Citadel (2023– ) User Reviews

What's even the point of having an "amnesic spy"?

[isabellacheng · 6/10 · 29 April 2023]

Y'all know the trope of an amnesic spy is that we audience gotta discover the protagonist's backstory together with him, right? Why on earth would you begin the show with a complete flashback? There might be plot twists and betrayals down the road, but you also need to entice the audience to keep watching to see that happen.

Besides starring Richard Madden as discount Matt Damon, we also have Stanley Tucci being a discount Mark Strong. Sounds familiar? Good-guy independent spy agency? Add a sprinkle of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, and you get this utter lack of originality show.

Also what kind of incompetent spy agency keeps a list of all their agents and black sites in one document, and all their secrets together in literally one briefcase?

Not impressed.

A Lackluster Debut Marked by Lazy Writing

[cbrueggemeyer · 5/10 · 28 April 2023]

This is an initial review of the first episode of this series.

While this is an intriguing concept in the vein of Jack Ryan/Jason Bourne and the many spy adaptations that have been brought to the big and small screen lately, it fails to live up to the hype.

The first thing that jumped out to me about this series was the cringy-ness of the dialogue and the lazy plot writing. The initial meeting in the trail between the two main characters debuts with very poorly written dialogue that felt like it was trying way too hard to be clever. The action scenes that followed were pretty well executed, but nothing I haven't seen before.

The plot tropes that followed have been seen in a ton of spy movies/series already, it felt like a soft-boiled crowd-sourced spy series where they threw a bunch of heavily-used spy tropes in a blender to make something basic and unimaginative.

The bottom line is that this series has failed to find a unique identity and very much risks being forgotten over time. The action scenes were pretty good but the characters seem to be basic and unmemorable so far. To be fair, it's very early in the series. But unless is seen something unique from a story perspective that captures my attention, I am not going to waste my time watching further. I hope things improve but I'm not optimistic.

Entertaining, but well short of top shelf

[rich-mac · 6/10 · 30 May 2023]

There were some undoubtedly good moments as this series set up, unfortunately, the further the series went the less promise it showed.

This is tricky, I really wanted to like Citadel, and I did like the first episode.

It's a little tempting to think that this is what happens when you throw too much money at something and don't make it work hard enough to earn that money and develop.

True there was some classic spy action - but with only a few exceptions this wasn't really groundbreaking stuff. Also true that an element of predictability crept into the show the further it went.

What we ended up with is a show that absolutely looks the part, but that when all is said and done is less the sum of its parts, whereas at a rumored $300 million it should clearly have been more - much more.

Citadel is another sad example of a show that chose form over function - looking good, rather than really getting the razor to the story and whittling and revising until something fresh and entertaining remains - new twists on old tails.

Let's hope they learn the lesson for season 2.

A paint by numbers spy thriller that's competently produced but is really more defined by a large scope applied to a generic template.

[IonicBreezeMachine · 28 April 2023]

Mason Kane (Richard Madden) was once one of the top agents for an independent global spy agency called Citadel that operated outside the controls of any government with its mission being to protect humanity from global threats. During a mission alongside Citadel's other top agent Nadia Sinh (Priyanka Chopra Jonas), the mission turned out to be a trap by insidious organization Manticore which lead to Citadel's collapse and Mason losing his memories believing himself to be an alias Kyle Conroy. 8 years later, Mason/Kyle is now married to Abby (Ashleigh Cummings) with a daughter Hendrix (Caoilinn Springall) with still no memory of his life beyond these 8 years save for flashes in dreams. When Mason/Kyle attempts another DNA test, this brings him to the attention of Bernard Orlick (Stanley Tucci), his former tech support specialist in Citadel who tells him that Manticore are preparing something major and he needs to use his dormant skillset to stop it.

