The Mandalorian Season 3 Premiere Review

The Mandalorian Season 3 Premiere reviewed by Samantha Nelson on Disney+.

Entertaining fight scenes and adorable Grogu antics anchor The Mandalorian Season 3 pilot, which is mostly devoted to getting viewers back up to speed with the state of the world and its characters and setting Din on a new quest. The show goes back to the beginning to demonstrate how much has changed even if its core dynamic remains the same, laying solid groundwork for a host of new conflicts for the Mandalorian and his foundling to face together.

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That ’90s Show: Season 1 Review

That ’90s Show is now streaming on Netflix. Review by Laura Sirikul.

Netflix’s That ‘90s Show is a blast from the past of the ‘90s and of memories from That ‘70s Show. With funny moments filled with nostalgia, That ‘90s Show is charming and has a lot of potential. The series follows the same format as the original, which works for the characters and their storylines, but relies too heavily on the original cast – leaving little room for the new wave of talented teens to fully develop their relationships with each other.

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The Legend of Vox Machina: Season 2 Review

The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2 premieres on Prime Video on Jan. 20, 2023. Review by Rafael Motamayor.

Season 2 of The Legend of Vox Machina is bigger, meaner, and funnier than its predecessor, moving away from the prologue to a proper fantasy epic with multiple locations, a grand quest, and character side missions. Despite an overabundance of tropes, the season gets by thanks to its charming voice cast and endearing characters, which get deepened in exciting ways this season.

Velma Season 1 Review: Episodes 1-8

Velma will premiere with two episodes on HBO Max on Jan. 12, followed by two episodes weekly. Review by Brittany Vincent.

Velma is an often funny take on the classic Scooby-Doo series with plenty of risqué humor. But it’s unfortunate that most of what makes Velma funny is completely unrelated to the character who gets a starring role. This show likely came about because of fans who have always wanted more for the teenage super-solver. Ironically, the series would be exponentially better without its namesake – or, at least a version of her with a bit more character growth.

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The Last of Us: Season 1 Review

Check out our The Last of Us Season 1 review. HBO’s The Last of Us TV show is a stunning adaptation that should thrill newcomers and enrich those already familiar with Joel and Ellie’s journey alike.

Season 1 of The Last of Us reviewed by Simon Cardy for IGN. The Last of Us Season 1 premiere debuts on HBO on January 15, 2023.

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The Bad Batch Season 2 Review: Episodes 1-14

The Bad Batch Season 2 premieres on Disney+ on Jan. 4. Review by Jesse Gill.

Whatever you may personally think of Experimental Clone Force 99, the value of The Bad Batch as a series really lies in how it illuminates the era the story takes place in on the Star Wars canon timeline. The mission-to-mission arcs, meanwhile, are fun, although at times a little repetitive. But the animation and production quality are once again top-notch, and The Bad Batch Season 2 is a great way to kick off 2023 for Star Wars fans.

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The Witcher: Blood Origin Review

The Witcher: Blood Origin debuts on Netflix on Dec. 25, 2022. Review by David Griffin.

The Witcher: Blood Origin delivers an action-packed and memorable look into how the Conjunction of Spheres and creation of the first Witcher prototype came to be. While the villains and political storylines surrounding the Golden Empire are less interesting, the series is bolstered by its engaging band of misfits as they journey across The Continent kicking butt wherever they go. And though the special effects aren’t on par with more recent big-budget fantasy series out there, the stellar use of Iceland’s landscape as a backdrop for The Continent more than makes up for the average-looking monsters.

Sonic Prime: Season 1 Review

Sonic Prime Season 1 debuts on Netflix on Dec. 15, 2022. Review by Kenneth Seward Jr.

Sonic Prime is a fun and overall entertaining, family-friendly show. Sitting tonally between the 1992 Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and 93’ Sonic the Hedgehog – which features a similar “freedom fighters seeking to overthrow a cruel leader” vibe – it offers an exciting look at the past while presenting some new ideas. It has some issues concerning pacing and the abrupt ending of the first season won’t do it any favors. That said, Sonic Prime should be well received by new and longtime franchise fans.

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Dragon Age: Absolution – Season 1 Review

Dragon Age: Absolution is now streaming on Netflix. Review by Alyssa Mora.

Complex characters and compelling story beats make Dragon Age: Absolution a memorable installment in the fantasy franchise, but the series’ bite-size length and deep entrenchment in game lore often get in its own way. However, as a whole it’s still a wildly good time that fans of the games are definitely sure to enjoy. Fight scenes are expertly choreographed and the ensemble shines.

Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Review

Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special streams on Disney+ on Nov. 25, 2022. Review by Alex Stedman.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special delivers all the Christmas cheer, sentiment, catchy musical numbers, and laugh-out-loud moments you could ask for in a quick 43 minutes. Kevin Bacon is hilarious as he plays himself in a bizarre situation, as is Dave Bautista’s Drax, but the real star here is Pom Klementieff as Mantis. James Gunn gives this former background character tons of layers, and Klementieff brings it all home with a charming performance. It all makes for a delightful addition to any MCU fan’s annual Christmas rotation.

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House of the Dragon Season 1 Review

House of the Dragon is now streaming on HBO Max. Review by Helen O’Hara.

Early on it sometimes felt too faithful to its predecessor, but after ten episodes House Of The Dragon has forged its own identity and established itself as a worthy prequel to Game Of Thrones. That’s largely thanks to strong writing, a wildly overqualified cast, and a veritable flock of dragons. More of the same next time, but a little more confidence too. They’ve earned it.

Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities Review

Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities premieres on Netflix on Oct. 25, 2022. Review by Kenneth Seward Jr.

Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities offers horror fans a few unique thrills. While the assorted monsters are well designed, it’s the creepy atmosphere and haunting visuals that usually sell the horror. Most of what’s presented is conceptually sound and the cast of each episode provide some solid performances. That said, the uneven quality of the stories proves that even del Toro couldn’t escape the difficulties typically associated with horror anthologies. Some episodes are certainly better than others.

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She-Hulk: Attorney At Law – Season 1 Review

She-Hulk: Attorney At Law is streaming on Disney+. Review by Amelia Emberwing.

It’s hard to bring something truly fresh to the table over a decade into a franchise, but She-Hulk: Attorney At Law does that by playing in the sitcom sandbox, introducing female sexuality into the MCU, and bringing major new players into the franchise. And, yeah, the Daredevil walk of shame wasn’t bad either.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – Season 1 Review

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is now streaming on Prime Video. Review by Samantha Nelson.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power largely succeeds by staying faithful to J. R. R. Tolkien’s themes and tone, if not all the specifics of his canon. Some inconsistent plotting and unnecessary misdirection slows it down, but doesn’t derail the story, and when it reaches its climax in the sixth episode it all comes together brilliantly. Amazon’s massive budget has produced some of the most remarkable sets and scenes ever on TV, creating a strong successor to Peter Jackson’s beloved Lord of the Rings trilogy. Yet The Rings of Power also remembers it’s the little moments of humor and character growth that really make Middle-earth really come alive.

Chainsaw Man Series Premiere Review

Chainsaw Man debuts on Crunchyroll on Oct. 11. Review by Rafael Motamayor.

Chainsaw Man delivers on all fronts with a premiere full of gnarly fight scenes, an incredibly bleak story, fantastic gallows humor, and one of the most fascinating anime protagonists in recent years. Faithfully adapting the first chapter of the manga, this is one metal anime episode that fully lives up to the hype.

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Netflix Streaming Service Review

As part of IGN’s State of Streaming event, we’re taking a fresh look at the major streaming services and what they offer subscribers in 2022. Find out if Netflix is the king of the Great Streaming Wars in our full review.

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Apple TV+ Streaming Service Review

As part of IGN’s State of Streaming event, we’re taking a fresh look at the major streaming services and what they offer subscribers in 2022. Check out our review of the Apple TV+ streaming service to see how it’s improved since it launched back in 2019.

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HBO Max Review

HBO Max retains its vast catalog of movies and zeitgeist-y TV, even if its interface leaves a lot to be desired, and its pricing options aren’t as competitive as other platforms. Before HBO Max makes even more changes, though, we’re taking a crack at reviewing how it stands today.

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Amazon’s Prime Video Streaming Service Review

As the streaming wars continue to unfold, Amazon’s Prime Video remains the quintessential “jack of all trades, master of none.” The service doesn’t rival Netflix for the sheer scope of original content. Nor does it boast the latest and greatest user interface or live TV functionality. But between its well-rounded library, its emphasis on optional Channels, and its competitive price, Prime Video is an easy choice for most cord-cutters. Watch the video above for our full review of Prime Video.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Premiere Review

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres with two episodes on Sept. 2 on Prime Video. Review by Alex Stedman.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is telling its own story using the lore of Tolkien as a foundation, and the first two episodes make a solid case for why that story deserves to be told in such extravagance. While the first episode gets a little too caught up in exposition, the second is able to build on the characters and their relationships much more naturally, setting in motion a few intriguing subplots and a respectable amount of action. Through it all, it’s always well-acted by its ensemble cast and gorgeously shot and produced, with cinematography, effects, costumes, and original music that rival the biggest of big-budget movies.