Citadel Honey Bunny Review: Star Rating:
Cast: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Mazumdar, Kay Kay Menon, Saqib Salim, Shivankit Singh Parihar & others
Creator: Russo Brothers
Director: Raj & DK
Streaming On: Prime Video
Language: Hindi
Runtime: 6 episodes of 50 minutes each
Citadel Honey Bunny Review: What’s It About:
It was in 2023 that Priyanka Chopra arrived as Nadia Singh in the Russo Brothers’ Citadel. The story was based in 2023 and was about a spy. However, it was not well-received thanks to its shoddy screenplay, but that did not let the producers hesitate to drop a spin-off – the Italian version, which was based in the year 2030.
Now the Indian chapter arrives as a prequel to the 2023 version that starred Priyanka Chopra, with Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu playing parents to Priyanka Chopra’s Diana and weaving a story that narrates the origin of Citadel. Basically, what it is, and how did the agency weave its Spy world!
Does the story build up an intrigue to hold and captivate one as an audience for six long episodes to find the roots of this Spyverse created by the Russo brothers? TBH, No! But does this version of this Spyverse supersede the other two versions? Definitely Yes! Read on to learn our entire review and why Citadel fails in parts but majorly works in its entirety!
Citadel Honey Bunny Review: Script Analysis:
The world of Citadel: Honey Bunny presents Varun Dhawan as a spy working for an agency run by Kay Kay Menon. He incorporates Samantha in this mission that aims to fight against another Mission run by another agency, and after a very long wait, you discover who is working on the right side and who is on the wrong side!
There comes a point when Samantha asks, ‘Tum log karte kya ho? Tum log acche log ho ya bure log?’ and Varun replies, “It’s not that simple.” Citadel, honestly, summarizes the entire episode in this one dialogue. It needs your patience and trust. You need to give it time while it builds its world, one scene at a time. It introduces all its characters very lethargically – from Kay Kay Menon to Sikandar Kher to Saqib Salim!
Citadel Honey Bunny Review: Star Performance:
Samantha Ruth Prabhu is the sun of this entire web series. She shines bright, giving life to each and every character in this Universe. Her act and transformation from a coy, wannabe, struggling actress into a fierce, courageous, and strong spy kicking her way out of a mess with more fierce punches is a treat to watch on-screen. She gets better with each act sequence and surprises with her finesse and how easily she shifts gears. Raj & DK do a brilliant job characterizing Honey as a South Indian, justifying that accent to every bit!
Varun Dhawan is the moon of this series, the one bringing warmth and calmness amidst all the chaos. His act as the young Bunny working as a suave spy in the 90s impresses, while his transformation as a mature independent officer, searching for his daughter and lost soulmate (Honey) in the 2000s, forms the entire crux of this web series. Varun’s maturity as an intelligent father on a search mission is impressive and applaudable.
However, the core of this Universe is little Kashvi Majumdar, who plays Nadia, the young Priyanka Chopra in this web series. The child is a miracle on screen. She is convincing as the sharp child who knows it all while she is on an escape mission with her mother to maintain distance from the violent world as much as possible!
Trending
Citadel Honey Bunny Review: What Works:
Main Cassatta Ice Cream Nahi Khaata…Citadel: Honey Bunny actually starts at this point and grabs you in after waiting for a whole long episode as Raj & DK wear their Superman gloves and weave the visual magic they usually weave. A Cassatta ice cream is lying on the ground with splashes of blood over it, and Varun Dhawan narrates his entire back story in a very rapid form to Samantha Ruth Prabhu.
And Citadel begins right at this point. Before that, it is literally a snoozefest for an entire episode; however, while I was literally asleep through the first episode, I woke up with Samantha kicking her first legit kick in such a kickass manner that something kicked, and I was all in for this story rooting for this woman who plays Bunny – a South Indian struggling actress who is dragged by Honey into his spy world for a mission, a mission that might actually unveil what Citadel is and how did it began!
The action sequences work brilliantly in favor of this web series for being as real as they could have been minus any grandeur, any exploding cars, flying people, flying cars, dilapidating buildings, and more. Varun, Samantha and even the little Kashvi, who just slip into these action sequences moonwalking!
Citadel Honey Bunny Review: What Doesn’t Work:
Citadel: Honey Bunny works despite a shoddy screenplay by Sita Menon along with Raj & DK. The major shortcoming of this web series comes when it becomes a slurry of a lot of Indian spyverse, including Salman Khan’s Tigerverse in parts and Raj & DK’s own The Family Man. What could have been a brilliant spy story entirely focused on the roots and existence of Citadel, and its backstory starts oscillating between the love story of a spy – Samantha, in this case.
Another drawback comes with the oscillating timeline between 1992 and 2000. While the distinction between the two timelines is very specific, linear storytelling could have complemented this premise more. Somewhere the entire story keeps losing its charm every single time it oscillates between 1992 and 2000! Even after 4 episodes, you cannot figure out who is the good guy and who is the bad guy. Who is the enemy in this whole Universe? Everyone is fighting to stop Project Talwar, but why and how is a question no one is willing to answer. There is always a conversation between the good and the bad, right and wrong, but we never see the two sides very distinctly at any point. There is a mission, but we never get to see what it is!
Samantha’s Honey in a scene tells Varun Dhawan, “Mere liye good and bad bahut simple hai,” to which he replies, “Sikka yahi, sakki palat, kisi ka sahi, kisi ka galat! Aap apne hisaab se sahi kaam kar rahe ho, aapko bus yahi dekhna hota hai.” However, the writers, take this mantra too seriously since every writer or creator is working ‘apne hisaab se’ with none of the thoughts connecting or the dots joining for the longest time!
Citadel Honey Bunny Review: Last Words:
Wo Hero Hi Kya Jo Heroine Ko Bachaye Bina Mar Jaaye, claims Varun Dhawan in a scene from the web series. The climax should have promised heroic hype, but everything just fizzles with nothing happening in the climax, turning the story again into a snoozefest.
Life mein direction bahut powerful cheez hoti hai, says Varun Dhawan’s character at one point. But Raj & DK forgot that web series mein story bahut powerful cheez hoti hai and Citadel falls flat on that front. But still, it is the best that has been offered out of the three web series and definitely deserves a watch for Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu & Kashvi Mazumdar, who are holding the fort very strongly despite a shaky storyline!
3.5 stars!
For updates, stay tuned to Koimoi.
Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube | Google News
The post Citadel: Honey Bunny Review: Samantha & Varun Dhawan Turn Asli ‘Maai-Baap’ Of Priyanka Chopra’s OG Citadel Saving This Spyverse TBH appeared first on Koimoi.
from Koimoi https://ift.tt/JBwflU5
via IFTTT
