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Previous Next With House of the Dragon just underway and the highly anticipated The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power releasing, the Bitesize crew has put their brains together to compile Bitesize Breakdown's consensus Top Five Fantasy Franchises. Each writer ranks his or her top 15 films/series in the category. Those lists are then weighted on a reverse point system. After all the points are tallied up, the entries with the most total points make up the Bitesize Top Five. 5. SHREK It may not be the first franchise you think of when you think of fantasy, but Shrek deserves its place in the Bitesize Top Five. Featuring superb performances from Mike Myers & Eddie Murphy, memorable quotes & one liners, and a killer soundtrack, this fairy tale is one of the greatest animated film series of all time. And it’s not even from Pixar. Give me a fifth installment, like now. - Nick 4. THE PRINCESS BRIDE Let me explain why The Princess Bride is damn near a perfect movie, fantasy or otherwise…no, there is too much. Let me sum up… It has romance, action, adventure, humor, memorable characters, and quotable line after quotable line. It’s also a timeless tale of true love, revenge, and friendship told through pirates, giants, princesses, and literal miracle workers. To paraphrase our hero: there’s a shortage of perfect movies in the world. It would be a pity to overlook this one. - Quentin 3. THE WIZARD OF OZ Although both of Victor Fleming’s 1939 films have left significant legacies, it's the all-time fantasy classic The Wizard of Oz that has truly endured (Gone With the Wind is the other). Judy Garland’s impeccable performance and the film’s timeless music are only out-classed by the film’s technical wizardry and sheer imagination. More than 80 years later, the reveal of technicolor remains the definition of pure movie magic. - Jacob 2. HARRY POTTER The Harry Potter universe allows fans to leave their ordinary lives behind for a world that brings a sense of magic, comfort, and love. I mean, we all need a little magic in our lives, and who doesn’t want to be a wizard or receive a letter from Hogwarts? The adventures and culture of this fantasy world - with all its magical creatures, potions, and spells - is the perfect escape from our own reality. At the same time, it provides a wonderful sense of belonging through all the lovable characters. - Paige 1. THE LORD OF THE RINGS A Beautiful Mind should not have won 2001’s Best Picture Oscar, and Chicago FOR DAMN SURE shouldn’t have won in 2002. There should have been a three-peat sweep for Peter Jackson’s magnum opus trilogy of world building, adaptation, and storytelling. The Lord of the Rings is the best fantasy series, best trilogy, and, straight up, three of the best movies of all time. Riots would have broken out if Mystic freakin’ River had won in 2003. - Amarú HONORABLE MENTIONS GAME OF THRONES HOOK PAN'S LABYRINTH THE SWORD IN THE STONE HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON Photo Credits: Photo 1 - Dreamworks Pictures; Photo 2 - 20th Century Studios; Photo 3 - MGM Studios; Dreamworks Pictures; Photo 4 - Warner Bros; Photo 5 - New Line Cinema

MACGRUBER: SEASON ONE Starring: Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillippe, Sam Elliott, Laurence Fishburne, and Billy Zane Creators: Will Forte, John Solomon, and Jorma Taccone QUENTIN It’s hard to say if the uninitiated will fall for MacGruber ’s dumb-funny charms, but for fans of the 2010 movie, this sequel series hits the sweet spot by being absurd and nonsensical in the best of ways. It’s the type of movie where a character, completely straight-faced, says “We are the fucking cavalry!” while struggling to put The Club on a mid-90s Mazda Miata. Ultimately, MacGruber is to Rambo as Austin Powers is to James Bond, and this show should be on your radar if you love over-the-top, lowbrow humor. Plus, Maya Rudolph’s opening recap song is a hilarious banger.

LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY Starring: Brie Larson, Lewis Pullman, Aja Naomi King, Stephanie Koenig, Kevin Sussman, and Alice Halsey Creator: Lee Eisenberg PAIGE The highly anticipated adaptation of Lessons in Chemistry has arrived, and it’s a charming series that transports its audience back to the 1950s, touching on themes of sexism in the workplace, racism, and one seeking a connection to something or someone. Although it exploits these themes in a fluff-piece manner, which makes it feel a little generic at times, that doesn’t take away from the lovely story being displayed on screen. Brie Larson, who portrays Elizabeth Zott, delivers a powerhouse performance that should allow women from all over to feel liberated enough to follow their hopes and dreams.

GEORGE & TAMMY Starring: Jessica Chastain, Michael Shannon, Steve Zahn, Walton Goggins, Kelly McCormack, Katy Mixon, and David Wilson Barnes Creator: Abe Sylvia QUENTIN I was raised on George Jones’ music, so, admittedly, George & Tammy probably had to do far less lifting to get me on board than for others. I also admit that it felt a tad too short at only six episodes, certainly leaving many explosive stories on the cutting room floor. That said, I was immediately hooked. Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon are both excellent as Country Music’s King and Queen, even doing their own singing (especially impressive for Shannon, as Jones’ voice was so distinctive). All in all, and personal bias recognized, one of the best and most underrated shows of 2022.

