Priyanka Chopra Jonas – the desi girl who has gone global is back and with a bang. The actress plays a brutal spy Russ brothersspy thriller, Citadel, the first in a series of an entire espionage universe spanning multiple countries. Priyanka joins Richard Madden by Game of Thrones fame and if you’ve already seen the trailer, you’d know there’s a reason why the creators went for these on-screen fireworks for their first outing in the series. The Russo Brothers have openly admitted that Citadel is their tribute to their love of James Bond movies. And that’s no surprise, because more or less all spy thrillers strive to give their heroes a similar chutzpah and panache, if not more, from Bond and his girls. But that said, does Citadel manage to stay away from the clichés of the spy genre? Does it deserve your time, energy and attention? Read the Citadel review to know.
Review of the Citadel Web Series
Director: Russ brothers (Anthony Russo, Joe Russo), Newton Thomas Sigel, Jessica Yu
Form: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Richard Madden
Stream on: Amazon Prime video
Release date: April 28, 2023
Total number of episodes: 6
Watch the official trailer of Citadel starring Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden here:
What is it about?
Citadel, a global espionage agency dedicated to the safety and security of people, has fallen and its agents’ memories have been erased. A new and more powerful syndicate, Manticore, is on the rise and the world order is under threat. Two of Citadel’s top operatives, Mason Kane (Richard) and Nadia Sinh (Priyanka), narrowly escaped eight years ago, but their memories have been wiped and they’ve been living a secret life ever since, taking on new identities. But they must return now. One fine evening, an ex-colleague of Citadel tracks down Mason. He needs help to stop Manticore and Mason can’t do it without his former Citadel partner, Nadia. The two join forces for this new mission that is dangerous and riddled with secrets, lies, deceit and an unwavering love.
What’s hot?
Citadel is much more than you can imagine as a spy thriller. But is it better? Certainly! Spicy, fierce and ravishing, Priyanka Chopra will remind you how much you’ve missed her in action. She has made the wait worth it and Nadia seems to have given her everything. She is a perfectionist and you can tell. Whether it’s her scenes with Richard or her action sequences, Pri will leave you charmed. Richard Madden has the style and sex appeal to light up the screen every time he’s on screen. Although he is strong on the outside and has a courageous heart, there is a certain vulnerability to his character, which makes him all the more endearing.
The thriller has just the perfect plot twists to keep you on the edge of your seat. Priyanka and Richard’s Citadel is one of many other installments in the franchise, but this is the most fitting curtain raiser it can possibly get. And it beautifully captures the motif of the story, rather stories to follow. The action is awe-inspiring, but the shot keeps in mind that it’s a web series and not the big screen experience. It doesn’t leave you overwhelmed. Another great thing about Citadel is that even though it’s set in the future (2030), it doesn’t go overboard with technology that’s too OTT. Russo Brothers’ fantastic writing holds you in as you find out more and more about Citadel’s past and what actually happened many years ago, before Manticore came into existence.
Special mention to the emotional arc of the two protagonists, who are not only genuinely involved in the mission, but deeply involved with each other. Love, romance, chemistry – things that many spy thrillers miss, or simply treat as a side plot, are an integral part of the storyline in Citadel, along with the adrenaline rush of action and drama. The chemistry between Priyanka and Richard is fiery and you wouldn’t get enough of it. And that brings me to the aspect that made me a little discouraged.
What not?
Citadel has a total of 6 episodes, each lasting about 30 minutes. In an age where binge-watching is a thing, the series is over before you get tired of it. And waiting for the next in the franchise to come our way can take away some of the rush and excitement, especially for a franchise that ties into different stories, spies, and states. Another problem is that it is so far apart in terms of visual appeal, while the creators have called it a tribute to Bond films. Yes, it’s made for the small screen experience, but the visual aspect could have been kicked up a notch.
BL verdict:
Citadel was created for a Pan World audience and the creators are committed to making it that much more stylish and relatable to a global audience, with a story that will hook you and performances that will mesmerize. Citadel should definitely be on your weekend watch list.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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