Laying the foundation for his career,Ridley Scott’s very first historical movie was also his first foray into feature-making with 1977’sThe Duellists. After scratching the itch, the famed director would go off into plenty of other creative alleyways, largely of the sci-fi variety, with favorites, such asAlien,Blade Runner, andThelma & Louise, before eventually returning to his roots withGladiator. Since then, Scott has stuck rather close to his bread and butter, putting outone historical behemoth after the otherover the last 25 years. In 2023, the four-time Academy Award-winning helmer reteamed with one of hisGladiatorstars,Joaquin Phoenix, to bring the story of one of history’s most infamous military men to life through the historical epic,Napoleon. Despite being considered to be one of Scott’s lesser projects, the title is now climbing the charts over at Apple TV+.
According toFlixPatrol,Napoleonis leading the charge on the Apple Studios streamer, whereit is averaging out at ninth place on the Top 10 chartsin more than 20 countries around the globe. Having first arrived on the platform back in March 2024, the movie is still holding strong, beating outGreg Berlanti’s 2024 rom-com,Fly Me to the Moon, which remains in the tenth spot. Whether for the first time or moving into rewatch territory, countries like Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Ghana, Norway, and more are intrigued enough to set aside more than 2 hours and 30 minutes of their free time and give the film a go.
As one could probably surmise from the title,Napoleonfollows the rise and many fallsof Napoleon Bonaparte (Phoenix) as he moved from celebrated military commander to becoming the First Emperor of France. As one would expect from any such film by Scott,Napoleonis filled withexplosive and vast battle scenes, but also balances the action by peeling back the tumultuous layers of drama that surrounded the ruler’s marriage to Empress Joséphine (Vanessa Kirby).
‘Napoleon’ Wasn’t Enough to Woo Audiences
Despite an action-packed storyline that saw Scott pull off some of hiswildest battle sequences to date, and intricate costumes that helped to pull audiences’ imaginations back to the late 1700s and early 1800s,Napoleonfailed to drum up the anticipated level of intrigue and praise from viewers.OnRotten Tomatoes, the movie holds a critics’ approval rating of 58%, falling quite a way behind the likes ofGladiator IIandPrometheus, which sit at 70% and 73%, respectively. Even higher up are the director’s favorites,Blade Runner: The Final CutandAlien: The Director’s Cut, which each clock in at 94%. These high marks makeNapoleon’s numbers look even more abysmal by comparison. Nonetheless, there’s still something that appeals to fans of Scott’s, particularly when such a cast is involved.
Napoleonis now streaming on Apple TV+.
Source:FlixPatrol
