Sylvester Stallone's "Rambo" movies might not be as beloved as his "Rocky" films, but they've had just as fascinating a trajectory. What's more, they've been incredibly influential in the history of action movies, charting the general evolution of the genre across four decades. If you want to get an insight into the state of action filmmaking at a certain time, "Rambo" films are a good gauge.
"First Blood," the inaugural "Rambo" film, was noteworthy for blending what are now well-known action tropes with an attempt at exploring the very real issue of Ptsd in the context of the Vietnam War. Stallone's John J. Rambo was introduced as a former United States Army Special Forces officer who despite his preternatural combat skills was haunted by his experiences overseas. Following that, the character of Rambo underwent somewhat of a transformation throughout the '80s, becoming the epitome of the muscle-bound,...
"First Blood," the inaugural "Rambo" film, was noteworthy for blending what are now well-known action tropes with an attempt at exploring the very real issue of Ptsd in the context of the Vietnam War. Stallone's John J. Rambo was introduced as a former United States Army Special Forces officer who despite his preternatural combat skills was haunted by his experiences overseas. Following that, the character of Rambo underwent somewhat of a transformation throughout the '80s, becoming the epitome of the muscle-bound,...
- 4/14/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
‘Drag Me to Hell’ – New Australian Blu-ray Celebrates 15 Years of Sam Raimi’s Horror Return [Review]
Of all the masters of horror that helped to reshape the genre as we know it in the ’70s and ’80s, none were more successful in branching out and achieving commercial success within the studio system than Sam Raimi. His Spider-Man trilogy laid the groundwork for the influx of comic book movies that would follow, but he was eager to return to his roots following the third installment’s turbulent production.
Armed with $30 million and complete creative control, Raimi dusted off a story he wrote with elder brother and frequent collaborator Ivan Raimi back in the ’90s to make his triumphant return to horror with Drag Me to Hell in 2009. The Raimi broters seemingly drew inspiration from 1957’s Night of the Demon but injected it with a heavy dose of Evil Dead DNA, most closely evoking Evil Dead 2‘s cartoonish blend of over-the-top splatter and tongue-in-cheek humor.
If the use...
Armed with $30 million and complete creative control, Raimi dusted off a story he wrote with elder brother and frequent collaborator Ivan Raimi back in the ’90s to make his triumphant return to horror with Drag Me to Hell in 2009. The Raimi broters seemingly drew inspiration from 1957’s Night of the Demon but injected it with a heavy dose of Evil Dead DNA, most closely evoking Evil Dead 2‘s cartoonish blend of over-the-top splatter and tongue-in-cheek humor.
If the use...
- 3/8/2024
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
Here’s some exciting news: Deadline reports that Tom Cruise is set to star in a new movie from Alejandro Iñárritu for Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment. This would be Iñárritu’s first English language movie since The Revenant, which hit theaters nearly a decade ago.
Plot details are being kept under wraps, but it’s said that Iñárritu co-wrote the script last year with Sabina Berman as well as his Birdman co-writers Alexander Dinelaris and Nicolás Giacobone. It was reported yesterday that Tom Cruise was looking to return to more serious, dramatic fare with an award-winning director, and Alejandro Iñárritu certainly fits the bill. The movie will also be the first project that will fall under Cruise’s strategic partnership with Warner Bros.
Related Will Tom Cruise return to more serious dramatic movies under Warner Bros. deal?
According to Deadline’s report, Cruise arranged a meeting with Iñárritu as...
Plot details are being kept under wraps, but it’s said that Iñárritu co-wrote the script last year with Sabina Berman as well as his Birdman co-writers Alexander Dinelaris and Nicolás Giacobone. It was reported yesterday that Tom Cruise was looking to return to more serious, dramatic fare with an award-winning director, and Alejandro Iñárritu certainly fits the bill. The movie will also be the first project that will fall under Cruise’s strategic partnership with Warner Bros.
Related Will Tom Cruise return to more serious dramatic movies under Warner Bros. deal?
According to Deadline’s report, Cruise arranged a meeting with Iñárritu as...
- 2/22/2024
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Sally Potter To Re-Release 2009 Feature ‘Rage’ As Series Of Instagram Posts To Mark 15th Anniversary
British filmmaker Sally Potter has set plans to re-release her 2009 feature Rage, starring Riz Ahmed, Lily Cole, Jude Law, and Judi Dench, as a series of posts on Instagram, to mark the film’s 15th anniversary.
Potter has said the movie will unravel over several “real-time” posts across seven days, starting February 23.
The film also stars Patrick J Adams, Jacob Cedergren, John Leguizamo, Eddie Izzard, David Oyelowo, Dianne Wiest, Steve Buscemi, Adriana Barraza, Simon Abkarian and Bob Balaban. The original concept in 2009 was for the film to be watched on smartphones. The synopsis reads: Michelangelo, an unseen schoolboy armed only with a mobile phone, goes behind the scenes at a New York fashion show for seven days in which an accident on the catwalk turns into a murder investigation, and his interviews with key players become a bitterly funny expose of an industry in crisis.
The story unfolds shot by shot,...
Potter has said the movie will unravel over several “real-time” posts across seven days, starting February 23.
The film also stars Patrick J Adams, Jacob Cedergren, John Leguizamo, Eddie Izzard, David Oyelowo, Dianne Wiest, Steve Buscemi, Adriana Barraza, Simon Abkarian and Bob Balaban. The original concept in 2009 was for the film to be watched on smartphones. The synopsis reads: Michelangelo, an unseen schoolboy armed only with a mobile phone, goes behind the scenes at a New York fashion show for seven days in which an accident on the catwalk turns into a murder investigation, and his interviews with key players become a bitterly funny expose of an industry in crisis.
The story unfolds shot by shot,...
- 2/20/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Sally Potter is taking her “Rage” to Instagram. IndieWire can exclusively reveal that the lauded British filmmaker will release her iconic 2009 film in a series of Instagram posts beginning on February 23.
“Rage” was the first full-length feature film specifically designed to be watched on mobile phones. Shot in a vertical format as a series of to-camera monologues, the Instagram release will feature a new shot being posted daily, leading up to the March 8 theatrical release from Abramorama to mark the 15th anniversary of the film’s Berlinale debut. “Rage” will screen with anniversary theatrical and non-theatrical engagements across North America and land on a Direct-to-Consumer digital and VOD placements later.
The film first premiered at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival, and follows an unseen student named Michelangelo who goes behind the scenes at a New York fashion show. However, over the course of a week, Michelangelo is thrust into the center...
“Rage” was the first full-length feature film specifically designed to be watched on mobile phones. Shot in a vertical format as a series of to-camera monologues, the Instagram release will feature a new shot being posted daily, leading up to the March 8 theatrical release from Abramorama to mark the 15th anniversary of the film’s Berlinale debut. “Rage” will screen with anniversary theatrical and non-theatrical engagements across North America and land on a Direct-to-Consumer digital and VOD placements later.
The film first premiered at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival, and follows an unseen student named Michelangelo who goes behind the scenes at a New York fashion show. However, over the course of a week, Michelangelo is thrust into the center...
