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  • MARVEL'S MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR: SEASON ONE | Bitesize Breakdown

    MARVEL'S MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR: SEASON ONE Starring: Diamond White, Fred Tatasciore, Alfre Woodard, Libe Barer, Sasheer Zamata, Gary Anthony Williams, Laurence Fishburne, and Jermaine Fowler Creators: Jeffrey M. Howard, Kate Kondell, and Steve Loter AMARÚ Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is a delightful series, with each episode progressively improving after a sweet and stylish, yet slightly overstuffed pilot. The subsequent 25-minute episode format packs beautiful animation, lovable characters, and humorous dialogue in tightly paced stories full of marvelous lessons for kids and childlike wonder for adults. The sonically imaginative soundtrack and visually stylish storytelling highlight a unique rogues gallery of characters that you want to visit with again and again. It’s been a while since a kid’s show has brought back that Saturday Morning Cartoon feeling, and I’m glad a new generation has a staple to watch on their weekend wake-ups.

  • ATLANTA: THE FINAL SEASON | Bitesize Breakdown

    ATLANTA: THE FINAL SEASON Starring: Donald Glover, Brian Tyree Henry, LaKeith Stanfield, and Zazie Beetz Creator: Donald Glover AMARÚ Season Four of Atlanta cements it as one of the greatest series of all time. The unpredictably poignant writing makes every second a must see, and the main foursome’s screen presence continues to keep your eyes glued. But what really makes this final season shine is its return home. The deep connection to music culture, Southern culture, and Black culture has always been a strength, but the return to the city of Atlanta created some of the best episodes of the entire series. Kudos to The Glover Brothers and Hiro Murai for sending off Atlanta as weirdly down-home as it knows how. PAIGE What I’ve loved most about Atlanta is that it never intended to play by the rules, always doing its own thing. Donald Glover (a damn genius) and Co. did just that with the series’ fourth and final season, which brought the show back to its unique and brilliant roots. The stories told are so unpredictable that you never know what you are going to get in terms of tone and subject matter; that’s what made it such a fun and weird trip. I’m going to miss these characters dearly, and I’m bummed it’s over. QUENTIN Though a smidge weaker than its previous seasons, Atlanta ’s final go ‘round continues to deliver surreal, hilarious, and thoughtful takes on black culture while also wrapping up one of the best shows of (at least) the last decade. My only complaint is, while the final moments present an ambiguity that interestingly reframes the entire series, it feels tacked on. The ending works and is on brand, but it’s slightly unearned since they didn’t thread a setup throughout the season (it feels more like a season finale than a series finale). Then again, maybe I’m just sad and bitter because I’ll miss spending time with the characters. ADRIANO Part of me wishes it had ended on a more satisfying note, but Atlanta ended in true Atlanta fashion, and for one of my all-time favourite shows, that’s good enough for me. While it once again lacks a cohesive structure, it’s refreshing to get a season focused on the main cast after Season Three’s anthology approach. We get deeper dives into these characters, and I’ve never felt more attached even as they walk off into the sunset. The show once again brings brilliant surrealism with an effective satirical bite and intensity; there are no other shows like Atlanta , and that’s why I will miss it.

  • INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE: SEASON TWO | Bitesize Breakdown

    INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE: SEASON TWO Starring: Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Delainey Hayles, Eric Bogosian, Assad Zaman, and Ben Daniels Creator: Rolin Jones QUENTIN After two seasons, Interview with the Vampire remains one of the most beautiful shows on television, featuring a twisty, lavish, and gothic love story that one can’t help but to be invested in. That said, Season Two isn’t quite as good as Season One, almost exclusively because of the absence of Sam Reid’s Lestat, who is little more than a recurring guest character this season. However, with Season Three already greenlit, and the announcement that it will be based on The Vampire Lestat , the second book of Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles , the small complaint of not enough Reid seemingly will be remedied with haste.

  • SERVANT: SEASON FOUR | Bitesize Breakdown

    SERVANT: SEASON FOUR Starring: Lauren Ambrose, Toby Kebbell, Nell Tiger Free, and Rupert Grint Creators: Tony Basgallop and M. Night Shyamalan QUENTIN One universal complaint about M. Night Shyamalan’s body of work is his propensity to deliver bum endings after intriguingly terrific set ups, and Servant , which was meant to be six seasons before being culled down to four, is yet another victim. Truth be told, this series has become less and less interesting with each passing season, and this final group of episodes struggles to maintain momentum, answer questions proposed over the entire series’ run, or make the viewer care about the fact that this story is ending. It just fizzles out, like Shyamalan ultimately got bored with the series, which is fair because so did I.

