I don’t see where this has been talked about previously here, but here’s the second trailer for CITADEL, the new super-spy series on Amazon by the Russo Brothers, following after their adaptation of THE GRAY MAN for Netflix. The series premiers on April 28. Looks a lot like everything else they do with an over reliance on CGI.
A good indicator you know your film is bad - spend your time talking about others…
16 minutes in. Casino Royale, Mission Impossible (specifically the 96 film) and The Bourne Identity have been “borrowed” from. Cast are engaging, and they’re wanting to borrow from the best, but the Russos’ taste in how CGI explosions should look don’t particularly go with the done for real influences.
“We were betrayed by one of our own and sold a list of our agents…”
Could at least try and not to use the plot of Mission Impossible/the bluff plot of Skyfall
On to ep2 - Stanley Tucci could potentially pull this from forgettable to good…but…on a related note, the ending “twist” (and is played like it’s one) was in the trailer.
Russo + Marvel = fine
Russo original = derivative drivel, Michael Bay 2.0
Yep, I bailed about 20 minutes into episode one. Derivative in every respect.
Stanley Tucci tries to pull it up…but he is working alone as the rest are working on just charm.
Ghosted was very similar, but Dexter Fletcher had more awareness of how derivative it was so let the cast just have fun with it, probably stemming from his own acting background.
Watched both episodes, and I’ll continue to watch because there’s nothing else halfway interesting until Strange New Worlds in June. Question for the group, y’all think this is an audition for Richard Madden to be the next Bond?
I love SNW and am looking forward to season 2.
But there is a lot more than halfway interesting until then.
Ghosted has charm
“Citadel is a business plan in search of a show” - Variety
Well, regardless of the reviews, I’ve enjoyed the first two episodes for what they are but it is a derivative of all the spy tropes. A nod to old TV (Get Smart/Man from UNCLE) with two multinational espionage agencies (Control vs. KAOS/UNCLE vs. THRUSH) doing battle.
The production value and epic stunts (be they CGI or not) are good fun in the spirit of escapism.
As to the leads, both are easy on the eyes and do handle their action and HTH combat skill and (refreshingly IMO) both get as well as they give and get bloody.
Michael Fassbender joked once that X-Men 1st Class was his two hour audition reel for Bond if they were to do a period piece. Madden had his reel with The Bodyguard. I think this will benefit Priyanka. I know she was on Eon’s radar and I enjoyed her in Quantico. Back in the day, she’d have been perfect casting as Octopussy. I do give both her and Madden props for the fight scenes. You can buy that they both can kick some ass.
As to the show, it could go either way. Down the path it’s seemingly on or maybe evolve it to what it could be. We’ll see how it plays out, but, in the meantime, it’s some nice popcorn/eye candy that fills the void.
One nitpick that I’m sure we all caught. On the train, Priyanka states that she has a " .22 Beretta " aimed at a guys crotch. She then levels a clearly distinct stainless steel PPK that (based on the barrel) is no .22 - Probably to blame on the writer or the prop master. Every spy knows what they’re carrying…or they should. Especially if they’re going to announce it.
Don’t boast about your Aston Martin if you’re getting out of a Jaguar. 
Anyway, we’ll see how the rest goes.
Ep 3 improved slightly for me, but i do think the Russos are chucking things at the wall without knowing what is going to stick.
Actors work.
Plot doesn’t…at all
The stunts…I’ll have a better idea once they decide if they’re doing practical or obvious CGI
It’s still not great, but I think episode 4 is the best so far
Concur. Interesting twists.
Hadn’t it been renewed before it even started?
Every article about it I’ve read up to this point basically said that they were doing a season 2 but nothing was official because deals had not been finalized. They’re also moving production from the UK to the US so that might have slowed down the final greenlight.
That’s odd, but I don’t know how Amazon does things so it might be the norm for them, introducing the idea of multiple seasons so people don’t lose interest quick?
It‘s a pre-planned renewal, just to avoid the shame to admit that this massively expensive show was not greeted with the kind of response this insane budget would be justified by.
See „The Rings of Power“…