#Ángel Manuel Soto

[harveyguillensource]

Harvey treating us to some Blue Beetle set selfies ✌️

[soranatus]

Blue Beetle being featured in MovieMaker Magazine July 2023 edition

[james-stark-the-writer]

alright, let's keep it moving with the DCEU watch, we've only got 2 more movies before we're finished with it, so. now seated for Ángel Manuel Soto's Blue Beetle (2023). what i know going in: literally nothing, besides that it has Latine people in it. i've heard it was good from people whose opinions i respect, and even people who generally hate DC movies, i've heard it being compared to Spider-Man stories so i'm expecting like some coming of age element maybe? that's about it. i just hope it's fun.

[chaosyippee]

Man, this silly Blue Beetle movie just brings me so much joy. I love talking about it and thinking about the various details within it. The thought and care put into Blue Beetle is very evident. Whether it performs well or not, I am extremely happy it exists. It means a lot to me, as well as many others. I hope the numerous people who worked on Blue Beetle truly know how much it means to us. Thank you all for this beautiful movie. Hopefully more to come! :)

[ayshahutton]

Blue Beetle is one of the best DC movies I’ve seen in a while and one of the saddest ones at that. Go check it out you won’t regret it 💙💙💙

[nico-di-genova]

You could tell me they were brothers and I would believe you.

[romancomicsblog]

Blue Beetle is a triumph for DC, the Latinx Community, and Superhero Movies - SPOILER FREE REVIEW

Ángel Manuel Sotos new DC film Blue Beetle is hitting theaters this week but has had a significantly hard road to get here.

The film was originally sold as a direct to streaming film, then was moved to theatrical release, was caught in the middle of a James Gunn take over, and now a writer's/actor's strike. Couple all that with superhero fatigue, and DC's not so clean track record, the film would have to jump massive hurdles to be successful most movies do not.

Blue Beetle, however, is a magnificent departure from superhero films of late that coast on past projects, name dropping, or cameos. It is a delightful film that centers on family, responsibility, and the many different types of Latinx experiences, all while being extremely funny and full of incredible action.

Director Manuel Soto breathes new life into the DCU in a way few directors have before. instead of opting for uniformity with other superhero projects, the film has a distinct color and design that feels unique and fresh. Excellent design, costuming, and vibrancy make up a beautiful Palmera City.

One of the most notable aspects of the film was the fluid, dynamic fight choreography for Blue Beetle and our main physical antagonist, Carapax. While there are several heroes who have similar powers to Jaime, none quite have used it as interestingly. The shifting of weaponry, flight, and hand to hand combat make for types of fights we don't really see in live action.

This film of course is not just made up of excellent visuals, but a phenomenal supporting cast. It is hard to pick out favorites, as most characters are given an opportunity to shine.

Through this cast, Manuel Soto shows the many realistic day to day fears and feelings of a Latinx/Hispanic person. Responsibility, family, and becoming who you are supposed to be are all at the heart of the film. As a Latinx man, so many aspects of the film hit home for me, sometimes comedically, sometimes tragically.

The movie also emphasizes different kinds of experiences in our community. Undocumented citizens, first generation, the religious traditional older member of the family, even the slacker uncle. Every member of the family feels different, but they all feel like a family.

For me, I'd say Belissa Escobedo as Milagro Reyes brings excellent sisterly back and forth with our hero and has some very emotional moments in the film. Brother/sister chemistry is sometimes difficult to pull off, but Escobedo makes it look easy. I think she has the making of a comedic star on the rise and is someone to lookout for.

I'd say most members of the family will be someones favorite. George Lopez as Rudy, Jaimes Uncle Rudy, Damián Alcázar as Alberto Reyes, Jaimes Father, and Adriana Barraza as Nana, the matriarchal head of the family all got big laughs and, at times, tears from their performances.

This cast is phenomenal and elevates excellent writing into several iconic scenes. I don't see this film working without the perfect familial blend of actors. And they got it perfectly.

While characters like Elpidia Carrillo as Rocio Reyes or Bruna Marquezine as Jenny Kord do get the short end of the stick in the film, I think they get their moments and will be greater utilized in (hopefully) future installments of the franchise.

What made it most clear that Manuel Soto understands character were the two antagonists of the film.

While they are not nearly as significant as the rest of the family, both Susan Sarandon as Victoria Kord and Raoul Max Trujillo as Conrad Carapax are not reduced to twirling mustache villains. They both have realistic and at times tragic stories that explain (but does not justify) their actions.

