While the action set pieces are remarkable, *Napoleon* doesn’t quite succeed. It's just my take, but this Ridley Scott movie didn't resonate with me. I wasn't invested in what was happening, and I didn't find myself drawn into the story unfolding on screen. Joaquin Phoenix is perfectly fine in his role; I have no issues with his performance—nor do I with Vanessa Kirby’s. My disappointment stems from the film itself. The scenes outside of the battles left me cold, and they felt incredibly bland and easily overlooked. The attempts at humor and a certain personality trait displayed by the central character seemed jarring, or at least weren't successfully integrated with the more dramatic elements. The length is excessive, certainly, but that wasn’t my biggest problem—it was how poorly that time was used. I personally don’t mind historical liberties taken in films. Considering it as a movie on its own merits, I can’t imagine wanting to watch this again anytime soon.

Source on TMDB