Latest DCEU flick can't cram the Chicane experience into superhero duds
’s run time, I struggled with a question that’s been on my mind lately: What does meaningful representation look like? The latest entry into the DCEU,follows Jaime Reyes , a college grad and eventual, unwitting host of the Scarab, a sentient piece of alien tech that allows him to become the titular hero. The movie has a big heart, ambitious references, and moments that make it an entertaining watch, but it can curdle thanks to the constraints of the superhero genre.
Balancing the possibilities of throwing specific, Mexican American cultural references into a big-budget spectacular with all the requirements of broad, tentpole entertainment is a challenging task. Writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer and director Ángel Manuel Soto are ambitious and warm in their work, giving a lot of loving nods to Chicane touchstones like Cheech and Chong, Guillermo del Toro's, and the films of Gregory Nava.
At its best, this is thoughtful, specific, and carefully crafted work that can make a Chicane person feel seen. However, it loses its power when it is undercut by choices the movie makes, and forced story beats. Take, for instance, a beautiful sequence in which Jaime is reuniting with a lost loved one surrounded by candles. The mood and look are reminiscent of, Nava’s powerful 1983 film about immigrants coming to America.
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