I watched Napoleon and I didn’t like it. 2/5
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Look, Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon” isn’t a bad movie, but it’s definitely not great either. It tries to be a funny take on history, but the jokes mostly land with a thud. Joaquin Phoenix does his best as Napoleon, but the script lets him down, turning the French leader into a bit of a goofball.
The movie starts off okay, showing Napoleon’s rise to power and all the battles he fought. It’s kind of interesting, but then the weird jokes start popping up, and it throws the whole thing off balance. Like, one minute you’re watching a serious scene about war, and the next Napoleon’s tripping over his own cape. It’s just jarring.
Things get even wackier when Napoleon gets exiled to some island. The movie basically goes full-on comedy mode, with slapstick gags and jokes that feel like they belong in a different movie altogether. It’s like they couldn’t decide if they wanted to make a historical drama or a silly comedy, and so they just ended up with something in between that doesn’t really work.
The one thing I gotta give the movie credit for is that it looks amazing. The costumes and sets are super detailed, and the battle scenes are pretty epic. But all the visual spectacle in the world can’t save a movie with a shaky script and a confusing tone.
So, yeah, “Napoleon” is a bit of a disappointment. It’s got a great cast and a cool premise, but it just doesn’t come together in the end. If you’re looking for a historically accurate portrayal of Napoleon, this ain’t it. And if you’re just looking for a good laugh, well, there are funnier movies out there. This one just kinda sits there in the middle, not sure what it wants to be.