Napoleon Review: A True Disappointment

Поделиться
HTML-код
  • Опубликовано: 20 сен 2024
  • John and the crew discuss and review Ridley Scott’s Napoleon starring Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby which opens in theaters today November 22, 2023.
    Subscribe to The John Campea Show Podcast:
    Spotify
    open.spotify.c...
    Apple podcasts
    podcasts.apple...
    Please support the sponsor of this TJCS segment by using the link below and/or using our promo code for a special bonus deal!
    DraftKings | Official Sports Betting Partner Of The NFL
    DraftKings Sportsbook is keeping your Thanksgiving week full of action! Go to sportsbook.dra... to download the DraftKings Sportsbook app and use code CAMPEA. New customers can bet $5 on the NFL Thanksgiving action to score $150 INSTANTLY IN BONUS BETS! Only on, DraftKings Sportsbook, an Official Sports Betting Partner of the NFL, with code CAMPEA. The crown is yours.
    Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. In New York, call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369). In West Virginia, visit www.1800gambler.net. Please play responsibly. In Connecticut, Help is available for problem gambling call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS). Must be 21 or older in most eligible states but age varies by jurisdiction. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details and state specific responsible gambling resources. Eligibility and deposit restrictions apply. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. Terms at sportsbook.DraftKings.com/footballterms.
    Watch John's new documentary, "Movie Trailers: A Love Story" available now worldwide at www.vimeo.com/o... and also available in the US and UK on Amazon Video.
    Support the channel or submit a question for Open Mic using the following tip link:
    streamelements...
    Become a John Campea Channel Member here:
    / @johncampea
    JOHN’S GEAR LINKS
    Main Cameras
    Sony A6400 - amzn.to/2VsMMyx
    Sony A6600 - amzn.to/3bbfivl
    Canon XC15 - amzn.to/3abgZY8
    Mic pre-amps
    Cloudlifter - amzn.to/3ckgvRa
    Good Cheaper Cameras John Uses
    Canon Vixia R800 - amzn.to/2yfa8zI
    Logitech c920 Webcam - amzn.to/3eiul8m
    Main Microphones
    Rode Procaster - amzn.to/3cum1AT
    Good Cheaper Mics John Uses Sometimes
    Audio-Technica ATR2100x (usb and xlr) - amzn.to/34FSIID
    Blue Yeti (usb) - amzn.to/2XyVZb8
    Lapel Mic
    FiFine (usb) - amzn.to/2VvzocW
    Shotgun Mics
    Rode VideoMic GO (small on camera mic) - amzn.to/34A3YX0
    Rode NTG2 (main Studio mic) - amzn.to/2REkH6d
    Sennheiser MKE 600 (main Studio mic) - amzn.to/3eo5boY
    Soundboard/Mixer
    RODEcaster Pro (main) (usb) - amzn.to/2RzozFC
    Behringer Xenyx 1204USB (backup board) - amzn.to/2yf8VZn
    Streaming Software
    Wirecast Pro
    Wirecast Control Surface - amzn.to/34DzjrG
    Lights
    Nanlite Lumipad 25 (main studio lights) - amzn.to/2XAeVXd
    Neewer Ring Light (secondary lights) - amzn.to/2RDRoAP
    FalconEyes F7 Pocketlite (background color lights) - amzn.to/3emBgNT
    Selfie Ring - (guest light) - amzn.to/3a6esOZ
    Show Notes Computer
    iPad Pro 2020 - amzn.to/34ALhCA
    Submit your topic or question for The John Campea Show here:
    www.thejohncamp...
    Follow John on Instagram:
    / johncampea

Комментарии • 641

  • @PhilHug1
    @PhilHug1 10 месяцев назад +333

    Did John plan to have the Napoleon hat placed perfectly behind his head? 😂

    • @Drew914
      @Drew914 10 месяцев назад +14

      Lol right? That’s also the first thing I noticed

    • @philipcohen7192
      @philipcohen7192 10 месяцев назад +7

      I’m thinking the same thing

    • @jonathanlopez6953
      @jonathanlopez6953 10 месяцев назад +2

      his technically french because his Canadian.

    • @kamartaylor2902
      @kamartaylor2902 10 месяцев назад +1

      ​@@jonathanlopez6953I'm Canadian. Our country is mostly English.

    • @ludwigvanbeethoven169
      @ludwigvanbeethoven169 10 месяцев назад +1

      ​@@jonathanlopez6953John is of Italian origin.

  • @RollTide1987
    @RollTide1987 10 месяцев назад +31

    They got even the most basic facts wrong in this film. In one scene there is a character who declares the birth year of Josephine (played by Vanessa Kirby) to be 1767 and the birth year of Napoleon to be 1768. Josephine was born in 1763 and Napoleon was born in 1769.

    • @Paulmatthew22
      @Paulmatthew22 9 месяцев назад

      ​@@djparaenseit was one of many stupid moves by Ridley. His audacity has finally gotten the best of him ~

  • @parallel_53
    @parallel_53 10 месяцев назад +21

    Disclaimer, Gladiator is my favorite movie of all time. Napoleon was utter hot garbage. Audience cheered when he finally dropped dead, everyone just wanted the movie to be over I think. It really felt like Apple had a heavy hand in this. At least I hope that's the reason this Ridley Scott film turned out so truly terrible.

    • @angelrosas3724
      @angelrosas3724 9 месяцев назад

      ​@@fileload9806Source? That sounds interesting.

  • @heretowatch2672
    @heretowatch2672 9 месяцев назад +12

    The cinematography was good but the the movie hung on how charismatic he was as a leader to the French people, but you never saw him actually win the French people over. You just saw the war scenes, not the admiration of the everyday people.

  • @rawpower12xu
    @rawpower12xu 10 месяцев назад +15

    Ridley Scott was so proud of how many movies he puts out compared to Scorsese. Have to say, you can tell the difference

    • @Henry-Paget
      @Henry-Paget 10 месяцев назад +4

      Ridley is hot garbage compared to a genius like Scorsese even on his best days. Comparing the two is an insult to filmaking.

