Samantha and Varun doing some gun practice at the beach with the RT symbol in the background

The new spinoff Citadel: Honey Bunny debuts with the second-best score in the franchise’s history. Unfolding in the early 1990s, the latest in Prime Video’s Citadel franchise begins with a stuntman named Bunny (Varun Dhawan) and his efforts to recruit a struggling actor Honey (played by Samantha Ruth Prabhu) for a side gig. This sends the pair down a dangerous path, reuniting years later to protect their young daughter Nadia. Citadel: Honey Bunny consists of six episodes, and is now streaming on Prime Video.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the spinoff has debuted with a 77% score based on 13 reviews, but digging deeper into the numbers, that response is closer to 5.9/10. But looking at the overall score, Citadel: Honey Bunny comes in ahead of the original Citadel starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra (51%) but behind the recent Citadel: Diana which sits at 82%.

What The Critics Are Saying About Citadel: Honey Bunny

The New Show Is Getting A Mixed Reception

Writing for Screen Rant, Patrice Witherspoon describes Citadel: Honey Bunny as a “disappointing snooze fest.” Although the lead performances and the fight scenes are complimented, the direction of Raj & DK and the scripts are cited as weaknesses. There is an overall agreement that the spinoff is not a uniformly great series, which the 5.9/10 enthusiasm points to, but there is some variation in the agreement over the show’s charms.

Alan Sepinwell, in his review for Rolling Stone, praised the Indian spinoff and said: “None of this is earth-shattering work, but it’s amazing how far simple storytelling competence can take you.” Jinal Bhatt of The Mary Sue echoes the sentiment, calling Honey Bunny an “upgrade” compared to previous shows in the Citadel world. On the whole, while it’s far from perfect, the consensus seems to be that the Indian series is entertaining enough and makes up for some of the spy franchise’s earlier missteps.

Our Take On Citadel: Honey Bunny

It’s Best For Fans Of The Spy Genre

Two characters aiming in Citadel Honey Bunny Varun Dhawan aims his gun in Citadel Honey Bunny Varun is about to kiss Samantha in Citadel Honey Bunny Varun Dhawan is tired and bloody while holding his gun in Citadel Honey Bunny
Nadia and Honey having chai in Citadel Honey BunnyTwo characters aiming in Citadel Honey Bunny Varun Dhawan aims his gun in Citadel Honey Bunny Varun is about to kiss Samantha in Citadel Honey Bunny Varun Dhawan is tired and bloody while holding his gun in Citadel Honey Bunny Nadia and Honey having chai in Citadel Honey Bunny

As the wait for Citadel season 2 continues, it’s hard to fully recommend Citadel: Honey Bunny. For fans who like the spy genre and seek it out, the spinoff has its charms. But for those that are not exactly predisposed to enjoy gun fights and espionage, there are better examples to start off with than Prime Video’s big-budget franchise attempt.