Napoleon Review: Ridley Scott’s Epic Turns Out To Be A Tedious & Grandiose Comedy

It’s official — 2023 may be the year of the bratty man-child. From Mark Ruffalo in Poor Things, Yorgos Lanthimos’ strange masterpiece, to Jacob Elordi as Elvis in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, a slew of high-profile men have played absolute terrors in films this year. Joaquin Phoenix is the latest name to be added to this list as he reunites with Ridley Scott for the director’s latest historical epic, Napoleon. Phoenix’s performance and Scott’s take on the towering (in name only) figure is surprisingly funny, often tedious, and full of bloody battles that don’t skimp on the gore. It’s a bold swing from the director and, despite it being tonally uneven and a bit messy, Napoleon can be still quite fun.