- 2/20/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Roadside Attractions has acquired U.S. distribution rights from City Hill Arts to the family adventure, The Penguin & The Fisherman, inspired by the incredible true story and viral sensation of João Perei de Souza (Jeno Reno) and a lost penguin who, after being rescued from an oil spill, transforms the life and soul of a heartbroken fisherman. Also starring Babel‘s Adriana Barraza, the film is set for a late summer/early fall wide release.
Lionsgate is aboard for Home Entertainment, with Fortitude International handling foreign sales.
When The Penguin & The Fisherman begins, De Souza has turned away from the world in the wake of tragedy. But when he discovers a penguin drifting alone in the ocean, drenched in oil from a spill, his first instinct is to help. To the dismay of his wife (Barraza) dismay, he not only rescues the sea creature, but takes the flightless bird under his wing.
Lionsgate is aboard for Home Entertainment, with Fortitude International handling foreign sales.
When The Penguin & The Fisherman begins, De Souza has turned away from the world in the wake of tragedy. But when he discovers a penguin drifting alone in the ocean, drenched in oil from a spill, his first instinct is to help. To the dismay of his wife (Barraza) dismay, he not only rescues the sea creature, but takes the flightless bird under his wing.
- 2/16/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Thanks to ‘beetlemania’, take another look at “Blue Beetle”, the live-action superhero feature, based on the DC Comics character ‘Jaime Reyes’, directed by Angel Manuel Soto, starring Xolo Maridueña, Bruna Marquezine, Belissa Escobedo, George Lopez, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo, Damián Alcázar, Raoul Trujillo and Susan Sarandon, now streaming on Max:
“…Recent college grad ‘Jaime Reyes’ (Xolo Mariduena) returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it.
"As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the ‘Scarab’.
"When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor...
"...capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers forever...
"...changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero ‘Blue Beetle’…”
Click the images to enlarge…...
“…Recent college grad ‘Jaime Reyes’ (Xolo Mariduena) returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it.
"As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the ‘Scarab’.
"When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor...
"...capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers forever...
"...changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero ‘Blue Beetle’…”
Click the images to enlarge…...
- 12/28/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Lysette is excellent as a young woman returning home to care for her dying mother in Andrea Pallaoro’s intelligently crafted film
A mysterious miracle is at the heart of this absorbing and superbly acted film from the Italian director Andrea Pallaoro, which refuses the cliched “issue movie” beats of confrontation, catharsis and resolution. Like his previous work Hannah, which starred Charlotte Rampling as the haunted, troubled woman of that name, Monica is marked by its cool compositional rigour: scenes from a life are evoked with studied, often wordless vignettes and middle-distance shots from fixed camera positions, combined occasionally with looming, asymmetrical closeups.
Trans performer Trace Lysette plays Monica, who has an income from sex work and who, perhaps for professional reasons, has cultivated a coolly resonant, pleasingly modulated voice, which nonetheless rises to anger in various phone conversations of which we hear just one side: conversations with her partner...
A mysterious miracle is at the heart of this absorbing and superbly acted film from the Italian director Andrea Pallaoro, which refuses the cliched “issue movie” beats of confrontation, catharsis and resolution. Like his previous work Hannah, which starred Charlotte Rampling as the haunted, troubled woman of that name, Monica is marked by its cool compositional rigour: scenes from a life are evoked with studied, often wordless vignettes and middle-distance shots from fixed camera positions, combined occasionally with looming, asymmetrical closeups.
Trans performer Trace Lysette plays Monica, who has an income from sex work and who, perhaps for professional reasons, has cultivated a coolly resonant, pleasingly modulated voice, which nonetheless rises to anger in various phone conversations of which we hear just one side: conversations with her partner...
- 12/12/2023
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Warner Bros. is taking Blue Beetle to the Max. The DC superhero film, starring Xolo Maridueña as the insectile superhero, will start streaming on Max on Friday, November 17, as the platform announced in an X post. In the film, which hit theaters in August, Maridueña plays Jaime Reyes, a recent college grad who “returns home full of aspirations for his future… only to find that home is not quite as he left it,” as DC Studios explains. Jaime finds his calling, though, when the Scarab, an ancient relic of alien biotechnology, chooses him to be its symbiotic host, giving the young man an “incredible suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers.” Written by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer (Miss Bala) and directed by Ángel Manuel Soto (Charm City Kings), Blue Beetle also features Adriana Barraza, Damián Alcázar, Raoul Max Trujillo, Susan Sarandon, and George Lopez. Critics gave the Blue Beetle warm reviews,...
- 11/11/2023
- TV Insider
“Blue Beetle”, the live-action superhero feature, based on the DC Comics character ‘Jaime Reyes’, directed by Angel Manuel Soto, starring Xolo Maridueña, Bruna Marquezine, Belissa Escobedo, George Lopez, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo, Damián Alcázar, Raoul Trujillo and Susan Sarandon, streams November 17, 2023 on Max:
“…Recent college grad ‘Jaime Reyes’ (Xolo Mariduena) returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it.
"As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the ‘Scarab’.
"When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor...
"...capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers forever...
"...changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero ‘Blue Beetle’…”
Click the images to enlarge…...
“…Recent college grad ‘Jaime Reyes’ (Xolo Mariduena) returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it.
"As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the ‘Scarab’.
"When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor...
"...capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers forever...
"...changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero ‘Blue Beetle’…”
Click the images to enlarge…...
- 11/11/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
“Blue Beetle” will crawl its way to streaming this month. Warner Bros’ latest DC superhero adventure will arrive on Max on Nov. 17.
Buy Now
Directed by Ángel Manuel Soto, the film centers on college graduate Jaime Reyes ( Xolo Maridueña) who gets chosen to become a symbiotic host to an ancient alien biotech relic that turns him into the superhero known as Blue Beetle. As one of the most preeminent Latino superheroes in comic book history, the “Blue Beetle” cast is predominantly Latino, including Bruna Marquezine, George Lopez, Raoul Max Trujillo, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo, Damián Alcázar and Belissa Escobedo, along with Susan Sarandon.
The film, which came out in April, dethroned “Barbie” for the No. 1 spot but took in a softer-than-expected debut of $25.4 million.
The film represents the penultimate release of the current DC Studios regime, with the upcoming “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” representing the final installment before the...
Buy Now
Directed by Ángel Manuel Soto, the film centers on college graduate Jaime Reyes ( Xolo Maridueña) who gets chosen to become a symbiotic host to an ancient alien biotech relic that turns him into the superhero known as Blue Beetle. As one of the most preeminent Latino superheroes in comic book history, the “Blue Beetle” cast is predominantly Latino, including Bruna Marquezine, George Lopez, Raoul Max Trujillo, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo, Damián Alcázar and Belissa Escobedo, along with Susan Sarandon.
The film, which came out in April, dethroned “Barbie” for the No. 1 spot but took in a softer-than-expected debut of $25.4 million.
The film represents the penultimate release of the current DC Studios regime, with the upcoming “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” representing the final installment before the...
