Critic Prime Video series ‘Ciudadela’ – SerieTotaal

It is requested to stay for a while after the last episode of Citadel is over, as a preview of a spin-off called Citadel: Diana. The six episodes that have just been invested in seem to be just the tip of the iceberg of what is being asked of the viewer.

Citadel is a secret global organization that sneaks to the rescue when bad guys of all shapes and sizes pose too much of a threat for anything. There is also a counterpart named Manticore, who gets all the information about all the Citadel agents. Agents Mason and Nadia try to prevent it, but find themselves involved in a violent train accident. A chip in their bodies extracts their memories before this happens, leaving Mason to live for eight years without knowing who he is. Until Manticore reappears and the Citadel’s leader steps in to keep him and his family safe.

In die another day a breaking chunk of ice causes a tidal wave, upon which James Bond surfs and slides on an ice floe to rise into the air and then parachutes safely to land. Not just the shitty visual effects in this scene, but the overall acting, was the reason why 007 needed a reboot, without this comic strip style. Get rid of the meaningless stunts, done with the silly technical gadgets.

the creators of Citadel however, he saw this as a gap in the market and created a series that brings it all back again. It’s no surprise that producers Anthony and Joe Russo took an interest in this project, as they are two brothers who have some big, successful Marvel movies to their name. The mindless action scenes (with lots of help from the computer) and silly technical gizmos are back. There’s even a sci-fi rock venue at the Grand Canyon.

But apparently that wasn’t enough. It could be even juicier, that is, with a lot of twists and turns that make the series feel like a cheap soap opera. There’s no shortage of intrigue and family drama throughout. Citadel And that’s just the beginning: In addition to the announced spin-off, this season ends on a juicy cliffhanger as the second season is already on order. He CitadelThe Universe is Born: The Adventures of James Bond & Co. in Meerdijk.

As head of the Citadel, Stanley Tucci seems to be the only one aware of the testosterone-injected melodrama he’s gotten himself into. He’s certainly not acting on autopilot, but at least he’s having fun playing his character. The antagonist is once again a Brit, now played by the talented Lesley Manville who probably didn’t dare to exaggerate because she promises to be a steady income for now.

Lead actors Richard Manning and Priyanka Chopra Jonas must think they hit the jackpot with this job, judging by their deadly serious performances. These contribute to the tone not being as humorous as it could have been, making some moments somewhat dull. He says they credibly represent two people who are incredibly attracted to each other, but as two attractive actors, it won’t have taken much effort.

Much less happens than expected in the six episodes. There isn’t much of a plot and it doesn’t move very fast either. In the first episode, the head of the Citadel is kidnapped by Manticore, leaving Tucci tied to Manville’s dining room table for several episodes. Much of it is spent in lengthy flashbacks where Mason and Nadia still had their identities and were in love. History in the present does not want to flow very smoothly.

Citadel seems to accidentally target ‘women who like action’. Soap opera and romantic entanglements one moment, gunshots and fights the next. Or ‘men who want to intersperse their action with tender and juicy moments’. Maybe because the Russo brothers are enthusiastic.

Each episode feels compelled to open with a rotating camera, but it’s otherwise a tightly produced, expensive series. With a clear mind, the best successful entertainment. And just like with a real soap opera, there will be plenty of ‘Citadel’-stamped episodes.

★★★☆☆

Citadel can be seen in first video.