For some time now, Amazon Prime Video seems to be specializing in what is being called “Dad TV“, that is, series that traditionally appeal to a male audience (action proposals, for example). There we have ‘Reacher’, ‘Jack Ryan’, ‘The final list’, etc. Somehow, the very expensive ‘Citadel’which launches this Friday the platform, is the culmination of this programming strategy.
Which is not to say, at all, that this series, which It is produced by brothers Joe and Anthony Russo (‘Avengers: Endgame’) cannot be enjoyed by everyone, since we find ourselves with an ambitious, fast-paced and very entertaining spy thriller.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas (‘Quantico’) and Richard Madden (‘Game of Thrones’) star in the series, whose first season consists of six episodes, as two formerly elite spies from a independent international agency of all government. Eight years after the fall of the agency and a memory loss on their last mission, both are back in action.
Ambitious and expensive… but it shows at times
Talking about ‘Citadel’ is talking about one of Prime Video’s most ambitious series. According to some information, the second most expensive in history, with high costs due, in part, to a behind-the-scenes storm that included the march of josh appelbaumhis showrunner and writing partner André Nemec due to creative differences.
Here comes “to save the furniture” david weil (‘Hunters’) whose arrival meant a few intense weeks of reshoots (with extra costs of 75 million dollars) and one less episode (from 7 to 6) —which is curious, because its episodes do not reach 40 minutes—. Something that has only made an already expensive series more expensive.
From Amazon Studios they have high hopes for this, since They have a big franchise planned. (Season 2 and international spin-offs have already been confirmed) and, the truth is, you can tell from the beginning that what they have in hand is a whole blockbuster that, without a doubt, works… and it will work at the level of viewers also.
A spy-fiction as classic as it is effective
I have to admit that when I hit play on the first one (of three episodes I’ve had access to), I didn’t have much hope. However, ‘Citadel’ starts off big with a solvent action scene in a train in which we are presented with both the leading couple and the rival to beat in what, we discover, is a global ambush.
David Weil and the other writers (current and former) seem to have learned from memory the good spy thriller handbook and, in that sense, it is quite classic and effective, which can sometimes backfire when it comes to anticipating and showing its twists. At times, she seems like a first cousin to the also very entertaining ‘Rabbit Hole’, in that sense.
Its short episode format also allows be very direct when going from point A to point B or the villain of Lesley Manville from the beginning. But where I think there are more problems is in the visual section, which leaves something to be desired, especially if we take into account the bulk of the budget.
Although at the direction level the series is quite solvent and I think the set pieces are quite good, we find ourselves with a somewhat more conventional realization, almost of an American free-to-air chain, of what is beneficial to a series that has so much ambition. It is true that there are scenes (there is one in particular in the third episode) that are reminiscent of a good spy movie but, in general, they lack a bit of polish and splendor.
Something similar happens with the distribution. Although Madden and Chopra are correct and solid as interpreters, they still lack (especially the former) enough charisma to be action heroes. Charisma and, also, a lot of chemistry between them. On the contrary, it is always a delight to see Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville in any project and here they are no exception.
I imagine that the taste of each viewer enters (a lot) here, but despite its obvious flaws, ‘Citadel’ is a highly entertaining espionage thriller, with a frenetic pace, very effective and wanting to be a blockbuster. Be careful that we can have the next great action franchise here… at least on television.
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