The Marvel Cinematic Universe has all but ruined its name with the string of insufferably woke movies it’s produced in the last few years.
Lauren Chen has pulled no punches when it comes to roasting the franchise for its in-your-face progressive agenda in films such as "The Fantastic Four," "Madame Web," "The Marvels," and "Echo."
But “Deadpool & Wolverine,” starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, may have just broken the curse.
“This is a very good movie,” says Lauren.
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And even though the film hops around the multiverse — which Lauren says is a plotline Marvel has “overplayed” — “Deadpool and Wolverine” is nonetheless “a very fun sequence.”
As for the two main characters, “they play off of each other very well,” says Lauren, adding that the fact that Reynolds and Jackman are friends in real life shines through the interactions between their characters.
Another fun part of the movie is the numerous superhero cameos — all of which are played by well-known celebrities, such as Jennifer Garner, Channing Tatum, Wesley Snipes, Chris Evans, and Blake Lively.
However, that’s not to say the film is without its flaws.
For example, the “tongue-in-cheek comedy” that characterizes Deadpool films is a bit overdone, according to Lauren.
“More isn’t always more,” she says, adding that “some of the fourth wall breaking, some of the snarkiness ... did kind of feel like too much.”
As for Cassandra Nova’s character, played by Emma Corrin, Lauren was pleasantly surprised. Initially, she was disappointed in the casting choice because she couldn’t picture Corrin coming across as a menacing villain, but the actress delivered in appearing “unhinged” and “creepy.”
“By the end of it, I was genuinely disappointed that [Corrin’s character] wasn't a bigger part of this film,” she says, noting that Nova would have made a better antagonist than Paradox, who was “needlessly evil” and had vague motivations.
Paradoxically, one of the best things about “Deadpool & Wolverine” also happens to be its most limiting feature — and that is its unmitigated fan service.
Not only is the film chock full of “fun references” to other Marvel superheroes, but it also includes references to “superhero films spanning the past 20 years.” This aspect of the film is certain to thrill longtime superhero movie watchers. However, the cameos could easily alienate younger generations, who haven’t been alive long enough to see all the movies, and “normies” who just don’t watch superhero movies that often.
These people are “going to miss a lot of what's happening because they just haven't seen these other films,” says Lauren.
To hear more of Lauren’s review (spoilers included), watch the clip above.
To enjoy more of Lauren’s pro-liberty, pro-logic, and pro-market commentary on social and political issues, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
For some time, Blake Lively has been the sweetheart of the internet for reasons that have little to do with her acting career. People seem to idolize the blonde beauty for her cutesy relationship with husband Ryan Reynolds, her bold fashion statements at red carpet events, and her close friendship with megastar Taylor Swift.
However, it seems that overnight, Lively has been subjected to the volatile whims of cancel culture. Search her name on Google, and you’ll find a slew of articles smearing the formerly adored actress.
What happened to turn someone with a “very large and very loyal fan following” into the latest Hollywood scandal?
Lauren Chen, Blaze media’s resident film critic, breaks down the sudden brouhaha swirling around Lively.
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“It seemed like overnight … public perception of Blake Lively had done a complete 180, so I kind of did a deep dive trying to understand exactly what had happened, and it turns out, it all has to do with her latest film” – “It Ends with Us,” which is based on the popular novel by Colleen Hoover, Lauren explains.
For those who don’t know, “It Ends with Us” is a contentious subject because it explores the themes of domestic violence and emotional abuse, so “regardless of Blake Lively's involvement, ‘It Ends With Us’ was going to be controversial.”
According to social media, as well as reports from multiple online sources, readers are “divided on how well Hoover’s ‘It Ends with Us’ handles the topic of domestic abuse.” Many feel that the story romanticizes abusive relationships, while others praise it as a tale of breaking toxic cycles (as the title suggests).
“This was going to be a tricky thing to navigate for the people involved with the film, period. And unfortunately for Blake Lively, it seems that the way she has been handling herself on the press tour for this film has convinced at least some people that no, she is not taking the issue of domestic abuse seriously,” says Lauren, adding that people have been comparing Lively’s statements about the film to co-star and director/producer of the film Justin Baldoni’s comments.
