Richard Roeper said what he wasn’t supposed to say about that 2016 “Ghostbusters” reboot.

The veteran film critic suggested his peers graded the Paul Feig reboot “on a curve.” That’s not something a critic shares lightly, and Roeper isn’t right-leaning by any stretch.

He genuinely felt film critics went easy on a film derisively labelled “The Lady Ghostbusters.”

Why? The film’s all-female lead cast made it a culture war battle, and critics adjusted their reviews according. That’s according to Roeper, of course.

And, as fate would have it, the film dramatically underperformed. That led to a more traditional sequel. which fared better, in part, thanks to a smaller budget.

So how does this connect to the current reaction to “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy?”

The Paramount+ series debuted earlier this year and quickly became fodder for gimlet-eyed YouTube stars like Nerdrotic, Film Threat and The Critical Drinker.

They weren’t pleased.

The new series features a youthful cast led by screen veteran Holly Hunter. The saga boasts an aggressively diverse cast, not unusual for a brand that featured TV’s first interracial cast more than 60 years ago, and an upbeat tone often compared to “One Tree Hill” and “Beverly Hills 90210.”

That’s not a compliment. And, by many accounts, it’s as bad as advertised. And the ratings show it.

Even Collider, hardly a right-leaning platform, spelled out the dire news for the series.

At the time of writing, just three days after the premiere of Episode 3, Starfleet Academy has been ousted from the current Paramount+ streaming charts in the U.S. This is made even more damning when considering the lack of brand-new content providing competition for Starfleet Academy.

Shows like “Criminal Minds,” “South Park” and “Everybody Loves Raymond,” which went off the air more than 20 years ago, are all beating “Starfleet Academy.”

Badly.

The free YouTube version of Episode 1 has fewer views than The Critical Drinker’s takedown.

Tell that to the professional reviewers. The “top critics” at Rotten Tomatoes gave the show a 93 percent “fresh” rating, a stellar mark. Yet general audiences weighed in against the saga, giving it a 43 percent “rotten” score.

Are modern critics grading “Starfleet Academy” on a curve a la “Ghostbusters?”

This is Star Trek, now.

I legitimately didn’t know I could hate modern Star Trek any more, but Kurtzman has outdone himself.

If you didn’t know better and were told that STARFLEET ACADEMY was a parody, you wouldn’t know it wasn’t. pic.twitter.com/dqev1t2nME

— Worth it or Woke? (reviews) (@worthitorwoke) January 16, 2026

This critic sampled the first episode and came away thinking The Critical Drinker and Nerdrotic nailed the show’s comical flaws. The dialogue is embarrassing, as are the clunky plot twists and sad fight sequences.

While the show’s “woke” trappings are undeniable, they’re the least offensive elements of the first installment.

Now, art is subjective, but a show like “Starfleet Academy” appears hard to rally behind. So why are so many critics doing just that?

This review snippet from Variety’s rave feels … telling.

To ensure the franchise lasts at least another 60 years, it must reflect our actual world. There must be space made for queer identifying, multi-heritage and mixed-race characters. It’s clear in many ways (on television and in real life) that the old guard has long dropped the ball. As “Starfleet Academy” declares, it’s now up to a new generation to fix the mess they’ve inherited [emphasis added].

Over at the far-Left Pajiba, the scribes declared the bad audience reviews to be “review bombing” (because any show critics like can’t be challenged by the great unwashed). The site also says it’s now a “must-see” show due to said bombing.

Tell that to Paramount+ subscribers, who prefer a decades-old comedy to this kind of “Trek.”

This Pajiba paragraph, once more, is telling.

Think of it as a post-Trump America analogue: there is a great deal of work to be done to regain the world’s trust and reestablish ethical leadership. Starfleet Academy is, at its core, a school designed to teach people how to act right again.

Grading on a curve … again? You decide. 

The post Are Critics Grading ‘Starfleet Academy’ on a Woke Curve? appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.

Actor John Leguizamo is well versed in Hollywood virtue signaling.

The actor routinely weighs in on political matters, from large issues to minor ones tied to Identity Politics.

One example?

Leguizamo cried foul over the “Super Mario Bros.” animated smash. He argued the studio “messed up the inclusion” with its casting choices, like hiring a straight white male, Chris Pratt, as the main character.

Original Super Mario Bros. star John Leguizamo reveals why he won’t watch the new animated movie: “They messed up the inclusion. They dis-included. Just cast some Latin folk!”https://t.co/fEjEHW8tQ6 pic.twitter.com/WXtSt57gFP

— CBR (@CBR) April 6, 2023

This … is different.

Leguizamo posted a rant on social media this week demanding that anyone who disagrees with his views on ICE and immigration enforcement should stop watching his films.

All his films.

Ice Age ‘Sid the Sloth’ actor John Leguizamo demands people who support ICE unfollow him and stop watching his movies.

“If you follow ICE, unfollow me. Don’t come to my shows, don’t watch my movies.” pic.twitter.com/UDltAKe2W1

— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) January 28, 2026

“If you follow ICE, unfollow me. Don’t come to my shows, don’t watch my movies.”

IMDB.com lists 167 credits for the 65-year-old actor. Impressive, no? His body of work speaks for itself, including work with legendary directors like Spike Lee (“Summer of Sam”) and Brian De Palma (“Carlito’s Way”).

It’s also a long list of projects center-Right audiences should suddenly avoid, by his decree.

That includes “The Odyssey,” director Christopher Nolan’s epic considered by many as the year’s most anticipated release.

A lot is riding on that film. Every Nolan release is an event, and given how well the director’s 2023 film “Oppenheimer” performed, the studio expects “The Odyssey” to make a considerable profit.

What if the actor’s wish is fulfilled? What if a not insignificant number of movie goers comply? More importantly, what about his future projects?

“The Odyssey” has a built-in audience, so it will likely shrug off the actor’s command. He still works in films both large and small, the latter needing all the eyeballs they can gather.

Would an indie studio rush to hire Leguizamo knowing he’s actively telling fans to avoid his films?

Movie studios spend millions to promote new titles. Actors speak to news outlets and podcasts to spread the word about their latest projects. Marketers plot ad campaigns to maximize awareness in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

And Leguizamo is telling select audiences to stay far, far away from his work. How well will that land within the Hollywood ecosystem?

This isn’t relegated to Leguizamo. Artist after artist is pulling back their work to protest President Donald Trump’s overhaul of the Trump Kennedy Center.

In reacting against the president he withholds his art from the public. Lame.

Composer Philip Glass pulls Lincoln-inspired symphony premiere from Kennedy Center, says Trump is in ‘direct conflict’ with show’s message https://t.co/j7ZIG2WTRF

— Libby Emmons (@libbyemmons) January 27, 2026

Artists are increasingly at war with consumers, either lecturing them to vote like they do or pulling their work from right-leaning platforms and venues.

Few have been as bold about it as Leguizamo.

The post Should Studios Keep Hiring John Leguizamo? appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.