    • @araadhitpareek6798
      @araadhitpareek6798 10 месяцев назад +4

      Last duel was good though but yeah he is nothing compared to scorsese

  • @privateuser7726
    @privateuser7726 10 месяцев назад +13

    Joaquin Phoenix was so miscast, he was just awful, so flat, ..zero chemistry with Vanessa Kirby.

  • @awfulwaffle1341
    @awfulwaffle1341 9 месяцев назад +14

    The movie should have been titled Josephine.

  • @TheCritter001
    @TheCritter001 10 месяцев назад +35

    Bad acting, terrible pacing, an unbelievable love story and battle scenes that are crap. Won't even list historical inaccuracies. Scott needs to retire.

    • @aaadesktop
      @aaadesktop 7 месяцев назад +5

      He's English, writing a Frenchman's biopic. It was doomed from the beginning

  • @dan4271
    @dan4271 10 месяцев назад +12

    Another thing - Napoleon’s troops’s undying loyalty to him feels very unearned. Not for a moment did he address them, I was expecting at least one speech or a moment of connection between Napoleon and his troops, but instead they just love him for… no reason? Is the viewer supposed to know that they loved him prior to watching the movie? Like why did they help him do a whole ass coup d’etat or betray their own king after he comes back from Elba? I hope the director’s cut addresses all of this…

    • @Hellion73
      @Hellion73 10 месяцев назад

      Yeah, been wonder where was the f-n Old Guard thru the whole movie?

  • @JohnnySilverhand1988
    @JohnnySilverhand1988 10 месяцев назад +12

    Bro made a romance movie. And the main character had negative rizz. 🤦‍♂️

  • @ArabianOak
    @ArabianOak 10 месяцев назад +23

    they made napoleon look like he was bootywhipped and autistic. phoenix had his worst performance ever in this one...gonna be tough to be this bad for him in the future. ridley scott...he either hits homeruns like gladiator or strikes out...save your 9 bucks!

    • @debbiesroommate
      @debbiesroommate 10 месяцев назад +9

      Phoenix was terrible. If he didn't want to do it he shouldn't have signed on

    • @Manunido
      @Manunido 10 месяцев назад +4

      I’m glad my brother and I are not the only ones who thought this. It’s almost like they were trying to say Napoleon was autistic

  • @keefriff99
    @keefriff99 10 месяцев назад +15

    Typical Ridley Scott…always makes gorgeous, well-acted films, but is entirely dependent on the script.

  • @kylemedeiros6907
    @kylemedeiros6907 9 месяцев назад +11

    I enjoy the hate for this movie more than I enjoyed the movie

  • @shrimpsalad2498
    @shrimpsalad2498 10 месяцев назад +14

    They should have focused on Napoleon the Conquerer not the relationship with Josephine. That should have been a B storyline at best! This movie gave no justice to Napoleons story imo.

    • @eastsidemuu
      @eastsidemuu 10 месяцев назад +1

      It was HORRIBLE! i did not come to watxh a freaking Chick Flixk.. men dont come to see Freaking LoVe stories smh... worst Historical movie iv seen EVER

    • @christianandersson4345
      @christianandersson4345 10 месяцев назад +1

      I agree. What makes it worse is while Austerlitz and Borodino where not completely accurate with history they were nonetheless great pieces of the movie. Instead we now miss out on stuff like the battle of Leipzig arguably the second most important battle during the closing stages of the wars of the coalition. So that we could get more fictional Josephine stuff. Really unfortunate and frustrating. We see so little of the genius Napoleon and too much of the wierd kink Napoleon. Also no Prussians and Blucher's legendary charge at the battle of waterloo is a big miss.

    • @Manunido
      @Manunido 10 месяцев назад +2

      ⁠@@christianandersson4345I also really dislike that they try to say he was making military decisions based on Josephine. Like them showing him leaving Egypt for Josephine

  • @mr.m1garand254
    @mr.m1garand254 10 месяцев назад +12

    Personally I’m waiting for the 4 hour director’s cut

    • @CarlosGomez-mf2gp
      @CarlosGomez-mf2gp 10 месяцев назад +1

      Me too. All the thing being criticized about it sounds like would be addressed by extra runtime. It's Kingdom of Heaven all over again.

  • @dthendrick1
    @dthendrick1 10 месяцев назад +12

    This movie was an unnecessary deconstruction of Napoleon filled with historical inaccuracies and random drivel. Watch the 1970 Waterloo instead, much better depiction of Napoleon than this spiteful nonsense. I knew where this movie was heading when I first saw Joaquin Phoenix casted for Napoleon. Joaquin is a phenomenal actor, especially when it comes to playing pathetic men such as Commodus and the Joker, when he was cast i immediately knew what kind of movie was being made, hate to say i was correct.

  • @dannyhernandez1212
    @dannyhernandez1212 10 месяцев назад +7

    The 4 hour cut won't help this movie. The vast unnecessary historical inaccuracies are bad enough. Even the battles were just all over the place.

  • @fiachramaccana280
    @fiachramaccana280 9 месяцев назад +8

    This is what happens when an Anglo Saxon Napoleon hater gets to waste a lot of money on making a ..... Napoleon movie...

  • @OverOnTheWildSide
    @OverOnTheWildSide 10 месяцев назад +5

    Hopefully the longer version will fill in these weaknesses.

  • @angelduarte4143
    @angelduarte4143 10 месяцев назад +7

    They turned Napoleon into a simp too and they did not put more scenes when they went into Russia.

  • @juliendunand6409
    @juliendunand6409 10 месяцев назад +11

    Horrible. Ridley Scott and his script writer have absolutely ZERO idea of who Napoleon was. The "Napoleon complex" of a crazy little blood thirsty tyrant going to war against everyone is a tired trope invented by the English in the early 19th Century based entirely on propaganda. When factually it's England and the rest of Europe who declared war on Napoleon, not the other way around. Up to 1808, all that Napoleon ever did was defend France and the ideals of the French Revolution against foreign invaders. He certainly wasn't the bad guy. How sad to see that 220 years later a famous English director is unable to stay away from that dumb caricature and not deliver anything else. Napoleon is one of the most complex and fascinating characters in all of History and Scott shows us nothing. No insight, no analysis, nothing. This is a garbage film made by completely idiotic people. I hope Spielberg gets to do his Napoleon with a TV show, the Emperor's life deserves it.

