Citadel Review - Priyanka Chopra's High-Speed Action In A Mediocre Spy-Drama

Prime Video's latest spy-action drama sees Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden as Citadel agents. These kinds of action thrillers are quite common in international markets, but only a few manage to get universal acclaim, like the James Bond and MI series. Citadel is pretty much in the same zone, with human emotions playing a rough part, but it couldn't do anything out of the box. There are at least hundreds of spy dramas in Hollywood and in foreign cinema, and therefore every single move is known. It's quite common to know who survives and who doesn't. We aren't going to the extra-smart zone of Nolan's Memento because memory loss, erasure, and reboot aren't new things now. Then what's new about Citadel? Nothing actually. But then there is some class action with Priyanka and Richard making gold out of it, so yes, Prime Video has something to offer.Citadel, an independent global spy agency tasked with upholding the safety and security of all people, is destroyed. Nadia Singh (Priyanka Chopra) is on a moving train, honey-trapping her prey on a mission, when she is joined by her partner, Mason Kane (Richard Madden). Before these two prime agents of Citadel could realise it, they were trapped, and the battle was lost. With their memories wiped, they are now living separate lives, but as the plot demands, they have to get back together. Mason is tracked down by his former Citadel colleague, Bernard Orlick (Stanley Tucci), who desperately needs his help to prevent Manticore from establishing a new world order. Mason finds Nadia, and they embark on a mission that takes them around the world in an effort to stop Manticore, while many secrets aren't yet exchanged between them.Citadel is action-packed and thrilling, but not unique. It may look interesting when you are getting familiar with the characters, but by the time you are hooked on one, it starts losing grip. Like I said before, it's too easy for agents to fight back, even with cuffed hands, when they are surrounded by gunmen, or when the bomb explodes a few metres away from them. There is no thrill in that, at least for me. All you have to see is how often they repeat these cliches and how quickly you can predict them. The fun parts are surprising, though. One cannot expect comedy here, but who can avoid having a couple of gags in between?Citadel is a Banger for Priyanka Chopra fans. A complete BANGER! The global diva can be seen in a never-seen-before avatar here, rather more sexy and more aggressive. The first frame, and you start getting red vibes from her. Not just hotness and glamour, but Nadia is the epitome of female leadership. The way Priyanka carries glam and swag together, I think her fans are going to have a blast. "I like your lipstick," he says. "I like a whole PC," I'd say. Richard Madden as an elite agent may not be as great as Bond or Hunt—and there shouldn't be any comparisons—but he is damn good at being himself, the Mason Kane. Even though he starts off tepidly in the train sequence, he covers very well. Stanley Tucci has some funny lines for you, while Lesley Manville walks away with the most cruel scenes.Citadel is high on action, and that's the best thing about it. Maybe the makers did try to highlight the action, or maybe they couldn't go too intricate with the screenplay; I don't know. As an action lover, you are gonna love it. A movie buff is a tourist by default, and you get to see a lot of new destinations here. The cinematography seems very nice, and the production design is lavish. Newton Thomas Sigel's take on spies' lives is not improper but too mainstream. The dark, red Netflix spy sagas are converted to blue; that's all. Citadel deserved more. Lacking novelty factors may harm the repeat watcher, while freshers will have fun for a while. Had there been more suspense and thrill in the narrative, the characters, and the overall spy world, I guess things would have been smashing. Who knows? They might cover it up in the upcoming episodes.

Note: This review is based on the first two episodes shown at the exclusive screening.