Abel Gance disappointingly panders to the masses in this vulgar summer blockbuster

Gance had once looked to be a director of seeringly original vision and independence, but alas he has now come to the attention of Hollywood and the almighty dollar has corrupted him completely. The gratuitous nudity, coarse language and crude sight-gags of this films are beyond belief; who would have thought that a man once capable of such delicate originality would include a 9 minute sequence of Napoleon being caught short and ultimately having to take a dump in his hat? Napoleon's lack of height is constantly used for attempted humour (Gance must have used every person of restricted growth in LA) and this tastelessness culminates in a scene in which the Imperial Guard mistake the Emperor for a circus performer and fire him from a cannon. Jim Carrey is sadly miscast as Napoleon and Pamela Anderson's Josephine is simply risible. Not even the chase sequence with the Duke of Wellington (Hugh Grant) generates any excitement.

Your teenagers will love it, since there is at least one bodily fluid joke every 6 minutes, but this reviewer's advice is to steer well clear.

Posted By: Old Git, Jan 23, 11:42:06