‘Blue Beetle’ Negative Reviews Still Pushing It Toward Box Office Greatness

Even though Blue Beetle won’t hit theaters for mass consumption until August 18, advanced screenings are giving prospective moviegoers a good idea of what to expect. Even negative reviews are giving fans who have been patiently waiting a reason to go.

Right now, you can watch it if you live in or near Atlanta, DC, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Tampa, Seattle, or Austin. Even if you don’t, you can catch a flight or drive and check out the movie that is all the buzz (see what I did there?) today because it’s the second Warner Bros. film projected to bank at the box office.

Barbie has been dominating the box office since its release in July. Its budget was $145 million and it’s currently grossing over $1 billion in ticket sales. When The Flash dropped the ball on box office receipts because of all of its controversy, no one knew just how the market was going to act toward a movie about dolls who are brought to life and the social commentary Barbie brings with her.

Obviously, the controversy is of a different nature because Ezra Miller’s actions have led to legal action, while the Barbie film has only led to social commentary about patriarchy and whether or not it still exists amidst the changes feminism has instilled. Blue Beetle brings some controversy as well but it also is not quite as serious as legal action. It’s simply the fact that the film has a very diverse cast that is largely Latino.

To be honest, that’s not all that controversial since Blue Beetle is supposed to be Latino. Jaime Reyes is the third in line to come into possession of the Egyptian Scarab that turns him into a superhero, a Mexican who lives in El Paso, Texas. It seems to me that a Latino lead and cast is only reasonable.

And the critics love it so far:

Even a seemingly bad review can make it sound like the next thing you want to see.