- 11/10/2023
- by Anna Tingley
- Variety Film + TV
“Blue Beetle”, the new live-action superhero feature, based on the DC Comics character ‘Jaime Reyes’, directed by Angel Manuel Soto, starring Xolo Maridueña, Bruna Marquezine, Belissa Escobedo, George Lopez, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo, Damián Alcázar, Raoul Trujillo and Susan Sarandon, is now available on Prime Video:
“…Recent college grad ‘Jaime Reyes’ (Xolo Mariduena) returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it.
"As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the ‘Scarab’.
"When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor...
"...capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers forever...
"...changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero ‘Blue Beetle’…”
Click the images to enlarge…...
“…Recent college grad ‘Jaime Reyes’ (Xolo Mariduena) returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it.
"As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the ‘Scarab’.
"When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor...
"...capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers forever...
"...changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero ‘Blue Beetle’…”
Click the images to enlarge…...
- 9/28/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission.
It seems that “Blue Beetle” has come full circle. The superhero movie was originally slated as an HBO Max (now simply known as Max) streaming release, but then moved to a theatrical run during development. And while it was a box office disappointment — despite getting the top spot during its opening weekend in early August — “Blue Beetle” might find more of an audience when it’s released on digital on September 26.
It’s available to stream as a digital purchase in 4K Ultra HD for $24.99 on Prime Video. If you aren’t a Prime member, you can sign up for a free trial here.
Buy: Blue Beetle $24.99
The Ángel Manuel Soto-directed movie tells the story of Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña), a recent-college graduate who returns home to the fictional Palmera City in Florida.
It seems that “Blue Beetle” has come full circle. The superhero movie was originally slated as an HBO Max (now simply known as Max) streaming release, but then moved to a theatrical run during development. And while it was a box office disappointment — despite getting the top spot during its opening weekend in early August — “Blue Beetle” might find more of an audience when it’s released on digital on September 26.
It’s available to stream as a digital purchase in 4K Ultra HD for $24.99 on Prime Video. If you aren’t a Prime member, you can sign up for a free trial here.
Buy: Blue Beetle $24.99
The Ángel Manuel Soto-directed movie tells the story of Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña), a recent-college graduate who returns home to the fictional Palmera City in Florida.
- 9/26/2023
- by Rudie Obias
- Variety Film + TV
Prepare for the action-packed, modern origin story that takes a fresh, fun look at the Super Hero genre in a can’t-miss spectacle of vibrant visuals, humor and heart when “Blue Beetle” arrives for purchase Digitally at home on September 26. The film is directed by Ángel Manuel Soto (“Charm City Kings”) with Xolo Maridueña (“Cobra Kai”) starring in the DC Super Hero’s first-ever standalone feature film. The film will also be available to purchase on 4K Uhd, Blu-ray and DVD on October 31. The “Blue Beetle” ensemble cast also includes Adriana Barraza, Damían Alcázar, Elpidia ... Read more...
- 9/21/2023
- by Thomas Miller
- Seat42F
‘Blue Beetle,’ the latest and second-to-last Dceu movie, was released last August, and as it was anticipated, the movie didn’t really do well at the box office. Despite positive reviews from critics and audiences (78% on Tomatometer and 92% on Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes), the movie grossed only $120 million worldwide, which makes it the lowest-grossing Dceu movie ever, falling behind this year’s ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods,’ which grossed only $133 million.
Xolo Maridueña’s debut as the Blue Beetle received favorable criticism, and we can’t blame the movie for its commercial failure. It’s a fact that this movie was released at the worst possible time, and with everything going on around DC Studios and the ongoing strikes, this movie was never given a chance to succeed. Still, James Gunn previously said that he has plans for Maridueña’s Blue Beetle in the future of his Dcu, so...
Xolo Maridueña’s debut as the Blue Beetle received favorable criticism, and we can’t blame the movie for its commercial failure. It’s a fact that this movie was released at the worst possible time, and with everything going on around DC Studios and the ongoing strikes, this movie was never given a chance to succeed. Still, James Gunn previously said that he has plans for Maridueña’s Blue Beetle in the future of his Dcu, so...
- 9/21/2023
- by Lukas Abramovich
- Comic Basics
Ángel Manuel Soto and Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer's "Blue Beetle" (check out our review here) may not have been a box office success, but the latest venture from DC Studios and one of the last films of the DC Cinematic Universe before James Gunn and Peter Safran revamp the studio is thankfully one of the most fun. Not to mention, it's also one of the rare instances where a superhero movie embraces cultural specificity, instead of just perpetuating the same ol' white stories over and over again. If you've yet to see the film, here's what to expect.
Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) is a recent college grad returning home and ready to take on the world, but a lot has changed over the last four years, and home looks quite a bit different. Thrust into a bit of a quarter-life crisis, Jaime searches for purpose when he comes across an ancient...
Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) is a recent college grad returning home and ready to take on the world, but a lot has changed over the last four years, and home looks quite a bit different. Thrust into a bit of a quarter-life crisis, Jaime searches for purpose when he comes across an ancient...
- 9/20/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
If you missed DC’s Blue Beetle in theaters, next week is your chance to own the movie on digital platforms! “Own your legacy, own your power, own Blue Beetle on Digital 9/26!” reads a post on the social media platform formally known as Twitter. While Blue Beetle only snagged $120 million worldwide in box office receipts, it’s still the most well-received Dceu movie of 2023. If you’re into numbers, Blue Beetle maintains a 78% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with The Flash holding fast to 63%, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods hanging its head in last place with 49%.
“As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab,” reads the official Blue Beetle synopsis. “When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of...
“As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab,” reads the official Blue Beetle synopsis. “When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of...
- 9/20/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Xolo Mariduena wants to make a 'Blue Beetle' trilogy.The 22-year-old actor plays the title role in the new DC Extended Universe (Dceu) movie and hopes it serves as only the beginning of a wider story.Asked about the prospect of making three films, Xolo told SFX magazine: "I'm ready for it to be like 'Star Wars', six movies. I'm just kidding. "But yes, I am. Everyone involved, even (producers) Peter Safran and James Gunn, we see this as a larger story, and I want this to be a trilogy. There's so much more to tell in this story. I'm honoured to have just made the first one."'Blue Beetle' is the first live-action superhero film with a Latino actor in the starring role and Xolo felt that family was an essential element of the picture – which also features Adriana Barraza and Damian Alcazar.The 'Cobra...
- 9/2/2023
- by Joe Graber
- Bang Showbiz
Angel Manuel Soto was desperate to cast Mexican actors in 'Blue Beetle'.The Puerto Rican filmmaker has directed the new DC Extended Universe (Dceu) film – the first live-action movie to feature a Latino superhero in the form of Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle – and wanted the casting to be as authentic as possible.Speaking to Collider, Angel said: "One of the things that we wanted to do, first of all, was hire Mexican actors – not just Mexican Americans, but also go to Mexico and get the best stars from Mexico, like Damian Alcazar or Adriana Barraza."They bring their own authentic experiences to the movie, and that helps a lot to inform the conditions we want to put the Reyes family in."He continued: "We want the Reyes family to live in a world that affects their environment, that affects their decisions. Like for example, in my case from Puerto Rico – displacement,...
