is going to be out Sunday August 2nd! I will share the review here, but if you want to see the episode as fast as possible, please subscribe to my YouTube channel!

My next review is going to be for “Jackass: Best and Last!” Stay tuned! Also coming soon, I will be sharing my thoughts on “Obsession,” “Maddie’s Secret,” “Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass,” “The Odyssey,” and “Her Private Hell.” If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Supergirl?” What did you think about it? Or, have you seen the 1984 “Supergirl” movie? How does it compare to this new one? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!

Superman (2025): The DC Universe Begins with a Big Bang

Posted on by Jack Drees

“Superman” is directed by James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad) and stars David Corenswet (Twisters, Pearl), Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, House of Cards), Nicholas Hoult (The Menu, Juror #2), Edi Gathegi (Into the Badlands, Twilight), Anthony Carrigan (The Forgotten, Gotham), Nathan Fillion (The Rookie, Firefly), and Isabella Merced (Transformers: The Last Knight, Dora and the Lost City of Gold). This film centers around the titular hero as he takes on Lex Luthor while trying to win back the general public’s trust.

It’s finally here. A brand spankin’ new cinematic universe. Just like DC’s last attempt at one of these ongoing sagas, we are kicking things off with Superman, this time around played by David Corenswet. When the DC Universe was announced, I was excited about it. Yes, I was enjoying the DCEU, but demand for it to continue has clearly diminished with one unsuccessful project after another, so I get why this new universe is happening. What really sold me is who would be involved. There was Peter Safran, a producer behind many of Warner Bros.’ recent films, including some DC fare. And alongside him on the more creative side was James Gunn, the director of this very film.

While Gunn is not my favorite filmmaker working today, he has a respectable knack for the craft. I thought he was perfect to shepherd something like this partially because of his love for comic books, as well as his experience with adapting them into films like Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Plus, with the release of “The Suicide Squad” in 2021, he is responsible for making my favorite DC movie ever. And I say this as someone who has seen every DCEU movie. Every Christopher Reeve “Superman” movie.” Every Christopher Nolan “Batman” movie. Even “The LEGO Batman Movie.” Not to mention “V for Vendetta!” There was a point where “Superman” was my most anticipated film of the year. That has changed having seen the more recent marketing, which was not horrible, but kind of lost steam for me the more I knew about the film. There were undoubtedly plenty of creative marketing stunts in recent weeks, but if we are just talking about trailers, that is where I feel the batting average starts to weaken. But who knows? Maybe I could walk out of the movie having a blast.

A lot was riding on this film between a new cinematic universe, trying to get general audiences onboard, as well as making a relatable story about a god. James Gunn and Peter Safran can take a moment to breathe a sigh of relief. This film is excellent.

Is “Superman” my favorite comic book film of the year? No. I prefer “Thunderbolts*” over “Superman,” but there is no denying that the latter is a blast. That said, there is something that separates “Superman” from a lot of recent comic book movies, even some of the better ones. With this being a brand new cinematic universe, there is no homework to be done to prepare for this movie. “Superman” is not the first entry to the DC Universe. It is the first film installment, but the current cinematic universe started earlier this year on HBO Max with the animated series “Creature Commandos.” Even so, one can go into “Superman” knowing nothing about the DC Universe, the comics, or any other piece of media related to the character and have a good time. It likely helps if you are more attached to that stuff, but it is not necessary.

While “Superman” may not be my favorite comic book film of the year, there is a serious possibility that this is likely the best “Superman” movie ever. It is definitely a more generalized interpretation of the character than “Man of Steel” but it is more pleasing to the palate. Despite my praise for “Man of Steel” and what would be my favorite “Superman” film if it were not for this latest one coming out, “Superman: The Movie,” there are parts of both stories that drag. Meanwhile, in this film, the pacing is quite literally perfect. The film is not exactly an origin story, though it does introduce Superman’s birthparents as well as Ma and Pa Kent. Instead it starts off with Superman losing a battle for the first time. We are not even two minutes into the movie, and it has already made a literal god compelling and relatable with what may be his lowest low as a hero. And it does not even stop there. Because if you stick around for the rest of the film, Superman has to deal with issues that are not only relevant, but incredibly human.