Citdael is the long awaited collaboration between Amazon Studios and producers Joe and Anthony Russo that has spent five years in development with the intention being to create a globe spanning spy franchise consisting of a mothership series along with several planned local language spin-offs with an Indian and Italian series both confirmed at this point with several others in various stages of development. Totaling a six episode first season, Citadel is noted for being one of the most expensive series ever produced with an estimated $300 million production budget that's largely credited with reshoots that were undertaken when the original showrunners were replaced with David Weil. With the first two episodes now available, Citadel certainly has scope and production value to spare, but it's all in service of a very safe and very generic spy thriller that feels like a remix of the "greatest hits" of the past 20 years' worth of spy movies.

It's honestly pretty hard to discuss much regarding Citadel because the first two episodes have basically been very standard scenes of exposition, macguffin chases, and fight scenes with very little that actually gives Citadel much of an identity of its own. While I did like Stanley Tucci giving some personality to his tech expert character Bernard Orlick by adding some punch to his lines, most of the cast aren't really given all that much to work with and as a result Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas just feel like placeholders in roles that could've been played by anyone and it'd hardly make a difference who you chose to play them.

Citadel just feels like time filler, albeit handsomely produced and competently made time filler. It's amazing how you have a series that not only has this level of financial backing but is coming from major producing powers and there's just nothing all that much to talk about in what's supposed to be a major hook to get viewers.

I like it

[carolemlt2 · 7/10 · 21 May 2023]

Well, after reading all the comments on how abysmal the show is, I thought I'd temper all the negativity by saying I like it so each to their own.

Just a note though. I don't understand the criticism about Richard Madden' s acting. Has anyone seen the Bodyguard?!

He was absolutely brilliant in it. Seriously how can anyone say he can't act? Because he isn't American?

If that's the case , Yawn.

Plenty of excellent actors in the world who arent American, jeez.

And Pryanka isn't bad at all!! What's with people?

Got through the 1st episode fine. Watching the 2nd one and finding it still pretty entertaining.

An unrealistic and unoriginal spy series fumble

[mikeroxx-575-827666 · 6/10 · 12 June 2023]

Just finished watching The Citadel while travelling and was not impressed at the mediocrity of this series. I was drawn in by the stellar names behind and inside the project but it's still not enough.

Script? It is infantile, with lines like: "I'm myself when I'm with you. And I'm only myself when I'm with you. Marry me".

Realistic? Impossible manoeuvres and scenes are made possible with futuristic gadgets, weapons and physic's defying feats. Example: jumping out of a helicopter onto a submarine under 60 seconds

Story? They essentially take you back and forth across 2 different time periods just to make an underwhelming plot more confusing to make it appear sophisticated. But it's just boring and unnecessarily complex. The motives for each character are thin with most of the story happening off screen and barely anything exciting on screen. There's a show behind a this show that could have been compelling.

But unfortunately it took $300m, top directors, and top actors to complete this production where they crammed decades worth of spy themes and tropes into 6 hour long episodes.

There are enjoyable moments and scenes interlaced into this film and great potential. But after 6+ hours it's clear that it wasn't realized in the final execution.

Not great but pretty interesting

[judywalker2 · 7/10 · 18 July 2023]

I decided to watch Citadel after I watched Jack Ryan. I hadn't heard very good thing about it but for me it was pretty interesting. I really like some of the characters. Nadia for one and Tucci's computer genius. Also, the story has an intriguing villain. The visuals are good except for a few really bad CGI moments. The action is top notch. The dialog isn't always great but no worse than anything else i.e the Night agent, The Recruit. Teh story is really interesting but sometimes it's hard to tell who's who. I think people should watch it and make up their own minds. If you liked those other two shows I mentioned, you'll probably like this one. I hope they continue to the story. I would hate to see it end with just one season.