- 8/26/2023
- by Joe Graber
- Bang Showbiz
Spoilers for Blue Beetle. Consider yourself warned. While Blue Beetle may be more light-hearted than other superhero stories, that doesn’t mean that there can’t be some life-or-death stakes.
Related Box Office Predictions: Gran Turismo looking at soft opening
The death of a family member or close friend in order to motivate a superhero has been done again and again, but… it does work. While speaking with Collider, Blue Beetle director Ángel Manuel Soto said that the original plan was for “nobody” to die, but DC Studios pushed for an “emotional death.” Unfortunately, that meant that Reyes family patriarch Alberto (Damián Alcázar) had to die, but Soto and screenwriter Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer wanted his death to mean something more.
“‘How can we create the lowest of lows with the family member?” Soto said. “And how that low is not just another death in the superhero genre, but how that low...
Related Box Office Predictions: Gran Turismo looking at soft opening
The death of a family member or close friend in order to motivate a superhero has been done again and again, but… it does work. While speaking with Collider, Blue Beetle director Ángel Manuel Soto said that the original plan was for “nobody” to die, but DC Studios pushed for an “emotional death.” Unfortunately, that meant that Reyes family patriarch Alberto (Damián Alcázar) had to die, but Soto and screenwriter Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer wanted his death to mean something more.
“‘How can we create the lowest of lows with the family member?” Soto said. “And how that low is not just another death in the superhero genre, but how that low...
- 8/24/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
"He wouldn't leave without telling anybody..." Or would he...? An official trailer has debuted for an indie psychological thriller film with the most obvious and generic title ever – Dark Obsession, made by British filmmaker George Henry Horton. Not to be confused with any other dark obsession thrillers with a similar title, including 1989's Dark Obsession. A painter struggles with inner demons after being forced into a life of solitude when her husband leaves mysteriously. Do answers lie with her mother, who desperately tries to connect with her, or also her fearful neighbor? "When we first started filming, we were told by SAG we were the first pandemic film shooting in the whole of the Southern United States. That we pulled it off is nothing short of a testament to the dedication and talent of our wonderful cast and crew," the filmmakers say. This dark mystery thriller stars Blaine Morris, Mena Suvari,...
- 8/24/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Spoilers for Blue Beetle. Consider yourself warned. Although Blue Beetle may not be performing at the box office the way Warner Bros. was hoping it would, the movie has received warmer reviews than the last few DC movies. The film also has a connection to the new DC Universe as James Gunn has said that Blue Beetle is the first Dcu character. Blue Beetle director Ángel Manuel Soto told THR that the mid-credit scene could provide a clue to that Dcu future.
Related James Gunn hints that the Dcu has a detailed world map
The Blue Beetle mid-credit scene reveals that Ted Kord, the original Blue Beetle, is still alive. As Warner Bros. didn’t tell Ángel Manuel Soto to cut the tease, he’s optimistic that it will have the chance to be continued.
Yes. 100 percent. This is a movie with a Latino cast and no A-list stars running the show,...
Related James Gunn hints that the Dcu has a detailed world map
The Blue Beetle mid-credit scene reveals that Ted Kord, the original Blue Beetle, is still alive. As Warner Bros. didn’t tell Ángel Manuel Soto to cut the tease, he’s optimistic that it will have the chance to be continued.
Yes. 100 percent. This is a movie with a Latino cast and no A-list stars running the show,...
- 8/22/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
[This story contains spoilers for Blue Beetle.]
Blue Beetle director Ángel Manuel Soto is hopeful about the future of his characters and storylines, and the mere presence of the film’s mid-credit scene is a big reason why.
DC Studios co-ceo James Gunn has already confirmed that Xolo Maridueña’s Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle has a future in the new Dcu, which officially kicks off with 2025’s Superman: Legacy. But Soto previously told THR that he expects Jaime to have company, including the extended Reyes family and Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine).
With the mid-credit scene revealing that Jenny’s father (and the second Blue Beetle) Ted Kord is still alive, Soto likes the odds of this thread continuing since Ted is also tied to Booster Gold, a character that has a Max series in development. And considering that Gunn and his co-dc boss Peter Safran have cut a number of scenes from the last remaining...
Blue Beetle director Ángel Manuel Soto is hopeful about the future of his characters and storylines, and the mere presence of the film’s mid-credit scene is a big reason why.
DC Studios co-ceo James Gunn has already confirmed that Xolo Maridueña’s Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle has a future in the new Dcu, which officially kicks off with 2025’s Superman: Legacy. But Soto previously told THR that he expects Jaime to have company, including the extended Reyes family and Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine).
With the mid-credit scene revealing that Jenny’s father (and the second Blue Beetle) Ted Kord is still alive, Soto likes the odds of this thread continuing since Ted is also tied to Booster Gold, a character that has a Max series in development. And considering that Gunn and his co-dc boss Peter Safran have cut a number of scenes from the last remaining...
- 8/22/2023
- by Brian Davids
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Universal family comedy ‘Strays’ opened with £509,015.
RankFilm (distributor)Three-day gross (Aug 11-13)Total gross to date Week 1. Barbie (Warner Bros) £2.7m £84.8m 5 2. Oppenheimer (Universal) £2m £50.1m 5 3. Blue Beetle (Warner Bros) £1.2m £1.2m 1 4. Meg 2: The Trench (Warner Bros) £969,140 £9.8m 3 5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Paramount) £586,000 £7m 3
The latest DC superhero Blue Beetle opened with a gross of £1.2m at the UK and Ireland box office but failed to fend off ’Barbenheimer’ from the top spots in their fifth weekend.
Barbie collected £2.7m for Warner Bros over the weekend to bring its total to £84.8m. The Greta Gerwig blockbuster has...
RankFilm (distributor)Three-day gross (Aug 11-13)Total gross to date Week 1. Barbie (Warner Bros) £2.7m £84.8m 5 2. Oppenheimer (Universal) £2m £50.1m 5 3. Blue Beetle (Warner Bros) £1.2m £1.2m 1 4. Meg 2: The Trench (Warner Bros) £969,140 £9.8m 3 5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Paramount) £586,000 £7m 3
The latest DC superhero Blue Beetle opened with a gross of £1.2m at the UK and Ireland box office but failed to fend off ’Barbenheimer’ from the top spots in their fifth weekend.
Barbie collected £2.7m for Warner Bros over the weekend to bring its total to £84.8m. The Greta Gerwig blockbuster has...
- 8/21/2023
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on Wbgr-fm on August 17th, reviewing “Blue Beetle,” the DC Comic Universe latest film. In theaters since August 18th.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) graduates college and goes home to Palmera City, a hyped up version of Mexico City. He finds that the family business is finished, due to the heart problems of his father (Damian Alcazar). His sister, mother, Nana and Uncle Rudy (George Lopez) are all worried about the future, which includes losing the family home to a new development by Kord Industries, run by Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon). Her niece Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine) wants no part of the evil side of the family business, which includes a new weapon that attaches a Blue Beetle scarab charm to the brain and body, creating a super soldier. Through a series of events, Jaime is chosen by the Beetle charm,...