“Superman” astoundingly links to multiple prominent real world issues. Whether it has to do nations or groups of people fighting each other, hostile world leaders, the downsides of social media, or having your life forever changed by false information. The film is also likely an allegory on immigration. After all, Superman is not from Earth. So, despite him living there, he is technically an illegal alien. The rivalry between Superman and Lex Luthor sees the latter irritated by the former because in a sense he, an outsider, is being prominently celebrated to the point where Lex, an Earthling, envies him. This film does an amazing job of putting pressures on a popular figure like Superman. He knows how to be a hero in a general sense, but he is not as super in other areas such as dealing with social media controversy or handling the press. Although I will say, as well as that last concept is, it is a tad unexpected considering Clark Kent works for a news outlet, but still.

When I think about “Superman” my mind often goes to about how hard the character must be to write, and this film does an amazing job in terms of its script. I was genuinely surprised by how hooked I was by James Gunn’s vision from start to finish. But the pressure must have been equally as high for David Corenswet. Some of you who have not seen this movie yet are probably wondering who Corenswet is, but if you watch the film, I think he would be responsible for putting a smile on your face. When it comes to the movie variants of Supes, I do not think a single performer has ever been bad. That said, as much respect as I have for Henry Cavill as Superman in the DCEU, I think Corenswet’s character channels more joy, and he works well that way. Part of this is due to how he was written and directed, but when I look at Corenswet and hear him speak, it allows for an incredibly welcoming presence. While this Superman is very much Corenswet’s own thing, his interpretation somewhat reminded me of what I enjoy about Christopher Reeve’s take on the character. He is a likable role model, albeit flawed in certain ways.

We learn that there is so much more to Superman behind the big fat “S.” Going back to what I said about his handling of controversy, there is a fantastic scene early on in the film where the pressures of an interview are getting to him. Lois Lane is asking him a bunch of questions and he ends up saying things that he then realizes he probably did not want to say. We see that Supes is strong on the outside, but he might not always be the best at hiding his emotions. This is not to say he is a wuss. If anything, it means he avoids falling into the trap of toxic masculinity, but he also is not afraid to showcase how he really feels.

The surprise star of the show? Krypto the Superdog. I genuinely did not expect to like this character as much as I did. First off, I am not a dog person. I am allergic to dogs and my sensitive ears are not exactly the best things to have when a dog happens to be near me and starts barking up a storm. But Krypto is perfectly utilized here. He is not exactly a “good boy.” Though I can see one making a valid argument suggesting he actually is, considering he is loyal to his master. To my surprise, Krypto’s action scenes brought out some of my biggest laughs during the film.

The thing I perhaps loved most about this movie is its nature to embrace the silly and fantastical. Of course, with this being a James Gunn film, there is a scene where Superman takes on a kaiju in the middle of Metropolis. The film skips over Superman’s origin story and introduces other DC heroes like Hawkgirl, Metamorpho, Green Lantern, and the fantastically portrayed Mr. Terrific. James Gunn knows how to inject charisma into characters who may seem like they belong in the background, and Mr. Terrific is one such example. He is most certainly as terrific as his name suggests. I almost cannot see anyone else but Edi Gathegi in his shoes. Every line out of him is given with such pizazz. I would love to have lunch with Mr. Terrific if I was given the chance.

The film kind of reminds me of a Studio Ghibli title like “Ponyo.” One of my favorite things about that film is that even the adults seem to embrace things some in “the real world” would consider to be out there or of the land of make believe. I found it fascinating how Lois Lane, who by the way is excellently portrayed by Rachel Brosnahan, simply accepts the idea that she is flying an intuitive, advanced super vehicle.

That said, with this being a comic book movie, we have the return of one of the most overused jokes in the sub-genre. Specifically, this film has a gag that has something to do with a specific name. This is a joke as common as a Dunkin’ location in New England. It is not always a bad joke, it is just overdone. This time around, it revolves around the group of heroes trying to determine what exactly to call their team. The jokes are passable and by no means offensive. But they sometimes lack originality, especially coming off of “Thunderbolts*” which handled this cliché surprisingly well.

Speaking of humor, that is something that James Gunn is no stranger to in his movies. If you are coming to “Superman” to laugh, I am not saying you won’t, but the laughs in this film are not as strong as say “Guardians of the Galaxy” or “The Suicide Squad.” Then again, laughter is not exactly the most important item on the to-do list of making a “Superman” movie. That said, it is nice to have. The script, while definitely lighthearted, sucks me in to the point where I am more excited to see Lex Luthor lose his mind.