For example, in one interview, Baldoni said, “If a Lily Bloom in real life can sit in this theater and maybe make a different choice for herself than was made for her; maybe she sees herself on that screen and chooses something different for herself. That’s why I made the movie.”
Compare that statement to Lively’s answer when she was asked, “What’s your childhood dream?” at the New York City premiere of “It Ends with Us.”
“To wear Britney Spears’ Versace dress,” the actress replied coyly, gesturing to her vibrant vintage gown, which Spears indeed wore in 2002.
“There’s kind of a different vibe,” says Lauren, cringing.
This is just one of several examples of the stark contrast between Lively’s recent comments and those of Baldoni.
In one highly controversial video, Lively promotes the film by saying, “‘It Ends with Us’ is in theaters now, so grab your friends, wear your florals, and head out to see it.”
“A lot of people really took issue with that clip,” says Lauren, noting that critics accused Lively of “trying to get a Barbie movie thing going.”
“Women were wearing pink to go see the Barbie movie. She's saying ‘wear your florals and go see this movie,’ and it's like, this is a movie about domestic abuse,” Lauren sighs, sympathizing with Lively’s naysayers.
On top of “tone-deaf” marketing, Lively also chose to “[tie] in her own hair care line with the promotion of this film,” which resulted in even more backlash.
Overall, people are upset that “Blake's behavior during the press tour doesn't really resonate with the actual content of the film,” says Lauren.
However, that’s not where the scandal ends.
Rumor has it that Lively and Baldoni are also at odds – extreme odds.
According to an article from themarysue.com, “Lively, Sklenar, Jenny Slate, Isabela Ferrer, and Alex Neustaedter largely dominate this press. Meanwhile, Baldoni isn’t present or tagged in any of the posts, resulting in numerous comments questioning where he is.”
“So it seems like Baldoni has been doing his own solo press for the movie, while the other co-stars and cast have been doing joint events,” says Lauren, adding that “none of the co-stars or the author of the book itself, Colleen Hoover, follow Baldoni on social media.”
Blake Lively defenders, however, have speculated that the sudden online condemnation of Lively was sparked by Baldoni himself as revenge for being labeled difficult to work with.
“Some are suggesting Justin behaves so poorly on set that he actually alienated the rest of the cast, and all of this blowback against Blake Lively is actually something that he and his team orchestrated in order to divert negative attention away from himself,” Lauren explains.
While this is just hearsay right now, it does stand to reason when you consider the fact that Baldoni “actually [hired] the same crisis PR firm that previously represented Johnny Depp during the whole Amber Heard fiasco.”
“It is true that after Justin started working with this crisis management PR team that a bunch of Blake Lively's old controversies did start appearing in headlines again,” says Lauren, pointing to the actress’ former scandals, such as her and Reynolds’ wedding venue, which used to be a plantation, an old quote from Lively when she used the term “trannies,” and an interview from 2016 during which Lively was rude to a reporter.
Regardless of Baldoni’s involvement in the dredging up of the actress’ former controversies, one thing is clear: “Blake Lively is being canceled right now.”
To hear more about the scandal, watch the clip above.
To enjoy more of Lauren’s pro-liberty, pro-logic, and pro-market commentary on social and political issues, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
“The Boys” – a television series about rogue superheroes – is one of Amazon Prime’s most successful shows to date. However, with each season, the producers have dialed up the wokeness and all but ruined the show. Its popularity rating has dropped in tandem with the increased politicization of the characters and plot.
In her last video, Lauren tackled the show’s pro-abortion agenda. In this review, she lambastes the finale, which was destined to be a scandal due to its contents and timing.
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To backtrack a bit, in this season of “The Boys,” the writers have made it clear from the get-go that the character of Homelander, who is the face of the entire series, is a parody of Donald Trump – the left’s version of Donald Trump, that is.