    • @InfoGDotG
      @InfoGDotG 10 месяцев назад +3

      100% , feel like Ridley simply read the first Wikipedia paragraph and added some private anecdotes/Josephine letters. Complete disaster.
      Wished to have seen more of Napoleon’s brilliance, could have been contrasted with some vulnerability but at least show us why Napoleon is an immortal in the history books.
      Wish to have seen more of the period between the revolution and 1907, see Napoleon’s contributions to the modern world.
      Also, they gave a totally shit image of Robespierre in the beginning. People who knew nothing about him will think he was a simple fool… disrespectful movie.

  • @Bluediamond2023
    @Bluediamond2023 10 месяцев назад +10

    Disappointed with this movie. I hope the directors cut fill all the gaps. They went from 1805 to 1811. Missed many important events and battles.

  • @axlefoxe
    @axlefoxe 9 месяцев назад +6

    Honestly ive felt for a while that ridley scott uses history setting the way bad celebrity news media uses bombastic headlines to get people to click or read.

  • @cesarreyestorres4185
    @cesarreyestorres4185 10 месяцев назад +13

    Idk,,, John is the same guy who didn’t like the planet of the apes part 3 movie…a movie that was nominated for an Oscar…but he liked the Shazam movie…so I think I’ll make up my own mind

  • @thedamienharveygroup7014
    @thedamienharveygroup7014 9 месяцев назад +12

    COMPLETLY agree! His analogy of randomness hits it squarely. In addition I think Joaquin Phoenix was stiff, he delivered the majority of his lines with lifelessness, and for God sakes give him a French accent. It was tough imagining Napoleon as being some run of the mill army officer from Chicago. What Ridley and the writers should have studied is Patton with George C. Scott. If you watch Patton by the end of the film you will understand Patton's approach to leadership, his disdain for incompetence , his admiration of courage, why and how he fought the battles he did, and you'll know his inner most thoughts by way of the brilliant use of George C. Scott performing VO narration from Patton's memoirs. The film Napoleon did almost NONE of this. It's shame to take on such a great historical character and screw-the-pooch.

    • @truthhertz10
      @truthhertz10 9 месяцев назад

      It was sad to see such a great actor go to waste...
      I don't know why he did it, kinda like Mark Hamil in Star Wars, it's not the money, maybe they genuinely like the movie?
      Or they think they can "save" it somehow...

    • @parallel_53
      @parallel_53 9 месяцев назад +1

      I think that the goal here was not to herald the greatness of Napoleon; a brilliant tactician with charisma that garnered the complete and utter loyalty of his armies. Instead Apple portrayed him as a simpleton, a shallow villain that caused the deaths of 3M people.

    • @truthhertz10
      @truthhertz10 9 месяцев назад

      @@parallel_53 so basically they decided to lie.
      He wasn't a simpleton, we know that.
      I get showing his evilness and the results of his "achievements", but that's just it.
      Wouldn't it have been way more compelling showing how a genius's delusions or sense of honour led himself and millions of others to folly?
      Wouldn't it have been great to show his thoughts regarding his upcoming coronation or if he should even be emperor?
      Wouldn't it have been great to show the thoughts,, discussions, arguments he and his closest advisors had regarding the Egyptian, Italian and ultimately Russian campaigns?
      What about the Napoleonic code?
      There were so many things they could have picked yet all we got was to watch a 2 and a half hour movie about a cuck who also did some things on the side.

  • @alexritchie4586
    @alexritchie4586 10 месяцев назад +5

    My main problem with the movie is I didn't care about any of the characters whatsoever. Wasn't sad when Josephine died, and actually cheered Napoleon being exiled again.

  • @justinkelly251
    @justinkelly251 10 месяцев назад +13

    This coming from the guy that says Madam Web looks good

  • @tonymontana-uw1bq
    @tonymontana-uw1bq 9 месяцев назад +11

    I saw Napoleon yesterday... review is 💯% correct! Beautifully shot, but unfocused!

  • @ajflink
    @ajflink 10 месяцев назад +16

    This movie made me hate Ridely Scott. I just saw. It was marketed as a cinematic depiction of why Napoleon was a renowned military leader. There are glaring historical inaccuracies that anyone with a brain could point out. Plus, they wasted so much time on the "heir" plotline and mention all the military battles as a list at the end of the movie instead of showing them. We only saw 3 battles.

    • @virgil0065
      @virgil0065 10 месяцев назад +1

      Agree with you on the military battles, I got so excited around the second half because it was building up to the battle of Borodino, which was EXTREMELY important historically not only for Napoleon but for Russia as well and I was pissed that it was summarized with a 10 second slow-mo cavalry charge!! Tell me though, I'm not well versed in Napoleonic history but I did see there was quite a number of black officers portrayed in the army, I couldn't confirm or deny it due to the fact that I was thinking about how the French had established African colonies, yet had no idea if they would allow their colonial subjects to serve in their army. What other inaccuracies were there?

