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Blue Beetle – the latest DC character to make the leap from the comic book pages to the Silver Screen – takes the origin story of a hero gaining new powers and gives it a fresh, armoured sheen. 

The man in that blue-and-black getup is Jaime Reyes (played by Cobra Kai's Xolo Maridueña).

A recent college graduate with big dreams for his future, Jaime struggles to find a decent job when he returns home. His life changes when he comes into possession of the Scarab, an ancient relic of alien biotechnology that chooses Jaime as its symbiotic host.

Now armed with an extremely powerful and delightfully unpredictable suit of armour, Jaime will need to decide how best to use his new gift, while others – specifically Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon) and Conrad Carapax (Raoul Max Trujillo) – seek the Scarab for their own villainous ends. 

The Scarab brings a whole new arsenal of powers that inform the action in unique, exciting ways. It is able to create anything its wearer imagines, shapeshifting into multiple weapons including swords, shields and energy blasters.

More importantly, it's also sentient. It will use its powers of its own accord when any serious situation arises (and sometimes even when there isn't a situation).

Although it may have chosen Reyes, cementing that unique bond and evolving their relationship into becoming a true partnership will no doubt be easier said than done. 

Making things even trickier is the fact that Jaime's burgeoning superhero identity is no secret because his folks will be along for the ride. His first transformation into the Blue Beetle happens right in front of his multigenerational family, and so he'll have to navigate their thoughts and feelings on how best to handle his new persona. 

An important step in representation, Blue Beetle not only has one of the first Latin superheroes in a leading role, it also provides a relatable portrait of a Mexican family. Besides that, it is a signifier of the type of movie Puerto Rican filmmaker Angel Manuel Soto has made: small-scale, character-centric and personality-driven. In a genre with so many save-the-world stories, that's exactly what makes it stand out from the pack.    Amon Warmann

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Blue Beetle is in cinemas from 18 Aug — Book Now!