Homelander and his supporters are painted as racist, sexist, fascist, and just plain evil. It could easily be said that his character mirrored the mainstream media’s incessant cries of “Trump is Hilter!”
Interestingly enough, the finale of “The Boys” dropped on July 18, not even a week after Trump’s near-assassination. But did that stop the creators from airing the episode, which, believe it or not, centered on the plotted assassination of a president (which was scheduled for January 6) and Homelander’s plan to take over America and imprison those who don’t get on board with his agenda?
No, it did not.
The finale dropped as scheduled, but the original title of the episode – “Assassination Run” – was changed to just “Season 4 Finale.” The producers also threw in a disclaimer at the beginning of the episode that read: “Viewer discretion advised. This episode contains scenes of fictional political violence. Any similarities to recent events are completely coincidental and unintentional. Prime Video, Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures Television and producers of The Boys oppose, in strongest terms, real-world violence of any kind.”
“You've just spent an entire season absolutely skewering American conservatives, and your season finale is set to air just a few days following the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, and in said finale, you also feature an attempted political assassination, this time at the hands of your Donald Trump parody character,” says Lauren, adding that she “personally would not have wanted to be on the PR team for Amazon.”
“Basically the entire message of Season 4 of ‘The Boys’ has been that conservatives are domestic terrorists; they are the real threats; they are the violent ones,” she continues.
Further, when it comes to Amazon’s disclaimer, Lauren argues that the entire reason it was necessary is because of the show’s failed attempt at satire.
“I think satire is best done when it's frankly more layered and less obvious and more thematic than just simply parodying specific individuals and specific events,” she says.
To hear more of her analysis, watch the clip above.
To enjoy more of Lauren’s pro-liberty, pro-logic, and pro-market commentary on social and political issues, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
"Star Wars" show "The Acolyte" cost $180 million to produce, and it’s finally over.
But after the season finale, Lauren Chen is wondering where the money went — or whether the writers of the show are even sane.
“I’m beginning to think that the writers behind ‘The Acolyte,’ they’re just bad people. Maybe even psychopaths,” Chen says, adding, “Overall, where this money went, I have no idea.”
In the finale, the protagonist of the show kills her old Jedi master, Sol, in cold blood, and it's presented as being “what’s right.”
“Is she really the protagonist? Like, I’m sorry, am I still supposed to like or relate to this character in any way, shape, or form?” Chen asks.
“Not only does basically the only good character in this show get murdered in the finale by the little girl that he helped raise and that he did rescue from these weird space witches, but on top of that, his memory and his legacy are completely dragged through the mud,” she adds.
The show itself was supposed to revolve around the theme of ambiguous morality, Chen doesn’t think it did a good job of that at all.
“Such disappointing stuff. And here’s the thing: The entire morality of this show essentially hinges on the fact that the writers believe that Sol was in the wrong, but they didn’t really do a good job convincing the audience otherwise,” Chen says.
While Chen doesn’t believe the show is the “worst thing” she’s ever seen, she says it’s up there.
“It’s terrible. It’s not good as a piece of "Star Wars" fiction, and it’s just not good as a show standing on its own. Like, it’s one thing if there were a show that kind of poked holes into "Star Wars" lore and canon, but at least it was entertaining to watch and decent,” she says.
“This is just not good as a piece of media. It’s not very interesting, it’s not every entertaining, and heck, even if we just look at it purely as a form of propaganda to push a social message, which it seems like is really all that the creators were interested in doing, it still fails, because the message it pushes is terrible,” she continues.
“It justifies murder, tries to add moral ambiguity into something that’s unambiguously bad, like having a temper or no control over your feelings. It’s just a failure all around,” she adds.
To enjoy more of Lauren’s pro-liberty, pro-logic, and pro-market commentary on social and political issues, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
Amazon Prime’s “The Boys” has always been “woke,” but the latest season took the meaning of the word to an entirely new level.
“‘The Boys’ has really always been ‘woke’ since its first season,” Lauren Chen explains. “It’s only now, in its later seasons, particularly seasons three and four, that I found the wokeness is becoming really just too much.”