    • @ajflink
      @ajflink 10 месяцев назад +1

      @@virgil0065 Napoleon having cannons fired at the Great Pyramids never happened. There would at least be a crater in the side of one of them.
      He was not present at the queen's execution.
      He was not THAT emotionally unstable.
      His tactical skills as a military leader were severely undercut, minus one of the 3 battles they actually showed.
      I read somewhere that Napoleon never respected the British general. Napoleon in the movie goes out of his way to respect the general.
      They completely ignored that Napoleon essentially gave the Catholic Church the middle finger and I forget the exact reason why he did it. In the movie, the Pope ignored and seemed to approve the action of him crowning himself as Emperor during the event. In reality, this deeply troubled the Pope. It caused a huge uproar in real life. In the movie, everyone accepts Napoleon as emperor without question and this creates not tentions with the Catholic Church
      Scenes of Napoleon participating in battle make him seem like he is having an anxiety attack, which seemed a very odd detailed and am not sure if he was actually like that.
      The movie never really explains many moments making all historical context lost.
      Ridely Scott comes across as a pervert to me with the number of tasteless, thankfully not nude, s*x scenes that makes Napoleon seem s*x crazed. Josephine was at least 5 years older than Napoleon, yet they make them seem closer in age, and this detail is never implied. This is weird to point out; however, Ridely thought it was "important" to focus on this and supposed details about THAT thing right.
      The Waterloo battle made Napoleon look like he had no idea what he was doing. In reality, Napoleon knew the odds were against him.
      Napoleon was 5'6". A British translator failed to properly convert French measurements to ones ised with Britain and somehow came up with 5'2".
      I can forgive some historical inaccuracies in movies. For this movie, there is so much different that this is essentially not the Napoleon from history.

    • @zombiefirebot6066
      @zombiefirebot6066 10 месяцев назад

      fr and they kept saying Germany and Italy at keypoints when it didnt even exist and im pretty sure the Holy roman empire did exist which they dont mention

    • @virgil0065
      @virgil0065 10 месяцев назад

      @@ajflink Ah yes I did feel REALLY off about how Napoleon shot a cannon at one of the Egyptian pyramids, after the movie I was wondering; "there's no way... right?"
      And yeah I also thought just how undermined he was at the coronation ceremony, I already understood the integration of church and state in Europe at the time, so, having people audibly gasp and then be totally cool with him is just weird. Like many have said this movie just portrays itself as a highlight reel.
      I also hated how pathetic Napoleon was and how hard he simped for Josephine, I couldn't confirm or deny the way he acted though because again I don't know everything about him. In regard to Josephine being 5 years older than Napoleon, it just comes down to Joaquin Phoenix being a terrible choice for the role of Napoleon. He's a good actor, but god all I can see him as is Joaquin Phoenix. If Napoleon smoked meth in his château for 5 years, then yes Joaquin would be a perfect fit.
      I already came into the movie expecting the battle of Waterloo to be disappointing as nothing can top the 1973 movie, it still disappoints me however that a movie made 50 years ago still has 10x the amount of scale and awe inspiring action than a modern production movie...
      Don't know if you noticed/cared about this, but the movie just looked like SHIT. I watched the Last Duel from Ridley Scott a few years ago and was surprised to see that the color palette of gray and shitty had carried over to Scott's next movie. Characterizing the Middle Ages as gloomy and gray isn't anything new, even if it was far from the truth especially among the noble class who wore colorful attire. Ridiculous to see such a DULL palette for a movie taking place in the middle of the modern era!!! A shame because the costumes and sets were fantastic from what I saw, yet you could never truly appreciate them because they were shrouded by a filter of SHITTY GREY. Only like 5 scenes in the whole movie had actual sunlight that accentuated the vibrant colors of the scenery and uniforms, easily one of the most disappointing movies I have ever watched.

  • @J007297
    @J007297 10 месяцев назад +8

    There is a 4 hour cut which will be released on apple tv +. Clearly the movie looks incomplete because it is

    • @tom4150
      @tom4150 10 месяцев назад +2

      4 hours Jesus Christ

  • @rosalindgrxc0e
    @rosalindgrxc0e 9 месяцев назад +10

    HBO needs to make a show on Napoleon.

    • @IntheCourtoftheCrimsonKing
      @IntheCourtoftheCrimsonKing 9 месяцев назад +3

      And cast a 8lack woman for the role.

    • @loganastrup6870
      @loganastrup6870 9 месяцев назад +2

      Spielberg is actually working on hoping to get that made and adapt Stanley Kubricks unused scripts for HBO

  • @williamclarke3026
    @williamclarke3026 10 месяцев назад +6

    Can we just comment on the perfect placement of the napoleon hat right over John’s head. lol.

  • @andrewdockrill
    @andrewdockrill 10 месяцев назад +5

    The biggest issue is that his movie was originally 4+ hour long movie, but for theatrical restrictions it had to be cut to pieces. The fault in that goes to scott arguably but i think itll be a more coherent movie when apple tv releases the directors cut, but that remains to be seen.

  • @caesaraugustus784
    @caesaraugustus784 10 месяцев назад +7

    Hesitant to give the “4 hour director’s cut” a chance

  • @Jays_SketchPad
    @Jays_SketchPad 10 месяцев назад +8

    Every time I hear Ridley Scott, I look for the same magic & greatness of Gladiator, and Martian. But sadly its been disappointing.

  • @margaretdurney4756
    @margaretdurney4756 10 месяцев назад +12

    I almost walked out. The writing, the story line and even the soundtrack didn't work. As you said it is unfocused, random and yes zero pay off . So poorly written!

    • @slaventesic1938
      @slaventesic1938 10 месяцев назад +1

      I went with 4 friends and one of them walked out mid way. Didn’t realize it was a romance

    • @brennenbjorgan1867
      @brennenbjorgan1867 10 месяцев назад

      Me too

  • @7apxh
    @7apxh 10 месяцев назад +8

    This is what happens when you make a 4 hour film and it gets cut down to 2 1/2 hours.

    • @forasgarddd
      @forasgarddd 10 месяцев назад +1

      don’t make a film then. if it’s unwatchable in the theatre, then it’s not supposed to be a film. and that’s a pretty fucking good excuse, oh, this is shit, watch a 10 hour cut please

  • @townsley2
    @townsley2 9 месяцев назад +8

    Fact is you can not compare Napoleon to Braveheart or Gladiator. The two laters were fictional characters or loosely based on the life of William Wallace (which is not that documented from a historical standpoint) giving the director free hands to build whatever narrative he wanted. On the other hand, Napoleon Bonaparte has arguably been the most documented person in history. Thousands of books on his life from childhood to death. you can NOT take the same narrative liberties with him and that's what make a Napoleon movie so hard to produce. You have to stick to History.
    The con with this movie is that Ridley Scott tried to tell too much in no time and the result is somewhat a mess with a weird narrative. But taking the assumption that making a 2hours 40 minutes piece on the entire life of Napoleon is mission impossible... I think he came up with the best possible film.