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) graduates college and goes home to Palmera City, a hyped up version of Mexico City. He finds that the family business is finished, due to the heart problems of his father (Damian Alcazar). His sister, mother, Nana and Uncle Rudy (George Lopez) are all worried about the future, which includes losing the family home to a new development by Kord Industries, run by Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon). Her niece Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine) wants no part of the evil side of the family business, which includes a new weapon that attaches a Blue Beetle scarab charm to the brain and body, creating a super soldier. Through a series of events, Jaime is chosen by the Beetle charm,...
- 8/20/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
It had to happen sometime. After ruling the box office roost for four weekends, Barbie is falling to second place as DC’s superhero pic Blue Beetle takes the top spot.
Blue Beetle is on course to open to $25 million to $27 million in North America after earning $10 million Friday, including $3.3 million in previews. It remains to be seen what impact the looming hurricane has on grosses in Los Angeles, the movie’s top market, and other parts of the area.
It’s understandable why the superhero pic may be feeling a little blue. Not only is Blue Beetle coming in behind expectations — heading into the weekend, tracking had suggested $28 million to $32 million — but also it is looking at one of the lowest openings ever for a title in the DC Extended Universe, not adjusted for inflation.
Director Ángel Manuel Soto’s Blue Beetle is Hollywood’s first live-action superhero film...
Blue Beetle is on course to open to $25 million to $27 million in North America after earning $10 million Friday, including $3.3 million in previews. It remains to be seen what impact the looming hurricane has on grosses in Los Angeles, the movie’s top market, and other parts of the area.
It’s understandable why the superhero pic may be feeling a little blue. Not only is Blue Beetle coming in behind expectations — heading into the weekend, tracking had suggested $28 million to $32 million — but also it is looking at one of the lowest openings ever for a title in the DC Extended Universe, not adjusted for inflation.
Director Ángel Manuel Soto’s Blue Beetle is Hollywood’s first live-action superhero film...
- 8/19/2023
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In Ángel Manuel Soto’s Blue Beetle, a teenager finds a magical contraption that he isn’t supposed to touch, stolen from an evil corporation trying to unlock its secrets, but once he does, he finds himself overtaken by a super-powered suit, which the corporation wants back at all costs. If that premise sounds at all unique, mysterious, and refreshing, welcome to planet Earth. But for anyone who’s seen even a single superhero movie released in the past 20 years, you’d be right to worry about that premise sounding like a harbinger of the dullness to come.
Say what one will about DC Films’s recent string of creative and financial flops, but at bare minimum, The Flash, Black Adam, and Shazam!: Fury of the Gods all felt like they had something new to key off of, some wild-card element that at least felt somewhat intriguing, regardless of...
Say what one will about DC Films’s recent string of creative and financial flops, but at bare minimum, The Flash, Black Adam, and Shazam!: Fury of the Gods all felt like they had something new to key off of, some wild-card element that at least felt somewhat intriguing, regardless of...
- 8/18/2023
- by Justin Clark
- Slant Magazine
This article contains major spoilers for "Blue Beetle," so beware!
One of the biggest challenges superhero movies have is giving their protagonist a fully formed and intimidating villain to square off with. For every Thanos and Loki, there are a lot more subpar bad guys like Malekith the Accursed in "Thor: The Dark World" and Taskmaster in "Black Widow." DC Comics movies have had a somewhat better track record when it comes to crafting memorable villains, ranging from various versions of Joker to Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman and even Cillian Murphy's Scarecrow. But when it comes to "Blue Beetle," the film's antagonist doesn't quite stick the landing, even though there's an admirable effort to deliver something consequential.
For most of "Blue Beetle," college graduate Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) is frantically dealing with being involuntarily inhabited by an ancient, cosmic scarab that has fused itself onto his person, complete with...
One of the biggest challenges superhero movies have is giving their protagonist a fully formed and intimidating villain to square off with. For every Thanos and Loki, there are a lot more subpar bad guys like Malekith the Accursed in "Thor: The Dark World" and Taskmaster in "Black Widow." DC Comics movies have had a somewhat better track record when it comes to crafting memorable villains, ranging from various versions of Joker to Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman and even Cillian Murphy's Scarecrow. But when it comes to "Blue Beetle," the film's antagonist doesn't quite stick the landing, even though there's an admirable effort to deliver something consequential.
For most of "Blue Beetle," college graduate Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) is frantically dealing with being involuntarily inhabited by an ancient, cosmic scarab that has fused itself onto his person, complete with...
- 8/18/2023
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
Warner Bros. Discovery’s “Blue Beetle” earned $3.3 million in Thursday previews. That positions the $120 million action fantasy, which was initially intended for an HBO Max release, for an opening weekend between $22 million and $33 million. Meanwhile, Universal’s “Strays” earned $1.1 million in Thursday previews. That includes $275,000 in early access showings. The “Blue Beetle” previews began at 2:00 pm while the “Strays” advance-day screenings began at 5:00 pm.
“Blue Beetle” is caught between multiple historical landmarks
The picture enters the weekend with solid reviews (79% fresh and 6.5/10 on Rotten Tomatoes) and decent online buzz. It has nonetheless had to promote itself without its writer or its stars due to the ongoing labor stoppages. The film is the first big-deal Marvel/DC superhero flick featuring a Latino protagonist, as embarrassing as that is in 2023. It stars the likes of Xolo Maridueña, Adriana Barraza, Damián Alcázar, Raoul Max Trujillo and George Lopez.
It is a...
“Blue Beetle” is caught between multiple historical landmarks
The picture enters the weekend with solid reviews (79% fresh and 6.5/10 on Rotten Tomatoes) and decent online buzz. It has nonetheless had to promote itself without its writer or its stars due to the ongoing labor stoppages. The film is the first big-deal Marvel/DC superhero flick featuring a Latino protagonist, as embarrassing as that is in 2023. It stars the likes of Xolo Maridueña, Adriana Barraza, Damián Alcázar, Raoul Max Trujillo and George Lopez.
It is a...
- 8/18/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
The family-friendly Blue Beetle has started off its box-office run with $3.3 million in Thursday evening previews.
Directed by Ángel Manuel Soto, the DC and Warner Bros. event pic is Hollywood’s first live-action superhero film built around a Latino protagonist and hopes to be a breakthrough movie for Latino audiences and for Latino representation in front of and behind the camera. And, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s review, it stands to put Cobra Kai recruit Xolo Maridueña “on the map as a young actor with the right spark to carry a new offshoot of the DC Extended Universe.”
Blue Beetle hopes to open in the $30 million range domestically and could have the bragging rights to toppling Barbie from the top spot after four weekends (talk about a superhero feat).
Adriana Barraza, Damían Alcázar, Raoul Max Trujillo, Susan Sarandon, George Lopez, Elpidia Carrillo, Bruna Marquezine, Belissa Escobedo, Harvey Guillén, and Becky G also star.
Directed by Ángel Manuel Soto, the DC and Warner Bros. event pic is Hollywood’s first live-action superhero film built around a Latino protagonist and hopes to be a breakthrough movie for Latino audiences and for Latino representation in front of and behind the camera. And, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s review, it stands to put Cobra Kai recruit Xolo Maridueña “on the map as a young actor with the right spark to carry a new offshoot of the DC Extended Universe.”