Probably the script was written by ChatGPT

[MTonyS · 3/10 · 29 April 2023]

Probably the script was written by ChatGPT. They fed the program with some famous spy movies, took out its soul and that was it. It's worse than shows with one-twentieth of the budget. Where did they put $300 million? And making jokes about another movie doesn't change the fact that it's copy and cliché like when the protagonist's wife says he's not Jason Bourne just to alleviate the plagiarism. The scene where the protagonist goes to retrieve equipment that his enemies have been looking for eight years is embarrassing. My mother going to buy bread at the bakery is more exciting. Boring and copy of the copy of the copy of other movies. Not to mention the numerous plot holes and absurdities. I gave 3 because of the good actors.

Pretty Good

[Rob1331 · 8/10 · 12 November 2023]

I actually thought Citadel was pretty good. I've been looking forward to this ever since I first heard about it and then my expectations grew even more after watching the trailers. Well, I can tell you that without a doubt this show has not only met those expectations but surpassed them in every way. Besides looking great it has A-list stars attached both in front and behind the camera. It's made by the Russo Brothers (Avengers, Captain America: Civil War and Winter Soldier, The Gray Man, etc.) and stars Richard Madden (Game of Thrones, Bodyguard) and Priyanka Chopra Jonas (Baywatch, Quantico). It's a fun series from start to finish. It will grab your attention from the very first episode and bring you into their world. The visuals are beautiful and the story is fast paced. I'm glad to see this series was already renewed because I'm excited see where this show goes.

Watch this if you love the vibe given off by 90s/00s action and spy movies

[whotheman123 · 7/10 · 28 April 2023]

This series is very similar to pretty much every action/spy flick pre 10's.

It's cheesy and exciting at the same time.

It has all the typical characteristics of movies like "Taken" and "under siege" with a dash of espionage and thriller mixed in for good measure.

The editing is a bit choppy but it makes up for it with its intriguing "manly" storytelling. Watching this I felt like I was watching a Steven segal movie again that had taken its inspiration from other movies like "XXX" and the Bourne series, the action can seem a bit weak at time But it's throughly enjoyable.

Overall it's a series I'll be watching until the end, and I'll be looking forward to seeing where it goes with the story.

Violently mediocre

[mfeierskov · 4/10 · 29 April 2023]

It doesn't get much more cookie cutter and mediocre than this.

You can tell from the dialogue in the very first scene, what kind of show is going to be. The two main characters for no reason talks to each other in five different languages in a single conversation, to tell the audience how great they are as spies. The handler tells the agent on the mission to remember that the target has nuclear material in his briefcase, because I'm sure she forgot... The entire first episode continues in the same vein, where characters explain things to the audience by telling each other things they already know, and it's the laziest kind of writing.

Throw some amnesia in there, some top agents who's fighting is laughable and who like to throw quips around instead of carrying out their mission and you've got a show that nobody is going to remember in 10 minutes.

Action Packed Thriller

[Supermanfan-13 · 8/10 · 8 July 2023]

Personally I thought Citadel is every bit as good as I had hoped it would be but with so many mixed reviews my advice would be to just go watch it for yourself. It's about two spies who loved each other (Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra) but have their memories wiped after their agency was destroyed by a powerful syndicate. It's now 8 years later and they have built their own lives with new identities and no memory of being spies. They then try to get their memories back to help prevent a New World Order from happening. This kind of story has been done numerous times before but Citadel still does it with a fresh new take. Some of it is unbelievable but just turn your mind off and enjoy it for what it is and that's an action packed thriller!

Kind of hard to swallow

[JeanFlores-Dickens · 6/10 · 18 June 2023]

I am all for spy anything really, but Citadel kind of lost its plot for me when it went too high tech and also the story of the 2 spies falling in love and having a kid all that crap.

It is ok but nothing that special really. I honestly think it has really good potential but it went south really.

Cons 1. Priyanka Chopra Jones, I am sure the producers could surely have got a better no white actress, unfortunately she was the wrong choice to play Nadia, 2. The high spy tech plot, and how it is all comes undone was really hard to swallow.

3. It is too short for all that happens converting way too many years

Pros.

1. The relation of the characters from Richard Madden and Lesley. Great acting and that is the only kind of believable story that you can swallow on the show.