    • @YouMe-ru6wi
      @YouMe-ru6wi 9 месяцев назад +2

      Yes agree. Apparently Spielberg is doing a HBO mini-series on Napoleon's life. Perhaps a series will be better since more time will be given to cover his life.

    • @dfcintron
      @dfcintron 9 месяцев назад +1

      Amen

  • @chuc.dxq3809
    @chuc.dxq3809 10 месяцев назад +8

    If the movie is exactly what you just said, then it's what i call a Wikipedia Movie.

  • @philipsalama8083
    @philipsalama8083 9 месяцев назад +7

    I can't even enjoy looking at the movie because of how grey and desaturated it all is - apparently Scott forgot how to film colour when he shot the Europe parts of Kingdom of Heaven. Seriously, I don't understand why he decided to shit on the fantastic work of the costume designers and cinematographer by making everything so lifeless and dull. This would have been a dull, but visually stunning movie, but Ridley couldn't leave well enough alone.

  • @PAClark101
    @PAClark101 10 месяцев назад +11

    I keep hearing people say how the acting was good. I disagree. Joaquin Phoenix looked bored and checked out most of the time. The few times he showed expression were the best. The Josephine angle bogged the movie down. It should have been left out. It was not interesting at all. The last act was the best, but the Waterloo battle was nowhere near depicted how it went down. This was a real disappointment for Ridley Scott. It’s like he wanted to make a film using Napoleon as the character, but had no direction on which way to go. Maybe he should retire now.

  • @darkcosmos88
    @darkcosmos88 10 месяцев назад +6

    I'll wait for the Ridley Scott directors cut.

  • @SamMart13
    @SamMart13 9 месяцев назад +8

    The movie was beyond terrible. Other than the action, there’s nothing moving the story along. Scenes just happen that have nothing to do with the next. 3/10

  • @2148aa
    @2148aa 9 месяцев назад +7

    True bravery is the 1st critic that says this movie just sucks.

  • @virgilstarkwell8383
    @virgilstarkwell8383 10 месяцев назад +9

    Just saw it and it is terrible. For one thing, the supporting cast is weak very weak. Compare it to the strong supporting cast in the Napoleon TV mini-series. Phoniex was the wrong choice for the lead as well. But overall this critic is correct: it is an unfocused mess. (BTW Alexander was the Czar not a prince.)

  • @knnthp3
    @knnthp3 9 месяцев назад +8

    John, I agree with you. Just watched it today and was massively disappointed. Didn’t hate it but I didn’t like it either

  • @BBQFR3AK
    @BBQFR3AK 10 месяцев назад +5

    The story of Napoleon deserved so much better than this. His story is one of the greatest in history yet no one seems to be able to get it right☹️

    • @townsley2
      @townsley2 9 месяцев назад

      It’s because he’s one of the greatest that it’s so hard to build something giving him proper justice

  • @NixxiomOnYouTube
    @NixxiomOnYouTube 10 месяцев назад +5

    The biggest issue I had with this film is that Napoleon doesn't DO anything, but rather things are DONE to him. At no point in the movie does he utter a line like "I am going to be King if it kills me" or "all of Europe will fear my wrath one day" - he never establishes a clear goal for the audience that he moves towards. Instead, the idea of rule is just sorta suggested to him by others and he just goes along with it. To add to this, later on, when they exile him, he just surrenders to it and says "oh well, okay." His wife constantly controls him emotionally throughout the film, even 180ing his rage towards her in less than a minute. He doesn't seem to even desire to storm across Europe, spreading his battle fame. Really, the only time in the movie where Napoleon LEADS and makes a decision for himself is when he is advised to not march into the Russian winter and then the next scene shows him doing just that. Am I forgetting something? Napoleon felt like a side character in his own movie; he did not feel like a protagonist that moves the story forward. He didn't feel like a leader, the battles didn't have any emotional weight because there were no established stakes: No moment of Napoleon saying "this battle determines my future" or "if we lose here, France will fall." Nothing of the sort. It was just battles for the sake of battles, with no emotional connection for the audience. There wasn't even an established antagonist other than MAYBE the Russian Czar kid, but even that's swiftly dropped after a single scene of the kid dancing with Napoleon's now ex-wife. And France - Napoleon throughout the film talks about his "love" of France, but the France we see is just chaos, corruption and muted colors. It's not like the Shire in the LotR where we clearly understand why Frodo and Sam are fighting so hard for their homeland; France in this film seems like a lackluster shit hole that isn't worth anyone's time. I could go on and on, but this movie was horrendously disappointing as someone who LOVES historical films.

  • @3lcost3
    @3lcost3 10 месяцев назад +14

    Just came from the movies, true, a big disappointment

    • @adrianhoff3437
      @adrianhoff3437 10 месяцев назад +1

      Me too

    • @donnamiller5222
      @donnamiller5222 10 месяцев назад

      I enjoyed it wasn't disappointed at all,another oscar nod for Joaquin

    • @3lcost3
      @3lcost3 10 месяцев назад

      @@donnamiller5222 opinions at the end of the day, but I'd say Phoenix acting was sub par, really, I expected more from him, I even felt at times he was still playing Joker

  • @lostinspace013
    @lostinspace013 9 месяцев назад +10

    This movie is SO BAD ... I have no words for this. This movie is anti-French, anti-historical... the realities of the battles DO NOT EXIST, Napoleon is some idiot, whining like a dog about sex with his wife... It is truly a scandal that this film exists. Ridley Scott is over. Long time ago.

  • @digduck9463
    @digduck9463 10 месяцев назад +7

    I guess I have to wait for the directors cut on apple tv. Just like the kingdom of heaven.

