Citadel Review (Finale) : Star Rating:
Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Richard Madden, Stanley Tucci, Lesley Manville, and ensemble.
Creator: Russo Brothers and Bryan Oh.
Director: Russo Brothers, Newton Thomas Sigel, and Jessica Yu.
Streaming On: Amazon Prime Video
Language: English (with subtitles).
Runtime: 6 Episodes, Around 40 Minutes Each.
The second episode ended with Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ Nadia regaining her memories eight years after being backstopped. She heads out to save the remaining Citadel from Manticore, and Mason Kane (Richard) accompanies her on the mission. In no time, they kind of solved the puzzle and are now fighting directly with the big baddies.
Citadel Review (Finale) : What Works:The expectation from a show created by the creators of Avengers: Endgame, partnering with Amazon studios, with Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden in the lead alongside Stanley Tucci, is relatively high. The first two episodes even served some classic Mr & Mrs Smith vibe added with a whole lot of Russo’s brand action. It was a show that managed to look at the world as one, a stage that will see the same story move ahead but in different segments of it. But what the first two episodes promised, the next four decided not to serve that purpose. It is only a downhill ride, my friends! And we are on a 1600 crore rollercoaster with back problems (some of us, for real).
First, we discuss what’s good, since optimism is the first language of cinema. Citadel is a vast canvas that welcomes all of us to indulge in its proceedings. The fact that we know two of our homegrown actors are joining the same game, helps us connect more. The good part about the show beyond episode two is that it keeps serving good action. Though very scarce after a point, whatever you see is fascinating. The passing of guns, the handling of a knife (Priyanka, in a scene, literally kicks a knife in the air like a football and stabs an attacker), the punches and kicks, everything is well choreographed and executed.
With time we have started expecting a lot from Russo Brothers, and when they are writing, you, as an audience, are sure to be prepared to dissect their content. While parallel plots are too rushed, the idea of hiding the mole till the very end is quite clever, because that is the only things that catches you off guard. Also, Priyanka now has a daughter, and the mystery around her is good too. But hear me out very clearly, is Asha growing up into Samantha Ruth Prabhu? Just saying.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas knows how to seduce with her charm. She enjoys every frame where she is supposed to be a seductress and fight. Channelizing Sonia Mehra is her mantra (IYKYK). But it is in the emotional scenes where she falls entirely flat. One cannot blame her entirely, considering us, as Indian audience, have seen her range and know how big a director’s actor she is. It is Russo’s directing her to be subtle, and she is playing too subtle and you can see. The dramatics never unfold quite well.
Richard Madden is just clueless for the most part of it. His existence is to only ask questions after a point and be used as the device to movie us from one part to another. As an actor, he doesn’t get to showcase much in this season because his expressions are constant all the time. (Ours too).
Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville are having their time being each other’s enemy. The two sit across tables and play the game of words and enjoy being evil on the sides. Tucci’s sense of humour and comic timing is great, but Russo’s don’t let him take the center stage ever.
Citadel Review (Finale) : What Doesn’t Work:It is such a bothering thing that the writers who wrote one of the most complex movies, that was a summation of 22 movies and a final war, earned the highest numbers at the box office, chose to write a story so predictable and convenient. Everything in Citadel after a point is just written as per convenience. The world, for that matter, never really gets to communicate or converse with the real world. The effects of the doings between the two secretive agencies is faced by also the people who don’t know their existence, but there is no representation of the real world.
Add to it the fact that even with a canvas so broad and landscapes explored so widely, this setup feels small. Because you only keep seeing beautiful landscapes like the one that Windows offers you as your wallpapers, and you cannot really imagine beyond them. Same case. No place gets a story; no place becomes a character. Game Of Thrones made Westeros a character; John Wick blows life into every country that he sets base in. That connection is highly missing in Citadel.
Also, who decides to run at full speed by the last episode and just reveal everything you have got so you are rid of it? Big reveal moments come like they don’t matter to the show. Mason Kane cannot remember who he is for six episodes, but Carter shouting, ‘Wake up, you are Mason Kane, be one,’ makes Kane fight a man like he never really was backstopped. I told you, convenience. The execution, due to this very reason, falls so flat that there is no room for redemption. The rush makes everything look incomplete and never even attempts to fill the puzzle.
If your finale looks completely detached from the show that was hyping Manticore for the longest time, but ends up showing them not more than 2 people who are defeated. Oh so easily, you have lost it. There is just too much happening and still not creating any possible impact at all. We all deserved so much better than this because every single individual involved is capable of much more than this.
Citadel Review (Finale) : Last Words:Citadel walked in with so much potential but ended up being nothing more than an average spy drama that has no re-watch value.
For more recommendations, read our The Last Of Us Review here.
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The post Citadel Review (Finale): List Down Everything You Could Do With Rs 1600 Crore, Send It To Russo Brothers & Priyanka Chopra Jonas; They Deserve A Reminder appeared first on Koimoi.