2. Richard Madden, that man is just gorgeous in action and beauty.

3. Stanley Tucci, is there anything that man cannot do?

Overall is it 6 go to it for the action and not for the plot.

We're not this ignorant.....

[wick27 · 3/10 · 28 April 2023]

But Hollywood seems to think otherwise.

They kind of "lost me" in the beginning when the 2 series leads were riding on a high speed train thru the Dolomites when, low and behold, a firebomb goes off just 20 feet from them and their rail car, engulfed in flames, plummets off a 70 foot bridge and crashes into a creekbed.....MIRACULOUSLY, they both survive with mere scratches and NO BURNS......everyone else, of course, was killed because it would be impossible to survive the firebomb in their faces inside a speeding bullet, let alone then crashing off a bridge while having no restraints inside the inferno that was traveling at around 160 mph before impact.

DUH.....I can't wait for their next insult!!!!!

Is this... The Bourne Legacy?

[fariasmpdf · 4 May 2023]

For now, just a big parade of shallow clichés.

Maybe it's an attempt to bring a teenage audience closer to spy genre. The intended audience would then justify the insubstantial plot, the characters' constant explanations of what's going on, the TikTok editing, and an almost cynical lack of engagement with the real world. By the way, do these plots involving nuclear artifacts still make sense? Why don't screenwriters experiment with contexts closer to the experiences of the new generations, such as pesticides, industrial secrets in medicine and food, disputes over geolocation data, etc.? Why not explicitly place industries and their business interests at the center of the story rather than these government agencies with their political overtones?

Boring.

Bad Execution

[MustaphaElDaouk · 6/10 · 26 May 2023]

From the beginning of the show, it is clear what they were trying to do with the whole story, the concept of the Citadel universe as a whole is great, but it is indeed badly executed. If only they worked on the execution more; as in story telling, how the series of events would run after one another, noticed that there's a lot of flashbacks at wrong points throughout the episodes, and sometimes even too many flashbacks back to back, forgetting sometimes that the series is also taking place in real time. The whole high tech part of the series is also amazing what they tried to accomplish but their ambition was their undoing. This series is capable of being top notch, but the story telling needs refining, while watching you'd feel that the episode is out of place or out of sync with the story, you'd feel that it's missing something. Again more work is needed on execution.

Not bad, starts off a bit trite

[yooniverse · 7/10 · 29 April 2023]

Certainly not very original early on, but it sure is glossy and BIG budget. Madden, Chopra and Tucci bring plenty of star power. But super spies with lost memories, ultra secret spy organization that operate above the world order, rival organization with evil name out for global power and control, slick hitech spy gear, glib one liners, and so on, has been done many times over. But who's to say we can't have yet another? It's an entertaining genre.

In the hiatus between Bond films, this is as good as we're going to get, big or small screen. There are some promising twists, so I'm hopeful. Madden and Chopra have a charming screen presence, and cinematography appears to be top notch. Worth giving it a few episodes to warm up.

Better than average - updated to good

[fpyssel · 7/10 · 18 May 2023]

Is this show original? No, I have seen a few shows with similar premises before. Although I liked that it wasn't just convenience as in the previous similar content was. Did I enjoy the show? Yes I did. It feels better than some of the other productions I have gotten from Amazon.

The show also look very beautiful, but Amazon production normally look quite good. It probably underachieves for its budget but I think it is probably still as of episode 3 on the higher side of the Amazon series/movies that I like.

Some of the acting seems off beat but not glaringly so. I also think the fact that they kept the plot quite simple actually helped the story. There are some other threads in there but it isn't overly complicated.

Update after finishing the whole show: Some of my expectations was subverted. I am updating this from 6 to 7 from better than average to good.

This series is so much worse than I thought

[tomtesch · 1/10 · 29 April 2023]

I hoped that Citadel was at least acceptable.