Blue Beetle hopes to open in the $30 million range domestically and could have the bragging rights to toppling Barbie from the top spot after four weekends (talk about a superhero feat).
Adriana Barraza, Damían Alcázar, Raoul Max Trujillo, Susan Sarandon, George Lopez, Elpidia Carrillo, Bruna Marquezine, Belissa Escobedo, Harvey Guillén, and Becky G also star.
- 8/18/2023
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Barbie” has reigned over the box office with a historic, hot-pink theatrical run over the past four weeks, but now it’s facing its biggest challenge yet: DC’s latest superhero film, “Blue Beetle.” The comic book film, led by “Cobra Kai” star Xolo Maridueña, picked up $3.3 million in Thursday previews at the domestic box office.
It’ll be a close box office battle between “Barbie” and “Blue Beetle” (both from Warner Bros.), but the latter is tipped to come out on top in its opening weekend. “Blue Beetle” is projected to make between $25 million to $32 million this weekend, while “Barbie” is poised to add $17 million to $20 million in its fifth week.
Directed by Ángel Manuel Soto, “Blue Beetle” is DC’s first superhero movie led by a Latino actor. Maridueña plays Jaime Reyes, a teen who stumbles upon a mysterious piece of alien technology that encases him in an advanced exoskeleton suit.
It’ll be a close box office battle between “Barbie” and “Blue Beetle” (both from Warner Bros.), but the latter is tipped to come out on top in its opening weekend. “Blue Beetle” is projected to make between $25 million to $32 million this weekend, while “Barbie” is poised to add $17 million to $20 million in its fifth week.
Directed by Ángel Manuel Soto, “Blue Beetle” is DC’s first superhero movie led by a Latino actor. Maridueña plays Jaime Reyes, a teen who stumbles upon a mysterious piece of alien technology that encases him in an advanced exoskeleton suit.
- 8/18/2023
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety Film + TV
Curzon is re-releasing Lars von Trier’s ‘The Idiots’.
Warner Bros’ superhero sci-fi Blue Beetle and Universal’s canine comedy Strays head the new titles at the UK-Ireland box office, in a post-Barbenheimer test of how the market can handle two wide studio releases.
Opening in 556 cinemas, Blue Beetle is the third feature from Puerto Rican filmmaker Angel Manuel Soto. In the film, after an alien scarab chooses a teenager to be its symbiotic host, the youngster becomes the eponymous superhero with an unpredictable suit of armour.
Xolo Mariduena leads the cast, which also includes Bruna Marquezine, Damian Alcazar, George Lopez and Adriana Barraza.
Warner Bros’ superhero sci-fi Blue Beetle and Universal’s canine comedy Strays head the new titles at the UK-Ireland box office, in a post-Barbenheimer test of how the market can handle two wide studio releases.
Opening in 556 cinemas, Blue Beetle is the third feature from Puerto Rican filmmaker Angel Manuel Soto. In the film, after an alien scarab chooses a teenager to be its symbiotic host, the youngster becomes the eponymous superhero with an unpredictable suit of armour.
Xolo Mariduena leads the cast, which also includes Bruna Marquezine, Damian Alcazar, George Lopez and Adriana Barraza.
- 8/18/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
No matter your current opinion of superhero movies in general, you've got to hand it to "Blue Beetle" director Ángel Manuel Soto -- he sure does have great taste in Easter eggs.
While all modern comic book movies are chock-full of references to deeper lore and obscure characters ("Blue Beetle" is no exception in this department), Soto cuts a little deeper. In a film about a young Mexican-American man who becomes a superhero with the backup of his Mexican family, the director cheekily inserts a sly reference to a lesser-known film from one of the greatest living Mexican filmmakers. And it's the only film he actually made entirely in Mexico, no less.
The director is Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro and the film is "Cronos," the filmmaker's 1992 feature debut. And while this could easily be seen as another nod to Mexican culture in a movie full of similar nods, this one cuts a little deeper.
While all modern comic book movies are chock-full of references to deeper lore and obscure characters ("Blue Beetle" is no exception in this department), Soto cuts a little deeper. In a film about a young Mexican-American man who becomes a superhero with the backup of his Mexican family, the director cheekily inserts a sly reference to a lesser-known film from one of the greatest living Mexican filmmakers. And it's the only film he actually made entirely in Mexico, no less.
The director is Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro and the film is "Cronos," the filmmaker's 1992 feature debut. And while this could easily be seen as another nod to Mexican culture in a movie full of similar nods, this one cuts a little deeper.
- 8/18/2023
- by Jacob Hall
- Slash Film
While the new DC Universe won’t officially begin until the release of Superman: Legacy, James Gunn has already said that Blue Beetle is the first Dcu character. That came as a huge relief to director Ángel Manuel Soto, as he now has the reassurance that the character of Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) will continue and that all their work wasn’t in vain.
“Yeah, that was for sure one of the elements of relief. It’s the fact that all of this effort was not going to die during this regime change,” Ángel Manuel Soto told THR. “We survived regime changes throughout this whole process, and that was a testament to the hard work that everybody put into it. There’s also a belief in our characters, who are now going to be part of this new DC universe, especially Xolo’s character and his whole family and Bruna Marquezine’s character.
“Yeah, that was for sure one of the elements of relief. It’s the fact that all of this effort was not going to die during this regime change,” Ángel Manuel Soto told THR. “We survived regime changes throughout this whole process, and that was a testament to the hard work that everybody put into it. There’s also a belief in our characters, who are now going to be part of this new DC universe, especially Xolo’s character and his whole family and Bruna Marquezine’s character.
- 8/17/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Even a little heart goes a long way, and Blue Beetle has more than enough. Based on a DC comic book with origins stretching back to 1939, the film follows Jaime Reyes (the third incarnation of Blue Beetle in the comics), a young Mexican man who returns to his family’s home after college, only to learn his family is losing their house, their auto shop has shut down, and his father is not well. But he’s about to have his life changed even more significantly by the Scarab, a biotechnological alien artifact which can create a powerful exoskeletal armor/flight suit around its user and conjure up energy weapons as well.
Jaime (winningly played by Xolo Maridueña of Cobra Kai fame) is given the Scarab by Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine), whose family company, Kord Industries, lords over Palmera City and plans to replace the barrio where Jaime’s family lives with the same expensive,...
Jaime (winningly played by Xolo Maridueña of Cobra Kai fame) is given the Scarab by Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine), whose family company, Kord Industries, lords over Palmera City and plans to replace the barrio where Jaime’s family lives with the same expensive,...
- 8/17/2023
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
New Delhi, Aug 17 (Ians) This would be the first time he would be playing a superhero and the thought of it got tears in his eyes, says actor Xolo Mariduena, who is popularly known for his work in ‘Cobra Kai’.
‘Blue Beetle’ is a superhero film based on the DC Comics character Jaime Reyes / Blue Beetle.
The film is directed by Angel Manuel Soto. It is the fourteenth instalment of the DC Extended Universe (Dceu).
Talking to Ians about his feelings when he got to know that he’s playing a superhero, Xolo said: “My first reaction was tears. It was so overwhelming of the idea of being a superhero and honestly it wasn’t till I put the suit on. I was like oh my god it’s really happening.”