  • @shurik121
    @shurik121 9 месяцев назад +6

    Being a random collection of unrelated events is one of my main complaints too (another is that the movie is mind-numbingly boring). It feels random because the events from Napoleon's life are chosen at random and given absolutely zero historical context. So if you're not an expert, or at least somewhat knowledgeable about this era - you will have no idea why anything happens. Why are there British in Toulon? Why does Napoleon go to Egypt? Why does he leave Egypt (hint - not because he finds out Josephine cheated on him, he knew that for several years already and had mistresses of his own)? Why does the coup of 1799 happen and what is this very corrupt Directory? And so on ... Nothing gets any context and it makes the movie tedious and boring.
    It is possible to make a very interesting movie about any of the events shown in Napoleon. It is impossible to cram his entire life into a 2.5 hour long movie.

  • @ChrisRowe
    @ChrisRowe 9 месяцев назад +6

    Reminded me a lot of Oliver Stone's Alexander, which similarly felt like a disjointed bloated mess of random scenes.

  • @JeremyBrubacher
    @JeremyBrubacher 9 месяцев назад +10

    I disagree I thought the cinematography was awful. That is just my thoughts.

    • @Johnston212
      @Johnston212 9 месяцев назад +2

      I mean, I get to make jokes about how they only did battles at dusk because daytime fights were way too easy.

  • @Mebeingcool
    @Mebeingcool 10 месяцев назад +5

    I saw Napoleon tonight. A very difficult movie to sit through. The movie showed the highlights of Napoleon’s life and that is all. It is an incomplete, poorly told movie. Napoleon is a random mess, it is all over the place. If it was a tv show, there would had been more time to tell a complete story. Sadly, Ridley Scott did not have enough time to tell a complete story.

    • @Bayard1503
      @Bayard1503 10 месяцев назад

      He could have had 10 hours and couldn't have told the "complete story".... just think that he'd need to show how each war started and at least a little about the resolution of it. And it's not only Napoleon, he interacts with other huge figures in history... from the rest of Europe.

  • @roninoscuro9087
    @roninoscuro9087 9 месяцев назад +7

    Ridley Scott started in 1977 with a superb historical piece, "The Duelists" (based on Joseph Conrad's novel), but he's ending his career with a garbage of a movie. Bad screenplay, chockfull of historical inaccuracies, to the point of absurdity. A forgettable soundtrack, actors either too old or too young for their respective roles, and a bit of redemption when it comes to costume design. There were no real military history consultants on this project or if there were, they were locked in a hotel room. The film is also unabashedly Anglo-centric. The role of the British is showcased and the role of the others presented as rather secondary. Only a third of forces blocking Toulon were British, nor was the majority of Wellington's army at Waterloo British (even before the arrival of the Prussians). The wars of 1806 and 1809 were entirely omitted. Is it because France did not initiate them? The opportunities for excellent subplots were wasted, e.g., Napoleon in relation to Marshal (later King of Sweden) Bernadotte or Napoleon in relation to Eugène de Beauharnais.

  • @legodestroyer11
    @legodestroyer11 10 месяцев назад +7

    It’s just a complete mockery of the character

  • @elikabo
    @elikabo 10 месяцев назад +9

    Even the battles don't make sense, no movement of troops, no military tactics, just armies colliding. In the real Austerlitz battle, the Austrian army started on Pratzen Heights, but Ridley Scott made it the other way around with the French army having the high grounds. So sad.

    • @david-z1m6t
      @david-z1m6t 10 месяцев назад +1

      do we have these same complaints about braveheart?

    • @nebuloushammer8773
      @nebuloushammer8773 10 месяцев назад

      @@david-z1m6t ​ The battle of Stirling Bridge was missing something important, but I can't remember at the moment.

  • @tombystander
    @tombystander 9 месяцев назад +3

    When they show u historical events that didnt happen constantly in the trailer, this isnt suprising

  • @EH-ro8dn
    @EH-ro8dn 10 месяцев назад +3

    You nailed it, I didn’t care about anyone in the movie, walked out half way through when they started throwing food at each other.

  • @EHou01
    @EHou01 10 месяцев назад +10

    I should have taken your advice and saved $100 for a family of 5. I was so excited for this movie thinking it was an epic masterpiece. It turned out to be a dull and slow moving movie. I posted on FB to warn my friends to save their money.

  • @sofaking4779
    @sofaking4779 10 месяцев назад +6

    I have been noticing that whoever is writing modern screenplays seems to think a story narrative = a series of unrelated tik-tok shorts.

  • @user-px8eo2cs4g
    @user-px8eo2cs4g 10 месяцев назад +8

    I actually really liked it. I see it more as a character journey more than anything.

  • @DestinyAwaits19
    @DestinyAwaits19 10 месяцев назад +10

    Ridley Scott movies do tend to be very flat. Visually beautiful and full of spectacle, but not much else.

  • @leod4495
    @leod4495 9 месяцев назад +4

    The word is "disjointed." Napolean wasn't random per se, but disjointed. Tonally disjointed. Narratively disjointed. Everything but perhaps visually.

    • @ferdefunky4028
      @ferdefunky4028 9 месяцев назад +1

      ok it’s disjointed. That’s why it’s disappointing

  • @briansutton6354
    @briansutton6354 10 месяцев назад +8

    marketing team deserves some major props if its as bad as I'm hearing, because it looks badass.

  • @brianmiller2030
    @brianmiller2030 10 месяцев назад +8

    Objectively, this movie is a complete mess. Shame. Total frigging mess.

    • @tomhanks5329
      @tomhanks5329 10 месяцев назад +1

      @@consciousgentile5141 The marvels did they exist can i read about both the positive and negative they did??

  • @jamesphillips6286
    @jamesphillips6286 10 месяцев назад +4

    The story of Napoleon would be better served as a trilogy.

  • @placebo5466
    @placebo5466 10 месяцев назад +7

    Just watched it. I was waiting for it to end less than halfway through. I'll need to rewatch Waterloo to get this bad taste out of my mouth.