  • POKER FACE: SEASON TWO | Bitesize Breakdown

    POKER FACE: SEASON TWO Starring: Natasha Lyonne, Simon Helberg, Rhea Perlman, Patti Harrison, and Steve Buscemi Creator: Rian Johnson AMARÚ You know you really like a show when you can excuse some silly bullshit that Natasha Lyonne’s human lie detector Charlie could call out from a mile away. Not to say that Poker Face Season Two isn’t well written, but there are plenty of conveniences that if it weren’t for the lovable guest-stars-of-the-week’s chemistry with Lyonne, my eyes would live inside the top of my head. Fortunately for me, the exuberant atmosphere is undeniable, and I wouldn’t have my foolish, lighthearted, well-acted, Columbo -coated weekly murder mysteries any other way. ADRIANO I watched the last season of Poker Face week-to-week, and in that review, I noted that I feared a binge-watch could feel repetitive. Well, I put that theory to the test, and I'm happy to report I was wrong. Season Two of Poker Face almost leans into the cartoonish nature of a woman (Natasha Lyonne) running into so many murders hilariously, but what works best is that the show continues to find new ways to shock us with intriguing and well-plotted stories. It's an impressive feat that remains fun, and I can't imagine it ever overstaying its welcome. Check out our reviews for Season One HERE .

  • SECRET LEVEL: SEASON ONE | Bitesize Breakdown

    SECRET LEVEL: SEASON ONE Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Kevin Hart, Laura Bailey, Heaven Hart, Keanu Reeves, Gabriel Luna, Ariana Greenblatt, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Elodie Young, Temuera Morrison, Michael Beach, Emily Swallow, and Claudia Doumit Creator: Tim Miller QUENTIN If you enjoy Love, Death & Robots , you should give Secret Level a chance, especially if you’re a big gamer. Both series come from Tim Miller, so the connective tissue is immediately obvious, with both featuring short, tremendously animated stories told in various worlds. Like most anthologies, some episodes are better than others, and a little more variety in the animation styles would have been nice, but with episodes that mostly run under 15 minutes, it’s not a huge time commitment. Those familiar with the games being referenced, ranging from Dungeons & Dragons to Pac-Man , likely will get even more from the series than I did.

  • DEAD RINGERS | Bitesize Breakdown

    DEAD RINGERS Starring: Rachel Weisz, Britne Oldford, Poppy Liu, Jennifer Ehle, and Michael Chernus Creator: Alice Birch QUENTIN Although Rachel Weisz is outstanding in dual roles (especially as Elliot), the narrative and pacing of Dead Ringers leaves a bit to be desired. Even at just six episodes, it’s too long. There are two subplots that are completely unnecessary (especially one about the twins’ maid), and a random non-linear offshoot that is more confusing than anything else. Still, Weisz, who is a shoo-in for an Emmy nomination (if not a win), keeps it engaging even if the destination is never as captivating as certain parts of the journey. Also, beware: the blood, graphic medical scenes, and talk of miscarriages could be triggering for some.

  • YELLOWJACKETS: SEASON ONE | Bitesize Breakdown

    YELLOWJACKETS: SEASON ONE Starring: Melanie Lynskey, Sophie Nélisse, Tawny Cypress, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Ella Purnell, Juliette Lewis, Sophie Thatcher, Christina Ricci, Samantha Hanratty, Steven Krueger, and Warren Kole Creators: Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson QUENTIN Yellowjackets is a mixed bag. Not in terms of quality, as it’s rarely as interesting as its concept, but in execution. It’s like the writers threw Lord of the Flies , Heathers , and Lost into a horror blender, which creates a mishmash of intriguing ideas, but nothing that is truly compelling. The then-and-now storytelling structure doesn’t do the show any favors either because it causes both timelines to move at half-speed. Or maybe it’s just that I’m an old man and half the show is about catty high school girls… either way, I couldn’t get into it. The soundtrack is boss, though.

  • BARRY: SEASON THREE | Bitesize Breakdown

    BARRY: SEASON THREE Starring: Bill Hader, Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg, Anthony Carrigan, Henry Winkler, and, Sarah Burns Creators: Alec Berg and Bill Hader ADRIANO Barry continues to be one of, if not the , best show on television. Bill Hader is an absolute juggernaut of talent, giving an all-time performance while also doing an absolutely stunning job as director. The entire cast is superb and the writing is ridiculously brilliant too. The show obviously goes to absurdly dark territories, but it’s still a comedy (and a very funny one at that, finale aside); However, it never feels like it’s juggling two different tones. This season has somehow topped two already perfect seasons, and I can’t wait to see what Season Four brings. QUENTIN When focusing on Barry (Bill Hader) or Mr. Cousineau (Henry Winkler), this show is compelling, seriously dark, and often hilarious. Hader does a phenomenal job of making you root for Barry even though he’s actually quite fucked up in the head. However, this season doesn’t know what to do with Sally (Sarah Goldberg) or Fuches (Stephen Root), and the narrative slows whenever it switches to their respective subplots. Worst of all, there isn’t nearly enough NoHo Hank (Anthony Carrigan), an all-time great character. Don’t get me wrong, the show is still excellent, but the writers need to regroup a bit before starting Season Four.