PEAKY BLINDERS: THE FINAL SEASON Starring: Cillian Murphy, Paul Anderson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sam Claflin, Tom Hardy, Sophie Rundle, Ned Dennehy, Benjamin Zephaniah, Natasha O’Keeffe, Finn Cole, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Packy Lee, Ian Peck, Kate Phillips, Harry Kirton, Daryl McCormack, Pauline Turner, Emmett J. Scanlan, Charlene McKenna, Amber Anderson, James Frecheville, Conrad Khan, and Stephen Graham Creator: Steven Knight QUENTIN For its final season, Peaky Blinders made some big changes, including a time jump and introducing a reformed Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy). Unfortunately, New Tommy makes for a mostly dull gangster. He no longer drinks whiskey, is less prone to settling matters with a Tommy Gun, and spends the majority of the season in smoke-filled meetings instead of making things happen “by order of the Peaky Fookin’ Blinders.” Meanwhile, all other major characters are sidelined (Arthur (Paul Anderson) is especially wasted), and the ending is a total cop out. Despite the typically stellar acting and cinematography, it’s a disappointing end to a generally great series.

A MAN IN FULL Starring: Jeff Daniels, Diane Lane, William Jackson Harper, Aml Ameen, Tom Pelphrey, Sarah Jones, Jon Michael Hill, Chanté Adams, Lucy Liu, Bill Camp, and Evan Roe Creator: David E. Kelley QUENTIN A Man in Full provides both too much and too little in its six relatively short episodes. It provides too much because there are five or so loosely connected plotlines, so pacing and momentum are an issue; it provides too little because there are so many story threads that most of them are underdeveloped (or worse, almost completely separated from the other plots, making them less engaging). That said, there are some great moments , almost all of which stem from William Jackson Harper or the contentious rivalry between Charlie (Jeff Daniels) and Harry (a fantastic Bill Camp), ultimately resulting in an unfocused acting showcase.

Previous Next It's Valentine's Day and love is in the air, so we decided to drop our newest list a day early. The Bitesize crew has put their brains together to compile Bitesize Breakdown's consensus Top Five Rom-Coms. Each writer ranks his or her top 15 films in the category. Those lists are then weighted on a reverse point system. After all the points are tallied up, the entries with the most total points make up the Bitesize Top Five. 5. COMING TO AMERICA “YES! F*** YOU TOO!” might be my favorite line delivery in any romantic comedy ever (tied with some lines from our #1). As funny as it is though, people often forget the romance storyline that is at the heart of Coming to America . It holds its own amongst the top-notch jokes while making the film an automatic “oh, hell yea” once you realize it qualifies for this category. So… OH, HELL YEA!!! THAT MOVIE GOOD!!! - Amarú 4. CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE Even putting my man-crush on Baby Goose aside, Crazy, Stupid, Love is a hilarious and honest look at romance from two perspectives: the young player who may have found “The One” and the heartbroken, middle-aged guy who never expected to be single again. Truth be told, I’ve been some version of both characters at different points in my life, and the situations, dialogue, and dynamic between Ryan Gosling and Steven Carell are so genuine and relatable that this movie just resonates with me on multiple levels. - Quentin 3. YOU'VE GOT MAIL This may be the lesser known of the Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan rom-coms, but it's always been my favourite. Everything from the juxtaposition of the online relationship versus the personal one and the way both evolve to the undeniable chemistry these two actors share, it's a joy watching them push each other's buttons (all the while being in on the secret the characters aren't privy to). You can't help but root for them to get together, and that’s exactly what the best rom-coms set out to do. - Nick 2. WHEN HARRY MET SALLY... As of this moment, there is no film in existence that more appropriately fits the definition of “rom-com” than When Harry Met Sally . When it comes to the gold standards of the rom-com formula, or the kinds of characters rom-coms typically possess, this movie stands above all others as the prototypical example…and for good reason. It’s funny, it’s romantic, and most importantly, it gave us the eternally iconic Meg Ryan diner scene. - Jacob 1. THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN With a premise as simple as a man in his middle years who has yet to experience sex, The 40-Year-Old Virgin could've been just another in a list of forgettable, sophomoric comedies. Instead, the movie takes a gentle approach to a topic that can be sensitive to those who relate, due largely to its stellar cast of Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, and more. With a combination of strong performances from the lead actors and solid turns from the supporting players, even in bit roles, the film is cemented as one of the recent comedy classics, romantic or otherwise. - Darryl HONORABLE MENTIONS GROUNDHOG DAY 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU THE WEDDING SINGER MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 50 FIRST DATES Photo Credits: Photo 1 - Paramount Pictures; Photo 2, 3 - Warner Bros; Photo 4 - Columbia Pictures; Photo 5 - Universal Pictures