    • @HunterCihal
      @HunterCihal 10 месяцев назад +1

      I literally thought the same thing, I'm watching Waterloo just after seeing Napoleon

  • @Lennis01
    @Lennis01 10 месяцев назад +4

    A lot of these narrative issues could have been solved if the movie was split into two or three films. I know there are a lot of sequels that are completely unnecessary, but this is Napoleon's life we are talking about here; one of the defining figures of the 19th century. No one would take issue with a Napoleon trilogy if it were done well throughout. Napoleon's rise to power is part one, the Russian campaign is part two, the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon's downfall would be part three. This narrative structure would have worked. Why Ridley Scott of all people couldn't figure this out is mystifying. Such a squandered opportunity!

  • @phereakazoid
    @phereakazoid 10 месяцев назад +4

    Sounds like there's a 4 hour director's cut...

  • @Hellion73
    @Hellion73 10 месяцев назад +8

    Man, its sad, movie fell hard compared even to Waterloo from the 70s, which like BraveHeart, took time to build things to end at one específic single event: Napoleon's defeat...but yes, RS made the same mistake again that with Kingdom of Heaven and his movie theater version🤷‍♂️😒

  • @speedbag2000
    @speedbag2000 9 месяцев назад +6

    2 hours of napoleon crying with his wife?!? This movie is no “Gladiator”….its ALL over the place. I was confused on what happened during the wars!!!! Ex) when the guys fight in Russia…I had no clue who Is burning the town. What town they were in…or why he was fighting Russia in the first place.

    • @jjuzimackin8941
      @jjuzimackin8941 9 месяцев назад +1

      Then u weren’t paying attention lol those questions were answered

  • @YouMe-ru6wi
    @YouMe-ru6wi 10 месяцев назад +5

    Isn't Spielberg planning to do a HBO show or mini-series on Napoleon perhaps that will be better since much more time will be given to cover Napoleon's life.

  • @markiv7867
    @markiv7867 10 месяцев назад +6

    It would have been a better choice to do a tv series for the lots of content.

  • @ililililili9726
    @ililililili9726 9 месяцев назад +5

    It was more than having just drinks and a good time with the czar. That meal represented the cease fire between france and russia. So we were expecting something meaningful, coming out of that scene. But end up being redundant.

  • @Kickinthearse923
    @Kickinthearse923 10 месяцев назад +4

    I felt like I was watching a glorified Hallmark Film when I was expecting a monumental bio of Napoleon and his generals. Sad because Gladiator was so tremendous, this just was horrible. Such a shame. Good review man!

  • @MisterDevos
    @MisterDevos 10 месяцев назад +8

    Ridley Scott should have just made a Napoleon Dynamite sequel instead…

  • @nellgwenn
    @nellgwenn 10 месяцев назад +8

    Just remember if you wait for the 4 hour streaming version, it won't change the historical inaccuracies. There might be more of them.

    • @fatbastard51
      @fatbastard51 10 месяцев назад +2

      Ridely Scott's directors cut are better anyway. Plus also are the historical inaccuracies shouldn't be the focus. Like the shot at the pyramids.

  • @123chargeit
    @123chargeit 10 месяцев назад +10

    And they made Napoleon into this awkward simp. The guy would threaten divorce one second and then beg for her attention the next. Like pick a lane. Everytime he interacted with Josephine it came off like two awkward teenagers. Hell there was even a food fight between them. Kind of hard to take a world conqueror serious when he's behaving like a virgin schoolboy. This whole movie would have been infinitely better simply cutting out Josephine which is surprising considering how much there love story is entangled in his story.

    • @knightheaven8992
      @knightheaven8992 10 месяцев назад +1

      Yes it is also not historically accurate either, from what we know, Napoleon while was smitten in the beginning, their relationship changes over time she cheats on him, he also cheats on her, and the love story is mostly about political purposes, and propaganda

  • @nickrees4706
    @nickrees4706 10 месяцев назад +2

    Best, most honest, accurate of the 15 or so reviews I have watched. Unlike the other reviews I really believe we watched the same movie

  • @SixTHSUN63
    @SixTHSUN63 10 месяцев назад +6

    I'm not thru the entire segment, but when I hear about the "randomness" of this movie, I immediately think of Oppenheimer. I personally think Oppenheimer was disjointed and random. The idea that "movies are subjective" and and everybody looks at art differently is fine, but a bad story, or bad story-telling should be universal, I believe. I haven't seen Napolean, but if people's main complaint is the randomness of it and these same people say Oppenheimer was one of the best movies of the year, I don't understand that because that movie seemed all over the place to me

    • @anthonycampos8057
      @anthonycampos8057 10 месяцев назад +1

      Oppenheimer did great at the box office.

    • @uncle7215
      @uncle7215 10 месяцев назад

      Oppenheimer was a dumpster fire and I'm sick of the world trying to gaslight me into thinking it was a good movie.

    • @dustinmartin6524
      @dustinmartin6524 10 месяцев назад +3

      Randomness? Oppenheimer was incredibly cohesive, its mostly chronological and any time to differs from the path it’s to represent his scattered psyche or to tell something in a more engaging matter. These 2 films are entirely different; Oppenheimer has very strong historical accuracy, it changes a few things but doesn’t stray from the actual events. Napoleon is a series of made up events and has little historical accuracy in order to get as much explosions in as possible and make Napolian seem way cooler and more involved than he actually was

    • @dustinmartin6524
      @dustinmartin6524 10 месяцев назад +5

      @@uncle7215Gaslighting is lying on purpose. The film is currently, and only because historical drama character studies are literally my favourite genre and it’s not close, my second favourite film of all time. Oppenheimer is a fascinating character played to perfection, Nolan flexes his artistic talents seamlessly throughout the film and it takes risks at almost every turn. The entire 3rd act was brilliant and so unexpected, but obviously I’m not surprised that lots of people who don’t care about history or who aren’t as into character studies would be bored to death. You need to be a very specific type of person to love the film I think, if you go in expecting a movie about the bomb or a film with lots of action then you are watching the wrong film

    • @uncle7215
      @uncle7215 10 месяцев назад

      @@dustinmartin6524 Oppenheimer was rubbish in my opinion and I went in with high hopes

  • @Paulmatthew22
    @Paulmatthew22 9 месяцев назад +8

    Movie should be banned in France ~

  • @amjid300
    @amjid300 10 месяцев назад +5

    Having come back from watching it, I think I agree with your take. Hoping the 4 hour cut on Apple TV+ might correct some of those issues.