Chen points to one scene in particular that took it one step too far.
“There was a scene that was so stupid, so poorly written,” Chen says. The scene featured Victoria Newman, a Latina politician with super powers, and the newest character Sage, a black woman, whose entire presence in the show “is so frustrating.”
“Her entire premise is that she is the smartest person alive, but here’s the thing. That’s a problem because the writers for this show are not that smart. So, the question is, how do you portray the smartest person in the world when you are a certifiable midwit?” Chen asks.
The writers came up with a solution to this midwit condition they have by telling “the audience that she is smart, that Sage is smart, many, many times.”
In this particular scene, Newman and Sage are attending what appears to be a right-wing political gathering full of old white billionaires. The pair are scheming to get these billionaires on board with Newman as president, and Newman complains that she had “abortion mansplained” to her by a man who “refuses to be alone with any woman who’s not his wife.”
Not only is Chen disturbed by the abortion comment, the entire scheme is childish and not reflective of the “smartest person in the world.”
“Something that Sage in her infinite wisdom has concocted, but it’s like, well, obviously if you’re trying to seize political power, doesn’t it make sense to get other people who have power on board with your cause?” Chen says.
“That’s not some grandmaster strategy, that’s just literally the bare minimum you would expect to do if you are trying to do a soft coup. This is not genius-level stuff. I’ve literally seen women’s book clubs with more intricate political backstabbing and intrigue than this show,” she adds.
Marvel’s surrender to wokeness has all but ruined the franchise. Longtime comic book fans have fled for hills when their favorite MCU characters have been gender-bent, race-bent, or altered to be more socially acceptable.
However, Disney+ will soon debut a new series called “Agatha All Along,” which follows Agatha Harkness, the villain from Marvel Studios’ "WandaVision.”
Could “Agatha” reverse Marvel’s downward spiral?
Lauren Chen, Blaze Media’s cinema critic, discusses the upcoming series.
Disney's NEXT FLOP: 'Agatha' Trailer Breakdownwww.youtube.com
Although the series won’t drop until September, the trailer alone has Lauren fearing that the show will be yet another money pit.
First, she doesn’t think the series will generate enough interest.
“It's not like this was a particularly popular character in the comics and even in ‘WandaVision,’ the show that introduced her,” she says.
Further, according to rumors Lauren is privy to, “the reason they're giving Agatha her own series is not just because she's potentially another girlboss character they can exploit, but also because they are hoping to resurrect Scarlet Witch in the MCU.”
Even the show's producers seem wary about the series, given that it was announced in 2021 but is premiering three years later.
“It definitely seems like the prolonged production period was due, at least in part, to uncertainty on behalf of the show's creators,” says Lauren, adding that the series “has had four different names at different points in time” – names that “had already been announced to the public,” further solidifying the theory that there’s an air of doubt surrounding the show.
MCU fans are also skeptical about the series appearing to be “more horror-centric” than other MCU shows, but Lauren would enjoy a darker series “if Disney could pull it off.”
As for the series’ wokeness meter, rumors have suggested that “they may make Agatha herself gay or at the very least bisexual,” says Lauren, referencing a Bounding into Comics article.
“I think we should expect this show to be completely lockstep in line with the M-She-U as of late,” she predicts. “I personally cannot wait to see how much of a flop [‘Agatha All Along’] ends up being.”
For all its faults, Lauren does see a couple of bright spots for the show.
“It doesn’t look cheap,” she says.
And Aubrey Plaza stars in it, but Lauren doubts that “she's going to be enough to save this series.”
To hear more about “Agatha All Along,” watch the clip above.
To enjoy more of Lauren’s pro-liberty, pro-logic, and pro-market commentary on social and political issues, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
The widely used video platform YouTube removed Tenet Media and related channels from its services on Thursday after the Justice Department accused the company of partaking in a secret Russian influence operation. The revelation comes days after the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the seizure of nearly three dozen internet domains it alleged were […]
The truth is, Russia isn’t interfering in the 2024 election nearly as much as Biden’s FBI and DOJ are right now.
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