On that note, Nicholas Hoult is irreplaceable as Lex Luthor. They say a movie is only as good as its villain. And I will remember Hoult’s interpretation of the iconic villain for a very long time. Hoult has proven himself to be a solid actor in previous projects like “The Menu” and “Juror #2.” Meanwhile in “Superman,” Hoult unleashes a side of himself I am not used to seeing. His take on Lex Luthor is almost hyperactive nightmare fuel. While Lex Luthor may look like someone who can take a punch at times, he is beyond intimidating. His methods of trying to kill Superman sometimes teeter into Saturday morning cartoon territory, but James Gunn made me buy much of the movie’s over the top tendencies and choices.

With this being the first movie of its cinematic universe, “Superman” spends a little time teasing what is ahead, and I am interested to see what is next. Of course, I am a bit predisposed to these kinds of projects, but I probably would not be as excited for what lies ahead if I was not enjoying what was already in front of me. “Superman” may not be the best movie of the year, but it is unbelievably fun. It would have been a colossal disappointment if this movie failed because you only have one chance to make a first impression. I cannot wait to see what the DCU delivers from here on out.

In the end, “Superman” is a super fun time! Is it James Gunn’s best comic book movie? No. But it is also far from his worst. It is miles better than “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.” “Superman” is one of the most joy-filled movies of the year. It is packed with well written, phenomenally cast characters. The film never denies that “Superman” is a godly creature, but also spends lots of time humanizing him. I loved getting to know Clark Kent, as well as his alter ego. The story may be relevant, but it is delivered in such an otherworldly vibe. I was under the impression I was watching James Gunn flip comic book pages right in front of a projector lens. While I thought the score from John Murphy and David Fleming score could have used more memorable original bits and pieces, I thought the nods to John Williams’ music added a nice touch at times. Kind of like “Jurassic World: Rebirth,” I get why Williams’ music made into the final cut. He knows how to craft an epic theme. The film is off and on in the comedy department, but when it lands, it is smooth as butter. Go see this film with a group of people, everyone is guaranteed to have a great time. I am going to give “Superman” an 8/10.

“Superman” is now playing in theaters. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! My next review is going to be for the brand new action movie “Guns Up.” Stay tuned! Also coming soon, I will be sharing my thoughts on “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” “The Bad Guys 2,” “Smurfs,” “Together,” and “Oh, Hi!.” If you want to see these review, and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Superman?” What did you think about it? Or, what are some things you are looking forward to seeing in the DCU going forward? Is there anything that has not been revealed yet that you would like to see? Personally, “Peacemaker” season 2 cannot come fast enough. Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!

Blue Beetle (2023): DC’s Third Solid Outing in 2023 Comic Book Cinema

Posted on by Jack Drees

“Blue Beetle” is directed by Ángel Manuel Soto (Charm City Kings, Menudo: Forever Young) and stars Xolo Maridueña (Parenthood, Cobra Kai), Adriana Barraza (Babel, Drag Me to Hell), Damian Alcazar (The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Narcos), Bruna Marquezine (En Familia, Breaking Through), Raoul Trujillo (Apocolypto, Sicario), Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise, The Rocky Horror Picture Show), and George Lopez (George Lopez, Rio). This film is about Jaime Reyes, a recent college grad who is given powers courtesy of an alien scarab. Now in possession of his newfound abilities, he must use his new tricks to save his family, and the world.

Comic book movie fatigue… They are the three words that a plethora of people watching entertainment appear to spew every now and again, until it suddenly goes away. As for myself, I can say it is something I have never experienced. I have loved comic book movies ever since I was a kid, and I continue to do so today. Even if a talented filmmaker like Martin Scorsese calls them theme parks, it has not stopped me from endorsing them. In fact, throughout the decade, we have gotten a couple bangers like “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” In fact, just this year, we saw “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” which is now in contention to be amongst my top 5, if not top 3, comic book movies of all time. It is a one of a kind, game-changing, and earth-shattering addition to the genre. It has a certain kind of specialty to it that I have not witnessed in years. Despite being spoiled with “Across the Spider-Verse” recently, which somehow surpassed my monumental expectations, I will say “Blue Beetle” on the other hand had me less interested going into it.

