Ridley Scott's 'Napoleon', debuted in theatres today and the audience had mixed early reactions. The first reviews have been unanimous in their praise of the performances by lead stars Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby, soundtrack, set and costume design and epic-scale battle scenes that punctuate the film.
Audiences who caught the early screenings of the film took to their Twitter handles to share their reviews. While some loved the film and declared it as a 'big-screen spectacle worthy of a trip to the theatre,' others felt it was a 'waste of money'.
Fans of filmmaker Scott raved about the massive battle scenes saying, "One thing that’s undeniable, Ridley Scott is the absolute master of period action scenes."
"Went and saw Napoleon today. Really amazing battle scenes like some of the best I’ve seen in a movie in sometime. Super interesting story it can be a little slow in some spots but I actually really enjoyed it as someone who loves history," said another.
Even those who loved the film could not deny that it had some 'flaws'. One Twitter user wrote, "Has some pacing issues, but honestly really liked it! Definitely want to see that 4-Hour Cut."
"Ridley Scott’s NAPOLEON has big-screen spectacle worthy of a trip to the theater, but the real attraction is the genuinely hilarious and even touching duo of Joaquin Phoenix’s Napoleon + Vanessa Kirby’s Josephine. I hope the extended cut explores their relationship even further," said another expressing hope to see the much talked about 4-hour-long director's cut.
Many others compared the film to Scott's previous Oscar-winning work, including the epic 'Gladiator' and said that the retelling of the Frenchman's life did not match up in scale. However, one thing's for sure, no one could fault leading lady Kirby for her captivating performance.
"The only good thing about #Napoleon is Vanessa Kirby and what a great actress she is #NapoleonMovie," wrote a fan.
Meanwhile, there were others, who lashed out at the makers for the 'anti-French' theme and historical inaccuracies. "Save your money, skip Napoleon. Woke garbage, beautiful but garbage nonetheless," read a tweet.
Another said, "How is it even possible to make a boring Napoleon movie?! Portraying Bonaparte as an awkward, uncharismatic simp who stumbles through history by accident is a weird artistic choice. What a waste."
Another user wrote, "#Napoleon was disappointing. There was seemingly so much cut out of this that it became a jumbled mess. It felt like you had to be a Napoleon expert to understand what was happened."
Some French critics and experts who saw early previews were also less than impressed with the depiction of their most famous historical figure, played by "Joker" star Joaquin Phoenix. There have been grumbles about the historical accuracy of some details.
Scott has responded bluntly to such fact-checking. "Get a life," he said in the pages of the New Yorker.
Some others said that they were 'just a bit bored' watching the film.
Start a Conversation
Post comment