The 22-year-old actor said he is grateful for the opportunity to play a superhero.
“But it’s such an...
‘Blue Beetle’ is a superhero film based on the DC Comics character Jaime Reyes / Blue Beetle.
The film is directed by Angel Manuel Soto. It is the fourteenth instalment of the DC Extended Universe (Dceu).
Talking to Ians about his feelings when he got to know that he’s playing a superhero, Xolo said: “My first reaction was tears. It was so overwhelming of the idea of being a superhero and honestly it wasn’t till I put the suit on. I was like oh my god it’s really happening.”
The 22-year-old actor said he is grateful for the opportunity to play a superhero.
“But it’s such an...
- 8/17/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
It's been a rough year for DC, but Warner Bros. is looking to turn it around with "Blue Beetle." Starring Xolo Maridueña ("Cobra Kai") as Jamie Reyes, this represents the character's first trip to the big screen in live-action. It also shouldn't be lost on anyone that this movie was originally supposed to go directly to HBO Max (now just called Max) but was given a theatrical release instead. The early buzz has been largely positive, and this could serve as a late summer surprise for moviegoers. For those venturing to theaters to see what DC has to offer, we're here to give you a little help by letting you know what, if any, credits scenes are attached to the film, and how that will impact your viewing experience.
To be crystal clear, this is a spoiler-free guide. Proceed without fear as we're not here to spoil anything at all.
To be crystal clear, this is a spoiler-free guide. Proceed without fear as we're not here to spoil anything at all.
- 8/16/2023
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
It's been 15 years since the release of Jon Favreau's "Iron Man," the film that kicked off, in earnest, both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the dominance of superhero cinema in the pop firmament in general. In the ensuing decade and a half -- while traversing a massive, byzantine catacomb of interlocking superhero mythologies and (shudder) endless online discourse -- audiences have come to innately accept the ways superheroes operate. Heroes live in a glittering fictional universe, replete with near-future technology, overseen by moral or industrial titans who have come to stand in for every other known type of celebrity. We're so damn deep in superhero lore that ultra-humans are slowly coming to replace us all, very much in the same way that Pokémon, in their own bizarre universe, have replaced animals of more traditional taxonomies.
Ángel Manuel Soto's new film "Blue Beetle" is the 14th film in the...
Ángel Manuel Soto's new film "Blue Beetle" is the 14th film in the...
- 8/16/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
‘Blue Beetle’ Review: DC Superhero Origin Story Succeeds with a Mix of ’80s-Style VFX and Low Stakes
Is comic-book movie culture reaching a tipping point…into peak exhaustion? This summer, we’ve seen signs of that in the ho-hum box-office returns for “The Flash” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” To be fair, the mega-success of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” has testified to the genre’s continuing appeal. Still, there are onscreen indicators that the superhero-movie audience, while it remains vast, might be entering the thrill-is-gone zone. As more and more of these films become cogs in a multiverse, their imaginative appeal tends to get trampled by the dictates of corporate world-building. (That “Ant-Man” sequel was designed to set up a saga of villainy longer than the Ring cycle.) Beyond that, it’s hard to escape the sensation that superhero films have become terminally top-heavy with self-importance. The fate of the cosmos seems to ride on almost every one of them.
- 8/16/2023
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Remember the first Iron Man movie, or the initial Sam Raimi Spider-Man chapters? Long before the narrative overcrowding of cross-pollination, composite timelines and the damn multiverse brought fatigue to the modern comic-book superhero adventure, those movies had freshness and a buoyant sense of fun. They had warmth and humanity, which have gradually been diluted by quippy smugness and a bludgeoning more-is-more aesthetic. DC’s unexpectedly charming Blue Beetle is something of a throwback to that era, bolstered by humor and heart that stem from the Mexican American title character’s love for his tight-knit family, and no less so from their reciprocal support.
In terms of representation, Warners’ late-summer release has the potential to be a breakthrough film for Latino audiences. It should also boost the rep of Puerto Rican director Ángel Manuel Soto, who demonstrates that his affinity for a specific subculture and community in Charm City Kings — in that case,...
In terms of representation, Warners’ late-summer release has the potential to be a breakthrough film for Latino audiences. It should also boost the rep of Puerto Rican director Ángel Manuel Soto, who demonstrates that his affinity for a specific subculture and community in Charm City Kings — in that case,...
- 8/16/2023
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
You can call the DC superhero movies a lot of things, but “consistent” isn’t one of them. Even the intentionally interconnected films of the DC Extended Universe vary wildly and unpredictably in quality, with instant classics like “Wonder Woman” and “Shazam!” followed up by giant misfires like “Wonder Woman 1984” and “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” (and those were from the same filmmakers).
So after “The Flash” turned out be a historic disaster on many levels, you could be forgiven for wanting give up on this mixed bag of a franchise as-is and wait patiently for the next reboot. Or, failing that, the next-next reboot, because if there’s one thing DC loves it’s completely redoing a superhero universe, over and over again in every medium.
But that’s a pretty rotten state of mind with which to enter a theater showing “Blue Beetle,” which is a delightful...
So after “The Flash” turned out be a historic disaster on many levels, you could be forgiven for wanting give up on this mixed bag of a franchise as-is and wait patiently for the next reboot. Or, failing that, the next-next reboot, because if there’s one thing DC loves it’s completely redoing a superhero universe, over and over again in every medium.
But that’s a pretty rotten state of mind with which to enter a theater showing “Blue Beetle,” which is a delightful...
- 8/16/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- The Wrap
A creatively orphaned movie about the power of family, Ángel Manuel Soto’s “Blue Beetle” is being released at a strange moment in time, both for superhero movies in general, and for the Dceu in particular (a damaged brand undergoing the kind of rebuild that you typically only find in salary-capped sports leagues).
On the one hand, the first Latino-led superhero outing from a major studio is a long-overdue lifeline to a woefully underrepresented community of loyal moviegoers, and “Blue Beetle” works hard to ensure that its culture isn’t just another dreadfully rendered CGI costume — the film has plenty of those, which makes it that much easier to tell the difference. On the other hand, this ultra-bland origin story is so feckless and familiar that it seldom feels like the first of anything so much as it does a half-hearted invitation to a party that’s already in the process of shutting down.
On the one hand, the first Latino-led superhero outing from a major studio is a long-overdue lifeline to a woefully underrepresented community of loyal moviegoers, and “Blue Beetle” works hard to ensure that its culture isn’t just another dreadfully rendered CGI costume — the film has plenty of those, which makes it that much easier to tell the difference. On the other hand, this ultra-bland origin story is so feckless and familiar that it seldom feels like the first of anything so much as it does a half-hearted invitation to a party that’s already in the process of shutting down.
- 8/16/2023
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Blue BeetlePhoto: Warner Bros.
Blue Beetle, the live-action onscreen debut of the DC Comics character and Warner Bros.’ first feature to center on a Latino superhero, arrives with much anticipation. After some major (and very public) wobbles earlier this year with the box office returns for Shazam: Fury Of The...
Blue Beetle, the live-action onscreen debut of the DC Comics character and Warner Bros.’ first feature to center on a Latino superhero, arrives with much anticipation. After some major (and very public) wobbles earlier this year with the box office returns for Shazam: Fury Of The...