Now let me be clear, I have seen every DCEU movie thus far. Everything from “Man of Steel” to “Birds of Prey.” I even saw “Wonder Woman 1984” in theaters. I even saw the last two that I have come to realize a lot of people ended up skipping. “Shazam!: Fury of the Gods” and “The Flash.” And honestly, both movies are quite good. They’re nowhere near perfect, but they delivered plenty of joy, brought some cool action to the table, and I had a lot of fun watching both. “Shazam!: Fury of the Gods” definitely had its cliches, but I still had a blast watching it. “The Flash” had a well executed story, a great protagonist, and a couple clever sequences. Admittedly, I kind of understand why “The Flash” did not do well for the most part. If you skipped the movie because of Ezra Miller, I am not going to hold that against you. It is the same thing I said about “West Side Story” when it comes to Ansel Elgort at the time. That said, Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” is excellent and has my full endorsement. You absolutely should watch it if you have not done so already.

But I imagine part of why DCEU movies have not done so well recently can contribute to a number of factors in addition the recent Ezra Miller shenanigans. Less than stellar marketing. Interesting release date choices. Underusing core characters like Batman and Superman. Making some movies rated R, therefore excluding the younger audience. Although given how it gave us “The Suicide Squad,” I have no complaints.

From the beginning, audiences lost their trust in the brand early. I liked a lot of the DCEU, but it does not change the fact that most of these movies play second fiddle to the MCU, which has defined comic book cinema for years. Since the pandemic started, every single one of these movies underperformed at the box office to some degree (granted, some went straight to HBO Max). Even “Black Adam” ended up making less money than I would have expected. But can “Blue Beetle” change things or is it too little too late?

Well… Given how James Gunn and Peter Safran are going to hit the reset button pretty soon I think the latter may be the more definitive answer in this case. But in reality, if you want to know my thoughts on “Blue Beetle,” I walked out of the movie having a good time. Much like “Shazam!: Fury of the Gods,” this definitely relies on known beats to further things along. But as I have said about certain films, familiar things can work if they are done well, and that is the case with “Blue Beetle.”

The story and the rivalry it forms feels very been there done that. Basically, someone is creating an advanced machine that can potentially be utilized for war, and now it has to be stopped before things get out of hand. The technology of interest from Kord Industries in this film felt very much like something from Stark Industries. But what makes this giant tech company work is the protagonist’s developed connection to it.

After all, Jaime is a recent college grad. As someone who graduated college in the past year and a half, I found myself in a somewhat similar rut to Jaime at this point of his life. Basically, now that college is over, he is trying to find a job, but he cannot get anything no matter how hard he tries. That was my life for an extended period until I found myself in a couple positions right now that I am happy with. One of my favorite lines in this film is something I have always wondered on my job search. Jaime at one point asks how he is going to get experience if no one is going to give him a job. It is honestly one of the most relatable sentences I have ever heard. How can one prove themselves if they are never given the chance to do so?

One of the reasons why I was somewhat worried. Not completely worried, but somewhat worried, about “Blue Beetle” is that prior to the release of the film, it was announced that the film would go straight to HBO Max, or Max as it is now called. That was also going to be the case for a “Batgirl” movie starring Leslie Grace, which eventually got scrapped. As much as I am not a fan of the way certain things have been handled at Warner Bros. recently under David Zaslav, I will defend the scrapping of “Batgirl” because I worry its release would have done more harm than good for DC, which is already somewhat weak in the public eye to a certain degree. On the other hand, “Blue Beetle” got promoted to a theatrical release. The way all movies should be shown in my opinion… But this had me weary about the overall look of the film. Would it look too artificial? Too fake? Would the CGI look like something from many years ago?

Thankfully, that is not the case. In fact, I think of all the DC movies that have come out this year, “Blue Beetle” may be the best looking of all of them. I can drop a compliment for all the DCEU titles and their looks this year. I even thought “The Flash” looked okay at times, but I think there are a few moments of painfully obvious CGI or green screen. But this film is colorful, bright, and has a lively feel to it at all times. It does not look like a straight to streaming title, which may be a small part of why it got promoted in the first place. Like many entries of the comic book movie genre, there are some occasionally obvious effects, but even those are not dealbreakers. They never took me out of the movie. But the ultimate question is… Does “Blue Beetle” look like it was made for television? That would be a no. I have seen better looking movies of this caliber, but I have also seen worse. That said, I am not going to pretend this is on the level of “Avengers: Endgame.”