UNDER THE BRIDGE Starring: Lily Gladstone, Riley Keough, Vritika Gupta, Chloe Guidry, Javon “Wanna” Walton, Izzy G, Archie Panjabi, Aiyana Goodfellow, and Ezra Faroque Khan Creator: Quinn Shephard QUENTIN I can’t remember the last time a show went from promising start to borderline unwatchable in the time that Under the Bridge does. Maybe it’s just me, but the more time I spent with the bitchy, white, teenage girls who refer to themselves as — huge eye-roll — the “Crip Mafia Cartel” while constantly bragging about how gangster they are and incessantly name-dropping John Gotti, the tougher it was to finish each episode. Just…So. Damn. Annoying. That said, if you can get past that, the acting and (true) mystery are decent enough to satisfy fans of shows cut from the same cloth as True Detective and The Killing .

THE BLACKLIST: SEASON NINE Starring: James Spader, Diego Klattenhoff, Harry Lennix, Hisham Tawfiq, Amir Arison, and Laura Sohn Creator: Jon Bokenkamp NICK With the departures of creator Jon Bokenkamp and star Megan Boone, the ninth season of The Blacklist was going to be an uphill climb. A series focused on the relationship between its two lead characters loses its purpose when one of those characters is no longer there. The new storyline threads and an unnecessary extension of Elizabeth Keene's (Boone) death don’t hold the weight of earlier seasons, and the “villain-of-the-week” gets tiresome. As much as James Spader (and the underrated supporting cast) give great performances, the sad realization is that this show doesn’t need to exist anymore.

CLIPPED Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Jacki Weaver, Ed O’Neill, Cleopatra Coleman, Kelly AuCoin, Richard Sommer, Harriet Sansom Harris, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Sheldon Bailey, and Austin Scott Creator: Gina Welch AMARÚ Improving with each episode, Clipped evolves from its saccharine, throw-as-much-information-at-the-screen-until-something-sticks start into a very entertaining and surprisingly effective series. While the performances are great, with Laurence Fishburne, Jacki Weaver, and Ed O’Neill leading the way, you can’t help but laugh at how much the actors playing NBA stars are not the people they’re portraying. Weirdly, this irreverence highlights the audacity of the Sterlings’ privilege, and creates an enjoyable tone of ridiculous disbelief that not only balances humor and sincerity, but also creates empathy for what those players must’ve been feeling. NICK It’s a bad time to be an old white man named Donald. Clipped is the most Ryan Murphy (non Ryan Murphy) show I've ever seen. It's got the exaggerated personalities, the soap opera elements, and that FX sheen. Also, like a Murphy series, Clipped thrives on its accurate casting. Laurence Fishburne and Ed O'Neill drive the show, but the supporting cast all come to play. I knew of Donald Sterling (O’Neill), but was unaware of the intricacies of his tenure with the Clippers or his relationship with his secretary (clear comparisons to the current Vince McMahon case). It’s a dramatization, sure, but it entertained me. QUENTIN Overall, Clipped is an entertaining show that features some fantastic performances. However, there is a tonal imbalance that prohibits it from being as great as HBO’s Winning Time . Half of the story is almost a comedy, taking a trashy tabloid approach to Don Sterling’s (Ed O’Neill) and V. Stiviano’s (Cleopatra Coleman) buffoonery. Meanwhile, it (rightfully) gets serious when it explores how this incident affected Doc Rivers (Laurence Fishburne) and the players (a scene between Fishburne and LaVar Burton, who is playing himself, is especially poignant). It’s still worth your time, but a little more consistency in the tone could have made Clipped great.

THE VEIL Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Yumna Marwan, Dali Benssalah, Josh Charles, and Thibault de Montalembert Creator: Steven Knight QUENTIN Have you ever noticed that British shows look a little less glossy than American shows? Coming from Peaky Blinders ’ creator Steven Knight, The Veil is like Homeland done in the British style. It’s a lot of the same shadowy spycraft, geopolitical dick-measuring, distrust, and so on…just grainer. At its center is Elisabeth Moss, who gives a respectable performance as an MI6 agent trying to determine whether a person of interest is an infamous ISIS commander. She, as well as Josh Charles and some typical espionage tropes, keep the show engaging enough, especially with only six episodes, even if the rushed writing leaves something to be desired.

THE MOSQUITO COAST: SEASON ONE Starring: Justin Theroux, Melissa George, Logan Polish, and Gabriel Bateman Creators: Tom Bissell and Neil Cross QUENTIN I can't say how The Mosquito Coast compares to the movie/book because I never saw/read it. However, as a show, it feels incomplete. It's suspenseful and engaging, but there is very little in the way of character development and nothing is really resolved. It also fails to give much backstory, only hinting at why this family is on the run. At only seven episodes, it could have used a couple more hours to flesh out the "why" of it all. That said, Justin Theroux is excellent in an endlessly watchable performance. Overall, it's good, but it could have been better.