User reviews

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.

Better than the big budget English language take which is uneven; tries too hard. I quit that show after two to three episodes.

On the contrary this series grows on you, drawing you in, after two episodes.

This Italian version is smoother, less cluttered. It holds a consistent style than the bigger production USA series. It has neat special effects like the weaponry that don't dominate the story line.

The series relies on effective dialogue, tension & intrigue.

The two lead actors hold their own. The film pulls off the storyline without a huge budget with effective production.

The show grows on you as entertaining sci-fi. It a fun, diversion; binge-able.

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.

I do t know what people expect these days but I'm if they are smart enough to say the writing was bland and so on then please write one...please! I will say that having attractive characters helped...i liked it enough to want to see the US Citadel with choppy and madman even though many have panned that too. I don't see how it is worst than any Oops movies out there like Mission Impossible...really. They should have tightened it up and it needs more depth but the measured action scenes were good enough although I will never understand how she didn't break her back. They need a 2 clearly and up there game but folks take what you get times are tough and Hollywood is in trouble.

In a nutshell, this was just poor writing. Skilled narrative skills would have helped this plot and idea be more interesting on screen. It's decent effort by the actors but the story and writing just doesn't help. Didn't enjoy any part of this. In my opinion the entire citadel franchise is a letdown. They are trying to shove more and more down audiences throats cause of the contractual obligations. The indian adaptation is coming next which already seems like a snoozefest. There have been so uplifting spot in this franchise since the Chopra madden season which was a huge let down. Can skip this one.

One person is obsessed over a haircut and the other is upset because it wasn't in English? Lmao gtfo. This is a good follow up to the original with a solid story line. Watch it for yourself and be the judge and PLEASE disregard these children who are close minded. From the original it was stated that Manticore was manipulating the world from the shadows. So not really sure why someone is upset because we got a story from Italy. When we know that manticore was formed from families around the world....

Like I said give it a watch and you be the judge. Too many people these days act like they are movie critics online because they know no one will listen to them in real life. I said what I said.

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.

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.

Jobs.

While Citadel: Diana had the potential to be a captivating international thriller, it falls totally flat in almost every aspect - except for Matilda. This feels like a low-budget series from the '90s. The storyline feels recycled, lacking any depth and complexity- unlike the first season. The pacing is uneven, with predictable twists that don't land anywhere. The show struggles to create meaningful tension or character development. The Amazon executives who approved these scripts should consider changing jobs.

Matilda, however, is the standout. She is the ONLY reason to keep watching the entire episodes which are painful to watch. She has a natural screen presence that captivates, and it's clear she's destined for greater roles. Hopefully, we'll see her in a major U. S. production soon, where her talent can truly shine.

In the end, while Citadel: Diana may not live up to expectations, it's worth watching just for Matilda- an amazing talent.

From costume design, hair and makeup to cars, action and storyline. It was all formulaic with one predictable trope after the next. I struggled to stay engaged with the female protagonist, girl bossing her why through every scene with her lopsided hair style that was difficult to understand. I kept asking myself if she is a spy trained to be discreet her hair style is making a huge spectacle making her unforgettable. The was not a single person in the restaurant courtyard that couldn't identifying her. It was like watching a clown show and your job was to identify the clown. Between yawns, I give it 3 stars.

I made the mistake of seeing the first 2 in a dubbed version. Watching the original with subtitles made it a lot better.

Great actors, decent story, no black/white world but shaded and futuristic weapons that seem plausible - loved those!

What is it made of? Still thinking about a name - nice wink at the audience there :-) Anyway I loved it. Still have to see the last one but nr 5 was so good I had to come here and check out the reviews.

Ignore those people who think they are interesting infinding eloquent ways to say something is bad. Most of them probably haven't even seen the whole thing. See for yourself!, you'll thank me (or not).

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.

So far I hate her hair. It's distracting and weird. I think they were going for co with that look and landed on conspicuous. It looks like a cartoon character. It's hard to take her serious with such a comical hair style. Its overdone. A little boring to be honest, and the story is a little choppy. The voice over too seems AI. Missing the human element. Kinda over it on episode one. I gave it a chance but I don't see it getting any better. The characters are too obvious. Like they are over trying over reaching. I hate watching films where you can tell it's just acting and aware while watching there is a whole camera crew filming. I like to get lost in it but I can't in this one. Cool concept. Poor delivery. Try again. Now the other citadel with Priyanka Chopra was good. They need ro bring back that one.