Again, when it comes to the comic book movie genre, I think it is obvious that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is king when it comes to that market. But I would say even their better movies like “Guardians of the Galaxy” or “Doctor Strange” fall by the wayside when it comes to the villain. One of the more prominent positives I have with “Blue Beetle” is the fact that the villain is actually kind of intimidating. Susan Sarandon does a pretty good job with the material given to her as Victoria Kord. Granted, if I had one complaint about her it is that she does emit some nearly one-dimensional mustache-twirly vibes every once in a while. Yet with that in mind, she still plays the part perfectly. But first impressions often matter in movie, and I knew from the very beginning, through decent on-screen execution, that I was not supposed to like this character.

Ultimately, it is the antagonist’s intimidation in this film that only makes the protagonist’s journey all the more exciting. I enjoyed watching Xolo Maridueña not only as the Blue Beetle in action, but as his other self, Jaime Reyes. A foundation of a lot of great comic book superheroes are the people behind the mask, and that is why despite the vast number of Spider-Man stories we have seen over the years, I will not deny the instant charm of Peter Parker, no matter who is playing him. Well… Okay, I don’t think Andrew Garfield truly shined as his Peter persona until “No Way Home.” But what makes Reyes work is that classic superhero/personal life balance that suddenly enters his life. While he is busy following his task of saving the world, he also has his family, he has a new love interest, he has to find a career. But balancing all of that becomes a bit harder with his newfound responsibilities. The marketing of “Blue Beetle” very much forwards the notion that the protagonist does not want to be in the situation he finds himself in. While in some cases it may not be exciting to have a protagonist who wants to avert from adventure, “Blue Beetle” makes it work to the best of its ability. Going back to Peter Parker, he makes the choice to be who he is because his mentor dies. He chose the superhero life. With Jaime Reyes, the superhero life chose him before he could turn back. Sure, Reyes took his responsibility into his own hands, and despite some initial aversion, he may have found glimmers of fun in his journey, but his resistance to his powers become a driving force throughout the much of the film. This whole idea is kind of relatable. If I suddenly became a superhero, awesome. I would love to fly around in the air and wave hi to people on a plane. But if that power came with some extra outside factors, I would like to know about them before going any further.

As for other standouts in the film, I would have to say I really enjoyed Reyes’s family. All of them are well portrayed by their respective actors, well-written, and by the end of the film, they kind of gave me the same joy that I got from say the Parrs in “The Incredibles.” This may also feel kind of gimmicky, but I always enjoy seeing an elderly woman, in this movie’s case, the character of Nana, wielding a machine gun and going to town with it, which does happen by the film’s end. The film has some genuinely fun, joyous moments, and I left the cinema with a smile on my face. While it may not be the next “Anchorman,” “Blue Beetle” has some funny moments in it as well.

As a comic book movie, “Blue Beetle,” like “Shazam!: Fury of the Gods,” kind of scratches the surface and relies on some familiar beats. But I will not lie and say that they made for a well-structured, well-paced, and entertaining story. I even enjoyed the climax of the film, which does feel a bit familiar, but it ends in such a way where I admired the thinking of the characters in the situation. Speaking of the characters, all of them emit charm and come off as people I would want to hang out with.

In the end, “Blue Beetle” is a really good time. This movie honestly deserves to do better than it is doing right now. As of this writing, the film’s box office total has surpassed its budget. That said, it probably would need to make anywhere around two to three times that to break even. I am not going to pretend I am loving everything Warner Brothers is up to right now, but I am always happy to see when a film I like succeeds. But if you want a great movie to watch about a compelling family with a fascinating hero in the center of it all, I recommend “Blue Beetle.” I think of the DC movies that have come out this year, this is my favorite one they have done. It is a far cry from my favorite DCEU entry, “The Suicide Squad,” but if you are looking for something to watch in the theater right now, this is a solid option. It might even be good to watch with family. There is one intense scene that may be hard to watch, but other than that, this is a fine family movie night option. I am going to give “Blue Beetle” a 7/10.

“Blue Beetle” is now playing in theaters everywhere. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! Speaking of intense movie moments that may be hard to watch with your family, my next review is going to be for the brand new R-rated comedy “Strays.” Stay tuned! Also look forward to my reviews for “Gran Turismo,” “Meg 2: The Trench,” and “Bottoms!” If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account. Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Blue Beetle?” What did you think about it? Or would you want superpowers? Why or why not? And if you do want them, which would you like to have if you could only choose one? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!