- 8/16/2023
- by Justin Lowe
- avclub.com
Give the waning days of the old era of DC movies at Warner Bros some credit for going out in style. I might have been something of a dissenting voice, but I thought June’s big-screen The Flash, despite disappointing some fanboys and at the box office, was a winning affair, a step above most superhero fare. And now I can say the same for the first cinematic attempt at bringing Blue Beetle to life, a much better movie than its August 18 release date might indicate.
Under the assured direction of Angel Manuel Soto, it features a sharp cast of Latino actors led by the appealing Xolo Mariduena in the title role aka college student Jaime Reyes, who comes home to his tightknit family only to have things go crazy when he becomes the chosen one to carry the tradition of the Blue Beetle, a reluctant superhero whose powers know no limits.
Under the assured direction of Angel Manuel Soto, it features a sharp cast of Latino actors led by the appealing Xolo Mariduena in the title role aka college student Jaime Reyes, who comes home to his tightknit family only to have things go crazy when he becomes the chosen one to carry the tradition of the Blue Beetle, a reluctant superhero whose powers know no limits.
- 8/16/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Amid the ongoing Hollywood strikes, Warner Bros. and DC Studios launched “Blue Beetle” on Tuesday night in Los Angeles with a star-free “fan screening” in lieu of a splashy blue-carpet premiere.
Despite the fact that the film’s actors — including Xolo Maridueña, Bruna Marquezine, George Lopez, Adriana Barraza and Susan Sarandon — could not attend due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, there was still plenty of fanfare outside the Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
Director Ángel Manuel Soto rolled solo on the carpet, as he’s done for a significant chunk of the movie’s promotional tour, due to both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA being on strike. The filmmaker, who carried and posed with a cutout of Maridueña’s face, was riding high off the positive early buzz for the DC movie and delivered a speech before the special L.A. screening began, in which he acknowledged the “Blue Beetle” cast...
Despite the fact that the film’s actors — including Xolo Maridueña, Bruna Marquezine, George Lopez, Adriana Barraza and Susan Sarandon — could not attend due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, there was still plenty of fanfare outside the Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
Director Ángel Manuel Soto rolled solo on the carpet, as he’s done for a significant chunk of the movie’s promotional tour, due to both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA being on strike. The filmmaker, who carried and posed with a cutout of Maridueña’s face, was riding high off the positive early buzz for the DC movie and delivered a speech before the special L.A. screening began, in which he acknowledged the “Blue Beetle” cast...
- 8/16/2023
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
"Blue Beetle" is the new live-action superhero feature, based on the DC Comics character ‘Jaime Reyes’, directed by Angel Manuel Soto, starring Xolo Maridueña, Bruna Marquezine, Belissa Escobedo, George Lopez, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo, Damián Alcázar, Raoul Trujillo and Susan Sarandon, opening August 18, 2023:
“…Recent college grad ‘Jaime Reyes’ (Xolo Mariduena) returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it.
"As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the ‘Scarab’.
"When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor...
"...capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers forever...
"...changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero ‘Blue Beetle’…”
Click the images to enlarge…...
“…Recent college grad ‘Jaime Reyes’ (Xolo Mariduena) returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it.
"As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the ‘Scarab’.
"When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor...
"...capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers forever...
"...changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero ‘Blue Beetle’…”
Click the images to enlarge…...
- 8/15/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Elpida Carrillo, George Lopez, Xolo Maridueña, Belissa Escobedo, and Damian Alcazar in Warner Bros. Pictures’ Blue BeetlePhoto: Hopper Stone/Smpsp/™ & © DC Comics
This hasn’t been a great year so far for DC superhero movies. Shazam: Fury Of The Gods made less in its entire theatrical run ($134 million) than The Super Mario Bros.
This hasn’t been a great year so far for DC superhero movies. Shazam: Fury Of The Gods made less in its entire theatrical run ($134 million) than The Super Mario Bros.
- 8/14/2023
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
“Blue Beetle” is the new live-action superhero feature, based on the DC Comics character ‘Jaime Reyes’, directed by Angel Manuel Soto, starring Xolo Maridueña, Bruna Marquezine, Belissa Escobedo, George Lopez, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo, Damián Alcázar, Raoul Trujillo and Susan Sarandon, opening August 18, 2023:
“…Recent college grad ‘Jaime Reyes’ (Xolo Mariduena) returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it.
"As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the ‘Scarab’.
"When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor...
"...capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers forever...
"...changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero ‘Blue Beetle’…”
Click the images to enlarge…...
“…Recent college grad ‘Jaime Reyes’ (Xolo Mariduena) returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it.
"As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the ‘Scarab’.
"When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor...
"...capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers forever...
"...changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero ‘Blue Beetle’…”
Click the images to enlarge…...
- 8/13/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
‘Blue Beetle,’ the third live-action DC movie this year and the 14th and second-to-last movie set in the DC Extended Universe, is less than a week away. Given how the previous two DC movies this year, ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ and ‘The Flash,’ both suffered commercial failures; the predicted numbers aren’t working in the upcoming movie’s favor. However, that doesn’t affect the movie’s reception from critics and fans, and from the first reactions, it seems like the fans are gearing up for another positively-received DC installment.
‘Blue Beetle’ was initially announced as the streaming movie for HBOMax before it was changed to have a theatrical release. ‘Cobra Kai’ star Xolo Maridueña was cast in the titular role, which makes him the first Latino actor to lead a superhero movie. Angel Manuel Soto was hired to direct, and the movie tells the story of Jaime Reyes,...
‘Blue Beetle’ was initially announced as the streaming movie for HBOMax before it was changed to have a theatrical release. ‘Cobra Kai’ star Xolo Maridueña was cast in the titular role, which makes him the first Latino actor to lead a superhero movie. Angel Manuel Soto was hired to direct, and the movie tells the story of Jaime Reyes,...
- 8/12/2023
- by Lukas Abramovich
- Comic Basics
DC has had a bit of a rough go as of late, dating back to "Black Adam" not crossing the $400 million mark at the global box office in 2022, and as a result, failing to change the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe. This year hasn't helped, as both "The Flash" and "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" bombed spectacularly (more on that in a bit).
A new hero, however, hopes to save the day and bring about a reversal of fortune for Warner Bros. and the fabled comic book brand — that's right, "Blue Beetle" is arriving in a theater near you very soon. But will this new superhero be able to defeat this brutal losing streak? Maybe!
Early box office tracking (per Deadline) has "Blue Beetle" taking in around $30 million on its opening weekend domestically. That's certainly on the low end for a superhero movie, but it's also an improvement...
A new hero, however, hopes to save the day and bring about a reversal of fortune for Warner Bros. and the fabled comic book brand — that's right, "Blue Beetle" is arriving in a theater near you very soon. But will this new superhero be able to defeat this brutal losing streak? Maybe!
Early box office tracking (per Deadline) has "Blue Beetle" taking in around $30 million on its opening weekend domestically. That's certainly on the low end for a superhero movie, but it's also an improvement...
- 8/11/2023
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
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