Given that Richard Madden starred in Game of Thrones and the much better Bodyguard and good actors like Stanley Tucci & Lesley Manville in supporting roles I hoped that this new series could be fun.

However it starts with a CGI-heavy opening scene on a fake looking train with horrible dialogue & embarrassing acting on Priyanka Chopra's part and goes only downhill from there.

Excessive killings and violence as if we were in a video game, amnesia, no finesse, no surprise- a by the number series for people who have neither seen James Bond nor Kingsman nor Jason Bourne. This series is an embarrassment for everybody involved and especially for Amazon, which poured a ton of money into this new franchise.

However knowing that the Russo Brothers are behind it, I have my explanation why Citadel is as bad as it is. No wonder, the Russos are also behind 2022's equally embarrassing and bad The Gray Man on Netflix.

Anybody who expects at least some quality: Please do yourself a favor and don't watch this disaster.

Don't trust bad reviews.

[dimitri_jason · 9/10 · 7 January 2024]

Here is some advice, don't read reviews on IMDB before you watch something and make your own mind up about it. I nearly didn't watch this,cause I use to really trust the scores, but after nearly not watching this because of all the hate it gets here I am never basing my watching something on whatscores it has. Took me 2 Christmas holidays nights to watch all 6 episodes which were excellent, great cast ,great action very good story and good pacing, never lost my interest for a second. This is one of the few series, including Silo, that I watched this year that I will be impatiently waiting for the second season.

Not as bad

[warrior03 · 7/10 · 9 May 2023]

Had absolutely zero expections for this...and I was def thinking ...Priyanka Chopra ugh what cringe or horrible American accent is she going to attempt this time? But surprisingly not so bad. Enjoyable. Good twist to the plot so far hopefully not a let down as more eposides get released. As much as cringe it is with Priyanka she is a bit tolerable in this and Mason Kane fine ass makes up for it. Huge budget for sure ...top notch action sequences. Story travels all over the world literally. I was bored gave it a watch binge all 3 eposides in one night. Give it a go maybe you will enjoy it too..

Hi Tech Garbage

[northernpaladin · 2/10 · 1 May 2023]

If the Russo Brothers are involved you know you are going to get, lots of pointless CGI, boring kinetic fight scenes, main characters that are barely touched by said fight scenes and an almost facistic disregard for civilian life. What you are not going to get, is a plot that holds together, believable characters, decent direction (other than stringing together action sequences), believable scripts and half decent acting. And in fairness this absolutely delivers in a, mean, empty, horrible way which is not entertaining and has no value. Let's just take the opening set up; our two heroes (working for a super secret spy organisation that is vastly funded, has agents everywhere that no one knows about and is arrogantly protecting humanity from itself) are on a high speed train to extract an attache case of enriched uranium from bad guy - who walks around with enriched uranium in a briefcase?! Anyway, the deal goes bad (duh!) and the compartment of civilians are killed off with barely a blink, then we have long drawn out kinetic martial arts and bullet heavy fight scene between about a dozen bad guys and our two leads which not surprisingly they win, both have cuts and bruises and the female a bullet in the leg - has anyone seen what damage a hi powered round does to flesh? But it's all a ruse, dying bad guy initiates a bomb which rips apart the carriage in a ball of flame, sending the whole train off the mountain (it's the Alps remember) and into what becomes a burning lake; more unmourned civilians but not our two heroes, they emerge alive! After this it only gets worse, male suffers amnesia but has happy ever after family life on ranch in the clean mountain air of wherever USA until his old life is revealed to him by a guy who kidnaps him and his family at gunpoint and shows him a solitary video clip -what?!! Female winds up handcuffed to a bed recovering from having the bullet removed by random creepy guy who she beats and stabs to death when he tries it on - remember, handcuffed and suffering leg trauma, and then heads to Spain also suffering from amnesia. It actually gets worse but after two episodes I was done, pure garbage, please don't bother.

love it

[Adi_Navon · 10/10 · 19 December 2023]