While both give solid performances and are a step above your average Marvel/DC villains, I think the film could've benefitted from more of them.

But the real highlight of the film, to no ones surprise, was Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes.

Maridueña as Blue Beetle feels like one of those castings that seem impossible to be topped. He brings excellent comedy, pain, and honor to Jaime in a way that feels natural. He is Blue Beetle.

In the film, Maridueña displays a wide range of emotions while he goes through an incredibly grueling 2-3 days. There is comedy, awkwardness, strength, anger, and pain, and Maridueña nails every moment of it.

I expect you will see a lot more Xolo in the future even if we don't see more Blue Beetle. But I hope he does return.

I think this movie has the potential to connect with audiences in a way we just haven't seen in a long time from a Superhero film. It is original, fun, and shows us a side of DCU we've never seen before, without endless cameos and reminders of past projects.

I hope other studios take away that audiences want more representation via original content from creative visionaries. But Hollywood often takes away the wrong lesson.

All in all, Blue Beetle is an incredible film that balances comedy, drama, and action in a way superhero movies rarely do. If you get the chance to, I highly recommend you go out and give it a watch. Films as good as this deserve support.

Blue Beetle is out in theaters this Friday August 18th.

Thank you for reading! If you'd like to support me, you can find all my socials here!

[moviemosaics]

Blue Beetle

directed by Ángel Manuel Soto, 2023

[moviesiveseenandwanttoremember]

Ángel Manuel Soto's "Blue Beetle" August 18, 2023.

[stuff-diary]

Blue Beetle

Movies watched in 2024

Blue Beetle (2023, USA)

Director: Ángel Manuel Soto

Writer: Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer

Mini-review:

Blue Beetle/Jaime Reyes is basically my favorite DC character (and one of my favorite superheroes, period), so I was very excited about this movie. I've finally had the chance to watch it, and I have to say they managed to capture the character's energy pretty well. Xolo Maridueña was definitely the perfect casting choice, and I also enjoyed everything about the Reyes family. However, the film itself felt too basic. I don't know, I just didn't find it as engaging as I expected. And it didn't help that it looked kinda cheap, either. Anyway, it's true I'm not exactly a huge fan of superhero movies (I'm more of a TV show person when it comes to this genre), and over the last few years I've gotten very picky about them. So, yeah, Blue Beetle is just OK, but it's probably worth watching thanks to its leading star and all the representation.

[wildcmbcrsupdates]

Ángel Manuel Soto, Bruna Marquezine and Xolo Maridueña via brunamarquezine Instagram stories, 04/26/2023.

[dynamofilms]

Blue Beetle (2023)

4/10

[jmunneytumbler]

A Blue in Venice, A Haunting in Beetle

A Blue in Venice, A Haunting in Beetle

CREDIT: DC, Screenshot/20th Century Studios, Screenshot Blue Beetle: Starring: Xolo Maridueña, Adriana Barraza, Damián Alcázar, Raoul Max Trujillo, Susan Sarandon, George Lopez, Elpidia Carrillo, Bruna Marquezine, Belissa Escobedo, Harvey Guillén, Becky G Director: Ángel Manuel Soto Running Time: 127 Minutes Rating: PG-13 Release Date: August 18, 2023 (Theaters) Continue reading Untitled

[james-stark-the-writer]

well, i'm sorry y'all's superhero was one so stunningly mediocre and unoriginal. this is just an amalgamation of every other superhero movie, with a cultural paint job, which wouldn't be terrible in isolation, but it uses so little of the paint and it's painting with entirely the wrong tools. saw a lot of people comparing this to Raimi's Spider-Man and MCU Spider-Man which is so funny because this is like if Peyton Reed's Ant-Man (2015) [which is a better Spider-Man movie than MCU Spider-Man anyway] was less charming and funny, and had a better style and a more poppy aesthetic. this has James Gunn levels of bad exposition, and that script is a colossal failure of imagination.

My ★★★½ review of Blue Beetle on Letterboxd

[hollywoodoutbreak]

In speaking with some of Blue Beetle's stars, including George Lopez and Xolo Maridueña, there's been a common theme of how important the idea of family was to the movie. The film's director, Ángel Manuel Soto, he confirmed that the family theme was a big priority as he was shooting the movie.

Blue Beetle is now playing in theaters.

[ayshahutton]

I thought Blue Beetle was gonna be like a fun little movie about a bug-superhero and instead I ended up crying like 3 times at it and also laughing my ass off. 10/10 would do it again