  • 21ST CENTURY SUMMER BLOCKBUSTERS | Bitesize Breakdown

    Previous Next Summer is here so we're bringing you a two-part series of the greatest Summer Blockbusters of all time. Finally, we look at the best the 21st Century has to offer as the Bitesize crew has put their brains together to compile Bitesize Breakdown's consensus Top Five Summer Blockbusters of the 21st Century. Due to the scope of this list, we narrowed it down to films that were released within the summer window and were a top five box office draw in their year of release. Each writer ranks their 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. SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE I take full umbrage against anyone who disparages this as just “half a movie” because it ends on a cliffhanger. Yes, we still have to finish Miles’ (Shameik Moore) story, but Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) gets a full blown arc that not only raises her character, but supplements that of Earth-42’s Spider-Man (Miles, for those who are asking). So any claims of flaws are misguided when it comes to story, and obviously any claims of nothing less than perfection in the visuals, action, characters, and voice-acting are utterly preposterous. This is the Empire Strikes Back of comic-book movies, the Two Towers of superhero films, and if you haven’t caught my drift, barring how well Beyond The Spider-Verse lands, this is the best film in what will hopefully be the greatest trilogy of all time. Any thoughts other than that can get lost in one of The Spot’s (Jason Schwartzman)… spots. - Amarú 4. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL Given that it was based on a children’s amusement park ride and was a movie about pirates — a rarely profitable on-screen subject — The Curse of the Black Pearl was a gamble that turned out to be lightning in a bottle, featuring all the elements of a perfect summer popcorn movie. You’ve got extremely fun supernatural and action-adventure elements. You’ve got the type of tremendous production design usually reserved for prestige dramas. You’ve got hilarity amongst the many quotable one-liners and just the right amount of scenery chewing. You’ve got an iconic score that evokes the perfect swashbuckling vibe. You’ve got young hotties Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley in peak hottie form. And most of all, you’ve got a committed (and Oscar-nominated) Johnny Depp, who absolutely understood the assignment for the type of movie he was in. Five Oscar nominations, $650 million in box office returns, and being the third highest grossing movie of 2003 only cement Black Pearl as one of the best summer blockbusters of all time, not just the 21st century. Savvy? — Quentin 3. SPIDER-MAN 2 Last year, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Columbia Pictures, Sony re-released all eight live-action Spider-Man films in theatres every Monday from April until June in an event known as “Spider-Mondays”. Being the Spidey fan I am, I took advantage. But real talk, I only went for the Sam Raimi movies. The opportunity to re-watch his trilogy on the big screen was too big to miss, especially since they’re some of my favourite comic book movies of all time. The 2002 original is the ideal version of an origin story, and as messy as the third instalment is, I’d argue time has been kinder to it than some of the MCU entries people swear are superior. But as much as I love both, there’s no denying that Spider-Man 2 is the peak. It’s a perfect blend of high-octane action, naturalistic drama, sweeping romance, and the occasional dash of horror (the *extremely* Raimi hospital scene scared me silly as a kid). I laugh each time that Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) slaps the gold coin out of the bank teller’s hand in the middle of Doc Ock’s (Alfred Molina) robbery. I cry each time the train passengers swear to keep Peter’s (Tobey Maguire) identity a secret, out of awe for his heroism. I sing along to Dashboard Confessional’s “Vindicated ” any time I let the credits play. Obviously, there’s been a ton of superhero movies in the two decades since its release. Some have been as big. Others have been much bigger. But I’d argue none are as perfect. - Bode 2. TOY STORY 3 Quick little story: I was nine when Toy Story 3 came out (I don't know if that ages me or the exact opposite), and my parents told me we could go see it if I was good at the dentist. As someone who loved Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) my whole childhood, I was just happy to see them on a movie screen at that age. Watching the film as an adult, I now realize the emotional devastation that those talking toys can conjure up with their metaphor for parenthood and growing up, hitting harder the older I get, but that fond memory of watching it for the first time right before school ended was something else. A perfect end to a historic franchise (or at least it would've been), and a fun and beautiful movie that I believe is Pixar's best. - Adriano 1. THE DARK KNIGHT The first time I saw The Dark Knight was quite the indelible theater experience for my growing cinema fandom; I had loved movies before, but sitting down for that thrill ride was formative, despite how old I was at the time. From the opening heist to the action set pieces in Hong Kong and on the Bat Bike, there is no shortage of moments that force you to widen your eyes and truly appreciate the scale of movie-making accomplishment. Over time, I have seen through the spectacle and drilled down to some inconsistencies with plot and dialogue, but that doesn’t take away from where this sits on the pantheon of summer blockbusters and comic book movies. Christopher Nolan is a master of making the fantastical seem tangible and giving an auteur sensibility to the most well-known of IP, and it culminates with The Dark Knight as a real-life magic trick. - Robert HONORABLE MENTIONS TOP GUN: MAVERICK IRON MAN CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR SHREK THE AVENGERS

