The First Trailer Was Just Released For Ridley Scott's "Napoleon" And It Looks Pretty Damn Epic

Ridley Scott just hasn't really been doing it for me lately. Don't get me wrong; the guy is one of the most legendary filmmakers ever. He's put out some undeniable bangers, but his last decade has been very hit-or-miss for me. His last two films ("The Last Duel" and "House Of Gucci") were, at best forgettable and, at worst, laughably bad (those accents in "Gucci" were a bit rough). I know I'm in the minority there. Most people who saw "The Last Duel" enjoyed it. It was a huge flop at the box office, but box office results have never exactly been a mark of quality. But now he's onto his newest venture, a grand epic about Napolean starring Joaquin Phonix, and it looks pretty damn good.

Ridley Scott has the directorial equivalent of tenure at this point. Anytime he comes to a studio with an idea, he's difficult to turn down. He's made a lot of bombs, but he can always throw "Blade Runner," "Alien," or "Gladiator" back in their faces. Speaking of which, how in the world will "Gladiator 2" be a thing? Ridley Scott knows how the first one ended, right? Whatever, I digress. "Napolean" looks exactly how I'd expect a Ridley Scott/Joaquin Phoenix movie about Napolean would look, and I mean that as a compliment. If there's one thing Ridley Scott has always been a master at, the guy knows how to use his budget. "Napolean" appears grand in scope and epic in scale. When Ridley Scott is at his best, he's making movies that actually look like they belong in movie theatres. This film appears to be no exception.

Joaquin Phoenix is a great actor. I could be wrong here, but I feel like some people will complain that Phoenix is miscast as Napolean. I really don't care. Napoleon lived a million years ago. He was short and egotistical. You're good as long as you get an actor who can capture that spirit. I mean, I wouldn't have cast Liam Nesson or some shit, but it's the effort that counts. Historical accuracy isn't essential to me when we're talking about people that lived forever ago. Make a good film. That's all I care about. And it's all Hollywood seems to care about as well. They've been trying to make a Napolean movie forever. Stanley Kubrick famously tried to get a Napolean movie off the ground for years. There are a ton of short documentaries online about it. It was clearly a passion project for Kubrick, and it's a shame it never saw the light of day.

I can only tell you once I've seen the film whether or not I'll enjoy it, but I hope it does well even if I don't. I yearn for the days of big, historic Hollywood epics. "1917" was amazing, but that was several years back, and if I had to guess, I would say that movie did not have the budget that "Napolean" does, which is why this film, as cool as it looks, is a massive risk. Joaquin Phoenix is a fantastic actor, but he doesn't have the kind of name recognition that puts butts in movie theatre seats. While a legendary director, Ridley Scott does not carry the weight he used to. This is a big risk for all involved, but if it works, we could be talking about the next great Hollywood epic.