Citadel:
Diana
is
fun
to
watch,
in
a
popcorn
entertainment
way,
observes
Deepa
Gahlot.
It
would
seem
nobody
creates
regular
franchises
any
more,
they
create
‘universes’.
The
Citadel
spy
universe
has
just
expanded
with
the
Italian
spin-off
of
the
series
that
started
last
year,
starring
Priyanka
Chopra
and
Richard
Madden.
In
a
tech-ruled
world,
old-school
spies
like
James
Bond
would
look
like
fuddy-duddies,
in
spite
of
all
the
cool
gizmos.
Because
what
Citadel:
Diana
achieves
is
way
cooler.
It
is
set
in
2030,
so
even
though
it’s
in
the
future,
it
is
no
too
far
off
to
come
up
with
the
deadly
weaponry
that
is
imagined
in
this
series,
directed
by
Arnaldo
Catinari,
created
by
Alessandro
Fabri
and
turned
into
a
script
that’s
complicated
as
well
as
‘it’s
all
about
your
family’
simple.
In
any
case,
nobody
watches
spy
thrillers
of
this
genre
for
the
plot
or
performances.
Still,
Citadel:
Diana
tries
to
tie
up
the
fast-paced
action
set
pieces
with
some
drama
and
emotion.
In
the
first
series,
with
the
Russo
Brothers
as
producers
also
returning
for
this
one,
there
were
two
rival
agencies,
Citadel
and
Manticore.
Both
claimed
they
were
formed
to
foster
global
peace,
but
Manticore
has
achieved
the
kind
of
power
that
can
only
be
misused
to
control
the
world.
Citadel
agents
have
been
gradually
eliminated,
so
there
is
no
check
on
them.
In
Milan,
Diana
Cavalieri
(Matilda
De
Angelis),
trying
to
find
the
truth
about
her
parents’
deaths
in
a
plane
crash,
is
recruited
and
trained
by
Citadel
agent
Gabriele
(Filippo
Negro)
to
infiltrate
Manticore.
She
succeeds,
and
in
2030,
she
is
a
trusted
operative.
But
it
turns
out
that
she
remains
the
only
one,
since
Citadel
has
been
destroyed
by
Manticore.
(Think
Drohkaal,
and
imagine
where
the
story
could
go!)
She
was
told,
‘You’ll
become
one
of
them,
but
you’ll
remain
one
of
us’
but
what
happens
when
there
is
no
‘us’
any
more?
Meanwhile,
three
branches
of
Manticore
—
France,
Germany
and
Italy
—
are
vying
for
control,
and
the
Zani
family
from
Italy
hold
the
key
to
the
staggering
weapon
that
would
make
even
today’s
sophisticated
killing
machines
redundant.
The
designer
Edoardo
‘Ed’
Zani
(Lorenzo
Cervasio)
is
naïve
enough
to
believe
that
his
creation
could
be
used
to
make
the
world
a
safe
and
peaceful
place,
while
his
deadpan
father
Ettore
(Maorizio
Lombardi)
has
other
ideas.
The
Italian
parliament
has
been
arm-twisted
into
passing
a
weapons
deregulation
law
—
as
the
iconic
Duomo
is
reduced
to
ashes
—
and
Ettore
Zani
sees
this
as
the
perfect
opportunity
to
seize
control
of
Manticore.
Of
course,
Ed
and
Diana’s
paths
cross
and
sparks
are
bound
to
fly.
Though
she
has
been
trained
to
keep
her
emotions
in
check,
she
is
always
worried
about
the
safety
of
her
sister
Sara
(Giordana
Faggiano),
who
thinks
Diana,
with
her
sudden
comings
and
goings,
is
in
finance.
Which
makes
the
otherwise
robotic
looking
Diana,
with
the
unflattering
asymmetrical
haircut,
and
shapeless
outfits
look
a
bit
human.
Ed
is
still
haunted
by
the
murder
of
his
older
brother,
and
needs
to
know
what
happened.
Citadel:
Diana
used
some
basic
plot
points
from
the
original,
but
is
its
own
independent
entity,
rooted
in
Italian
culture.
Presumably,
the
Indian
version
Citadel:
Honey
Bunny,
will
have
the
same
style
and
spirit.
Unlike
the
Bond
and
Mission
Impossible
series,
the
action
is
not
the
whole
point
of
the
series.
There
are
stunning
sequences
like
the
zip
line
shootout,
but
the
makers
have
tried
to
achieve
the
tough
task
of
making
computer
wizardry
visually
interesting.
The
trill
and
suspense
comes
from
wondering
whether
Diana
will
be
able
to
maintain
her
cover,
and
hide
her
treachery
from
the
besotted
Ed.
Citadel:
Diana
is
fun
to
watch,
in
a
popcorn
entertainment
way,
and
speeds
along
between
the
past
and
future
to
prevent
boredom
from
setting
in.
There’s
the
gorgeous
Italian
scenery,
action,
romance
and
even
a
dance
number,
the
show
is
eager
to
please
a
global
audience.
Season
2
of
Citadel,
reportedly
the
most
expensive
show
ever
made,
is
underway,
and
there
would
be
other
franchises
springing
up
in
other
countries.
It
does
look
like
the
Citadel
universe
will
be
around
for
a
while.
Citadel:
Diana
streams
on
Prime
Video.
Citadel:
Diana
Review
Rediff
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