  • CREATURE COMMANDOS: SEASON ONE | Bitesize Breakdown

    CREATURE COMMANDOS: SEASON ONE Starring: Frank Grillo, Alan Tudyk, Indira Varma, Zoë Chao, Sean Gunn, David Harbour, Maria Bakalova, Steve Agee, and Viola Davis Creator: James Gunn NICK As much as I enjoyed James Gunn's The Suicide Squad , Creature Commandos may be the best version of a reluctant villain team-up we’ve seen. In just seven episodes, Gunn made me care about each individual character by using a portion of every episode to explore their tragic backstories, which adds devastating weight to the main timeline. While it can be incredibly violent, much like Gunn’s Guardians series, at its core is a connecting thread of heart realized by some excellent voice-over performances from Frank Grillo, Alan Tudyk, Indira Varma, and the rest of the cast. Gunn's DCU is off to a tremendous start. AMARÚ James Gunn has an uncanny ability to fill freakishly outlandish tales with a shit ton of heart, and that’s how a show like Creature Commandos, with it’s gratuitous violence and adult themes, can endear you to a chaotically untethered motley crew of characters in the short span of seven, 20-minute episodes. Gunn’s writing efficiently provides authentic depth to a wildly eccentric world, making this introduction to the DCU feel lived in and real. Packing so much into such small packages does leave a few odd characters and side stories undercooked, but Gunn has more than succeeded in making me believe in his new comic universe. QUENTIN Considering James Gunn's The Suicide Squad and Guardians of the Galaxy are essentially live-action cartoons with their bi-pedal sharks and talking trees, it shouldn't be surprising that he absolutely killed it when going full animation with Creature Commandos . The very bingeable series features excellent vocal performances (especially from David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein), neat DC easter eggs, plenty of bloody action, a bop of a soundtrack, and a compelling “A" story paired with nuanced, character-developing flashbacks. Commandos could have easily been a half-hearted introduction to Gunn's DC Universe, but he has instead delivered an exciting first offering that conjures a lot of excitement for what’s ahead.

  • DEXTER: ORIGINAL SIN: SEASON ONE | Bitesize Breakdown

    DEXTER: ORIGINAL SIN: SEASON ONE Starring: Patrick Gibson, Christian Slater, Molly Brown, Christina Milian, James Martinez, Alex Shimizu, Reno Wilson, Brittany Allen, Patrick Dempsey, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Michael C. Hall Creator: Clyde Phillips NICK Let's get this out of the way, Dexter: Original Sin is not Dexter . This series has a different look and tone which leads to a much campier take on the events of the original series. The cheesy schlock of it all had me at first (thanks in large part to Patrick Gibson's take on Dexter Morgan). Then as the series went on, the story became more outlandish, the actors displayed a clear inferiority to their modern counterparts, and the tie-ins began to feel forced. Gibson remains a highlight, but I’ve been saying I didn’t need a prequel before this, and that opinion was only strengthened here. QUENTIN In a world where Dexter doesn’t exist, I can see how Original Sin might be enjoyable (maybe). However, I don’t live in that world. I’ve seen all nine seasons of Dexter , so this prequel feels like a cheap imitation of the original series, like Lifetime’s The Unauthorized Dexter Story . The cast mostly come across as cheesy cosplayers of the original stars, while Dexter’s (Patrick Gibson) origin story was already well covered in the mothership series. Plus, the formula is 100 percent the same as before. All this leaves us with nothing more than an unabashed cash grab that fails to add anything new to the franchise. ROBERT Expert marketing brought me to Dexter: Original Sin as I was planning to skip it since it seemed like purely a money-making endeavor. However, I was pleasantly surprised, especially because most of the casting choices are wins, from Dexter (Patrick Gibson) to Deb (Molly Brown). It plays fast and loose with aspects of Dexter’s origin, but not in a manner that I found troublesome. Mostly, I was just excited to play in the murderous sandbox again, and hearing Michael C. Hall’s sultry narration brought me back to the glory days. Tonight’s the night… to watch.

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