Citadel: Diana

Maybe it is not a great history or a great production. I did not expected it to be, and I am not knowledgeable enough to be a critic. I have enjoyed a few hours of an action/ scifi/ spy tv show, and, not the least, the beautiful Matilda de Angelis.

I agree with the reviewer that one should watch and make their own judgment. It should not be a problem being in Italian, or centered in Italy, or using very long guns, or the tech that would make a secret cafe conversations impossible (unless they also have a tech to cover the conversation, which I believe is a reasonable expectation).

I do have an issue with picturing cold assassins as heroes. A more realistic character development would improve the show. But that is just me.

Citadel is seriously thinking of creating its own universe and world. We have had spy agents like Priyanka Chopra and now Matilda De Angelis, in the Italian version. Just less than a month later, we will see Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu in the Hindi language called Citadel: Honey Bunny. All the spies have one thing in common- They are tough, intelligent, and in the case of Angelis, who is called Diana, angry.

Set in the year 2030, 'Citadel: Diana' follows Diana Cavalieri (Matilda De Angelis), a Citadel agent planted as a mole within Manticore. She joined Citadel after discovering that Manticore was responsible for the plane crash that killed her parents. Driven by a desire for revenge, she is trained by Citadel veteran Gabriele (Filippo Nigro) to infiltrate the syndicate. Just as Diana plans to disappear and leave the world of espionage behind, she receives unexpected help from Eduardo Zani (Lorenzo Cervasio), heir to Manticore Italy and son of the ruthless Ettore Zani (Maurizio Lombardi), who is playing his own power games against his German and French counterparts. As alliances shift and betrayals unfold, Diana must navigate a dangerous web of deceit, where trust is a rare and costly commodity.

Matilda De Angelis shines as Diana, the undercover Citadel agent, delivering a strong performance in both the dramatic and action-packed scenes. Her interactions with her sister and trainer offer glimpses of her acting range in a series largely defined by action. Maurizio Lombardi impresses as Ettore Zani, the head of Manticore Italy, suspicious of Diana's activities. His cool demeanour and sharp Italian style stand out. However, the real scene-stealer is Lorenzo Cervasio as Eduardo Zani, Ettore's son and heir to Manticore Italy. Lorenzo's calm, calculated approach, even when surrounded by enemies, is captivating. His sharp instincts and ability to anticipate threats make his performance highly credible.

Unfortunately, the basic plot and screenplay let the series down, failing to keep viewers engaged. The meeting between the heads of the Italian, French, and German Manticore branches feels outdated, with their hideout resembling a 70s-style mountain den. While the series boasts high-octane action, gadgets, and advanced tech, the lack of a gripping, edge-of-your-seat plot undermines their impact on the overall storyline.

Wow! This was a terrible waste of time on a holiday weekend. But, I really should have managed my expectations better since the first "Citadel" disappointed--after a very good pilot episode.

Anyway, "Diana" is greatly hampered by constant back-and-forth between time, and so-so action sequences. The worst thing, though, is that the series doesn't know how to TELL a story. There's no character development, motivation beyond the very superficial. The actors are all Italians--and not really well known in the U. S.

The Italian locations are great to look at, but the convoluted story undercuts everything.

Given two strikes, I'm not sure I'm going to watch the next "Citadel" installment that premieres in early November.

Another unnecessary spin-off/show that relies on an unoriginal spy plot, stock characters, tropes, and cliffhangers, with the same a-young-protagonist-with-dead-parents-pretty-enough-to-be-mentored-to-seek-revenge story reminiscent of even better works such as the Hanna movie (not so much the TV Show).

I'm still unsure why this franchise from the Russo Brothers was pitched as a "global sci-fi event series," as it offers little that feels fresh or innovative. However, it might work for a one-day binge since it only has six episodes. The action sequences are also somewhat decent, and Matilda De Angelis delivers a semi-sold performance.

Another cliched mess offering nothing original just a rehash of better movies. Good actors does not make good video when all the other aspects are so lazy.

This is the sort of quality which makes me think AI has taken over Hollywood. So unoriginal just a scrap board of film and TV which has done well over the years.

There is also something strange about the audio. Like nothing was shot on site but all done latter in ADR and ADR done by someone who has no idea what they are doing.

Scenes are eerily quiet with so much background noise missing, voice has no inflections and sounds like in a studio.

Maybe it gets better in later episodes but it has too many problems for me.