  • @plisskenetic
    @plisskenetic 10 месяцев назад +14

    Kingdom of Heaven Director's Cut was a masterpiece! The longer version shoulda been the one in theatres!

    • @Bayard1503
      @Bayard1503 10 месяцев назад

      Yup but in that case they could have actually released it in theaters... but a 4 hour cut of Napoleon in cinemas?? It's just too much, movies can't be that long, it means you wrote a wrong story. The idea to make a single movie about the entire life of Napoleon was ludicrous from the start and in my opinion actually insulting. Another huge disappointment after the Alexander the Great waste of time.

  • @dxjjw
    @dxjjw 10 месяцев назад +4

    I’m just going to wait for the extended cut to watch it

    • @Name-lg2ry
      @Name-lg2ry 10 месяцев назад +1

      Hopefully they do have one of those

  • @ikeu6433
    @ikeu6433 10 месяцев назад +7

    I was trying to figure out how to explain my disappointment with the movie. You said it perfectly “it was a highlight reel”. I’d watch again with my friends because it was a cool highlight reel but it is just that and the Josephine love story I really liked as well.
    It was not “bad” imo but it’s not Oppenheimer.

    • @finleyblake5020
      @finleyblake5020 10 месяцев назад +1

      Tbh I think Oppenheimer is very very overrated, was very long but at least it took itself seriously, it wasn’t Oppenheimer making “you think youre so great because you have boats” jokes

    • @nahx6205
      @nahx6205 10 месяцев назад +2

      I was hoping they went a-historical and just offed Josephine within the first 30 minutes, she portrayed no emotion throughout the entire film and actively made me want to walk out of the film.

  • @Dude-oh8vq
    @Dude-oh8vq 10 месяцев назад +4

    Bit of advice for anyone here giving a star rating for this film, if you post three stars, it will be altered to show only two stars. I guess there's a conspiracy to downvote this film? I can't see any other reason why my rating in my response comment was altered to show a worse review. I responded to another person and said that the film was three and a half stars out of four, but my post was changed to say two and a half stars out of four. Suspicious indeed.
    I thought the film was terrific, minor flaws aside.

  • @jeanchaillou2532
    @jeanchaillou2532 10 месяцев назад +3

    I am waiting for the 4 hours uncut

  • @youretoopolitical8611
    @youretoopolitical8611 10 месяцев назад +6

    I thought the movie came up short.

    • @josemv25
      @josemv25 10 месяцев назад +2

      Har har har

    • @KaneK1234
      @KaneK1234 10 месяцев назад +1

      That joke was a low blow.

  • @Ronfost89
    @Ronfost89 10 месяцев назад +4

    I like Joaquin Phoenix but he should not have played Napoleon. I knew this was going to be a mess from the start when it was announced to be one film, you can't cover Napoleon in a single movie.

  • @domingosilva4513
    @domingosilva4513 9 месяцев назад +2

    I loved Vanessa Kirby, she stole every scene she was in.

  • @NayaWrap
    @NayaWrap 10 месяцев назад +6

    I didn’t like it. I really tried to but didn’t like anything about it. I expected more from gladiator

  • @john_air
    @john_air 10 месяцев назад +4

    it's time for HBO to step in
    and NAIL IT with historical accruacy
    just like they did with ROME

  • @HKTimbo
    @HKTimbo 10 месяцев назад +9

    Just seen it. Boy it was hard to get through it. Big fan of Ridley Scott but that was mostly nonsense. 🤦🏻‍♂️

    • @kostar500
      @kostar500 10 месяцев назад

      I understand your pain

  • @lilgrasshoppah
    @lilgrasshoppah 10 месяцев назад +3

    the movie was an adequate summary. But, it completely lacked drive and focus --- two traits you never want, when trying to describe Napoleon.

  • @blake1771
    @blake1771 10 месяцев назад +5

    i HATED the cinematography. The blue/gray tint is so overdone. I also thought Phoenix's acting was below average at best. The story was meh, but i did think the battles were well done. But Napoleon's success was portrayed as a result of A. Josephine and B. a result of him just sacrificing troops in numbers rather than him being any kind of genius military strategist.

    • @Bayard1503
      @Bayard1503 10 месяцев назад +1

      Yup, saw the pictures from the movie and from the set... and those amateurish shots taken on set look so much better, so much more color.... I mean come on, it's Napoleonic Europe, all the armies should be full of bright colors.

  • @Marcus75016
    @Marcus75016 10 месяцев назад +5

    I am French and you said it all it’s exactly that
    No build up to any scene
    no attachment to anything
    And most importantly all the best moments of his career are left out
    It should have been done in a trilogy to take time
    Or just choose a specific time
    Doing an entry like in gladiator explaining what happened before and start in Italy campaign which is amazing
    Ending the movie with the coup of 18 Brumaire
    Second movie : explaining what happened just after the 18 Brumaire
    First scene starting with coronation
    And then end with invasion of Russia and leaving us with having to take the decision to retreat
    Third movie : his downfall starting
    Explaining the retreat of Russia (we all know about it no need to spend long in the thing everyone knows about)
    But after the battle of Leipzig and most importantly seeing the campaign in France which made Napoleon enter even more in the legend defending france with 50.000 men against 600.000
    And finishing with a much more epic Waterloo it felt like there was 1000 men on the battlefield when there was 100.000 on each side
    And no scenes with the Imperial guard 💂‍♀️
    The most feared troop in Europe
    No emotions in this movie
    I had people leaving the theater before the end …

    • @jamesjukebox2386
      @jamesjukebox2386 10 месяцев назад

      The Imperial guard were routed at Waterloo.

  • @misadventuresllc6149
    @misadventuresllc6149 10 месяцев назад +3

    I wonder if the longer Apple+ version will be better

  • @MrFrundles11
    @MrFrundles11 10 месяцев назад +5

    Imagine if Mel Gibson made the Napoleon movie...probably badass