Review: Citadel: Honey Bunny - Polished but Usual

 

Web Series: Citadel: Honey Bunny
Rating: 2.75/5

Cast: Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Varun Dhawan, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon, Simran Bagga, Saqid Saleem, Soham Majumdar, Shivankit Singh Parihar and others

Director: Raj & Dk, Sita.R.Menon

Produced By: Syed Zaid Ali, Alek Conic, Raj & DK, and others

Streaming On: Prime Video

Story:

Citadel: Honey Bunny, a sequel to the Russo Brothers' Citadel featuring Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden, unfolds in 1992 and 2000. It shares the story of Nadia's mom and dad - Rahi Gambhir, called Honey (Varun), and Hanimandakini, nicknamed Honey (Samantha). Bunny, a stuntman in Bollywood films, simultaneously operates as a covert agent for a person whom he calls Baba (Kay Kay Menon). Searching for fast cash, Honey (Samantha), a struggling actress, becomes part of Bunny's team. While Honey trains to be an agent, she doubts whether her and Bunny's employers are on the right side. In the year 2000 of a different timeline, Honey raises her daughter Nadia alone and evades shadowy assassins while Bunny hurries to locate her ahead of the murderers. How the plot progresses discloses the actual history behind Citadel's creation.

Performances:

Varun Dhawan and Samantha played the lead characters in the series, and they were perfect. Despite their roles being not strong, they brought some depth to their roles. Kashvi Majmundar, who played the daughter's character of the lead pair, has done a superb job. Kay Kay Menon was good while Simran Bagga, Saqid Saleem, Soham Majumdar, Shivankit Singh Parihar and others were okay. 

What worked for the series:

The action sequences stand out in this series. Those episodes' design is smooth, aesthetically captivating, and one can feel an authentic nature in those moments. Yannick Ben, Aejaz Gulab, and Dian Hristov, the action directors, deserve high praise for that. The background score by Aman Pant provides the required depth at crucial places. Furthermore, a few scenes work effectively because of the situational humor. 

What did not work for the film:

Citadel's plot develops predictably. One can expect the twists and turns, as they become clear well in advance. For example, the reason behind Honey—Bunny's breakup can be easily guessed. The buildup around the main thread of traitor in Baba's agency/Citadel was not dealt with properly. Raj and DK tried to add their style of humor in some scenes, which worked at a few parts like a guest appearance by 'Farzi actor' Bhuvan Arora. However, this smartness was missing in the other parts of the series. 

Citadel: Honey Bunny Review and Verdict: 

Citadel: Honey Bunny is a decent spy thriller. The spectacularly shot and choreographed action episodes work wonders for the film while a much better story and screenplay could have added depth to it.