Girl Boss beats the crap out of male secret agent and starts on a journey of undercover super sleuthing despite a life threatening disease. The US iteration was bad enough but this mess is incomprehensible, badly scripted, appallingly acted and utterly unbelievable even within its own near future setting. Sure these series have always been with us, remember Alias? But this is really a low rent effort. On a slightly serious note we should be wary of this constant stream of shows about super secret organisations and the militarisation of government as a good thing or necessary, present day politicians have already shown how corrupt they are and normalising it through media is not healthy.

I really enjoyed watching this TV series. I advise you ignore the negative reviews and watch it for yourself. The action scenes are well executed. The family and romantic interactions are well written and acted. The original Citadel was also really enjoyable and this one doesn't disappoint.

The actress who plays Diana is very talented and it is easy to see the grow of characters over time.

The utilization of different languages also well executed and adds a nice tone to the series.

I am looking forward to the other Citadel spin offs and I hope they are as good as the Citadel: Diana TV show.

I really hope that the screenplay was written by some rudimentary artificial intelligence robot, because there is no such thing as a flesh-and-blood human being who gives something to himself can produce such clichéd, weak, predictable crap.

The characters present all the templates and all of its misadventures. If ever there was a repetitive, self-inflicted horror, this is it. The characters run the same circles over and over again, their acting is very average, but neither the horrible texts they put into their mouths nor the script support them.

If someone watches 10 minutes of it, they know exactly what they're going to get, so they can save themselves the remaining few hours.

Citadel: Diana delivers a perfect blend of high-octane action, compelling characters, and intricate spycraft. From the very first episode, the series grabs your attention with its intense pacing and thrilling twists. The cinematography is stunning, capturing breathtaking landscapes and exhilarating chase scenes, while the soundtrack complements the suspenseful atmosphere perfectly.

The performances are top-notch, particularly from the lead actors, who embody their complex, multi-dimensional characters with ease. The show dives deep into the world of espionage, with clever plots and secrets that keep you guessing at every turn. Each episode is packed with enough mystery and intrigue to make you eager for the next one.

What stands out most is how Citadel: Diana manages to balance action and emotion, creating a narrative that's not only exciting but also emotionally resonant. If you're a fan of spy thrillers with a sharp, modern twist, this series is a must-watch. It truly sets a new standard in the genre and leaves you wanting more.

This series is the perfect definition of utter garbage. Acting is awful, untalented, boring and annoying. The story seems written by a dull child with ridiculous ideas, the obscene cast is surely made by recommended sons and friends of the creator, as italian tradition teaches. I can't believe that two of the producers are the Russo brothers...This product is light years back from them. Failed all over. Speaking about the dubbing, I don't know if it's worked well in other languages but I'm sure that is way better than the native one that really sucks because of the poor capacities of the cast. Very very bad.

The main woman with her stupid haircut and close-ups every minute is ridiculous I mean they act like she's some kind of like extremely attractive person when she's probably a 5 out of 10 she has a thick nose. She moves like a wooden soldier and she has a personality of a fly.

And so they have this bad ass technology where they can disable cameras and listen to what they're saying through their contact lenses or whatever and the bad guys who obviously know this technology exist are just sitting in the cafe talking about their plans. I mean how stupid are they so this is like a clown show and there's too many close-ups that she's not hot and what is the plot is there even a plot and the guy that has a glasses that are tinted blue? I mean he thinks he's like Versace or something it's trying to be slick, but it comes off as being , boring and Cliché. Fight scenes are weak and lame... like that chick at 125 soaking wet can beat dudes bigger.. lol clownish and her grunting is silly. And don't get me started on all the guns with the long barrel which is so like weird because they're heavy and she sticks them down her pants and it's like a foot long barrel. It's just so ridiculous. The drama is just pathetic as well.

Are we really kidding? I was born and live in Italy. Sorry, but Italians don't know how to act. We have a dubbing school, I think, the best in the world, but unfortunately we don't know how to act at all. Dubbing costs, obviously, for this reason in Italy we trust our young actors, who unfortunately are stuck in a type of acting that remains theatrical and too emphatic, to put it better you understand that they are acting, you lose any pathos with the characters. Furthermore, for every 10 words you understand 4, because they speak with their mouths closed, they mumble, they don't articulate the words, they think they are acting, they don't act. I understand in foreign countries, with local dubbing, these products may even seem good, but they are not! HERE we are faced with a clumsy attempt to imitate sci-fi spy-thriller productions, but the success is made poor by the usual aspects of cinema and Italian culture: pop. There is always this rush to insert sentimental, adolescent stories into products that would also have a fair amount of success, making them, in the long run, annoying. Overrated, from what I'm hearing about it. We have, here in Italy, a lot of pasta to eat to even minimally reach American, English or even Eastern productions.