"The Citadel" captivates with its intricate storytelling and dynamic characters. The show's rich narrative unfolds like a tapestry, weaving together mystery, suspense, and a touch of humor. The character development is masterful, making you invest emotionally in each individual's journey. The intricate world-building is a testament to the creators' attention to detail, immersing viewers in a fantastical realm. The cinematography is stunning, with visually striking scenes that enhance the overall experience. The show's ability to seamlessly blend genres keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, never knowing what to expect next. It's a rollercoaster of emotions, from heart-wrenching moments to triumphant victories. The cast's stellar performances breathe life into the characters, making them relatable and memorable. The thought-provoking themes explored throughout the series add depth, making "The Citadel" more than just entertainment-it's an exploration of humanity, morality, and the complexities of existence. In essence, my love for "The Citadel" stems from its ability to offer a unique, immersive, and unforgettable storytelling experience.

dystopian spy?

[rexmatthewj · 7/10 · 4 May 2023]

Citadel is a new spy thriller series from Amazon Prime Video that boasts a star-studded cast, a massive budget, and a global scope. The series follows the agents of Citadel, a secret spy organization that has been infiltrated and compromised by a rival syndicate called Manticore. The main protagonists are Mason Kane (Richard Madden) and Nadia Sinh (Priyanka Chopra Jonas), two former Citadel agents who have lost their memories and identities after a failed mission in Italy. Eight years later, they are hunted down by Manticore and forced to confront their pasts and their true allegiances.

The series is created by Josh Appelbaum, Bryan Oh, and David Weil, with the Russo brothers serving as executive producers. The first season consists of six episodes, each about 40 minutes long. The series also features Stanley Tucci as Bernard Orlick, the head of Citadel; Lesley Manville as Dahlia Archer, the leader of Manticore; and Ashleigh Cummings as Abby Conroy, Mason's wife.

The series is a fast-paced, action-packed, and visually stunning spectacle that delivers on its promise of being a global spy adventure. The series showcases various locations around the world, such as Italy, Russia, India, and Mexico, and features impressive stunts, chases, fights, and explosions. The series also has a sci-fi twist, as it involves a mysterious case called Citadel X that contains secrets about human memory and identity.

The series also benefits from the charismatic performances of its lead actors. Madden and Chopra Jonas have great chemistry as the amnesiac spies who rediscover their skills and feelings for each other. They also display a range of emotions as they struggle with their conflicting loyalties and memories. Tucci and Manville are also excellent as the cunning and ruthless antagonists who have their own agendas and motivations.

However, the series is not without its flaws. The plot is often convoluted, implausible, and full of clichés and tropes. The series relies heavily on exposition, flashbacks, and twists that sometimes confuse rather than clarify the story. The characters are also underdeveloped and stereotypical, with little depth or nuance. The series also suffers from some uneven pacing and tone, as it tries to balance humor, drama, romance, and action.

Overall, Citadel is an entertaining and addictive series that offers a thrilling ride for fans of spy fiction. The series has a lot of potential to explore its intriguing premise and expand its universe with its planned spin-offs in different languages. However, the series also needs to improve its writing, characterization, and consistency to reach its full potential.

Mediocre spy show

[Xavier_Stone · 2/10 · 28 April 2023]

It just feels like something is missing with this show. Tons of action, fancy special gadgets and fist fighting with an ok story but it's just average.

Small doses of humor and the actors are ok for the most part. It looks good in the previews but actually finishing two episodes and it doesn't deliver the sparks.

Then, for whatever reason, the ending of the second episode goes on and previews the entire upcoming season?? With more displays of action and fancy spy stuff happening. Non stop thriller, stay tuned to watch. I think this is in order to entice viewers to stick around, but it doesn't work here.

It's 2 and done for me. The Jason Bourne vibes are strong with this series and I'd rather rewatch those films then see it done again here. 5/10. Average spy show, might improve, might not, either way I'm out.