Crimefighters from the DC comics stable are all to some degree in the shadow of the genre’s twin progenitors, Batman and Superman, but such is the dominance of the current cinematic arena by the superhero genre that it is inevitable there will be a thirst for new material. The Blue Beetle isn’t exactly new – the character has been around for many years in a variety of iterations, without ever challenging the heavy hitters of the genre. But there is no denying that the director Angel Manuel Soto has added a colourful and (largely speaking) light-hearted addition to the field with this lively and energetic entry featuring Xolo Maridueña as the eponymous (and reluctant) superhero, at the mercy of the whims of his alien technology suit for most of the film until he acquires some kind of control. Much as Helen Mirren provided villain duties for the last Shazam movie, Angel Manuel Soto has enlisted another top-flight mature actress– no less than Susan Sarandon — to do the same here, as the sinister head of a malign tech company – the owners, in fact, of the scarab power source which has hijacked the hero. An innovative touch here is the Latin ethnicity of the protagonist and his family, still something new in the genre. While not challenging the various versions of, say, Batman, in recent cinematic outings, this is still an undemanding and fun film. There is a hint at the end that there may be a sequel, but one wonder if that will be the case as director James Gunn, now in charge of the DC cinematic universe is striking out in new directions, starting with an update for the original superhero, Superman: Legacy.

Barry Forshaw