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MOVIES / ON DVD / THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES
The Emperor's New Clothes

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The Emperor's New Clothes (2002)

73%
50%
78%
N/A
N/A
N/A
73 %
Reviews Counted: 83 Fresh: 61  Rotten:22 Average Rating: 6.6/10
 
Consensus: The premise of The Emperor's New Clothes is intriguing, and Holm gives a delightful performance. The premise of The Emperor's New Clothes is intriguing, and Holm gives a delightful performance. more
 
Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins
Synopsis:
THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES recasts history in 19th Century France. Based on the novel by Simon Leys, THE DEATH OF NAPOLEON, the film supposes that Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from exile in St. Helena and returned to Paris in 1821, whereas the history books say he died that year. With imaginative... [More]
THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES recasts history in 19th Century France. Based on the novel by Simon Leys, THE DEATH OF NAPOLEON, the film supposes that Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from exile in St. Helena and returned to Paris in 1821, whereas the history books say he died that year. With imaginative photography, beautiful costumes, an upbeat orchestral score, and solid acting, the film is a fanciful, witty, comedic delight. Starting out in St. Helena, Napoleon (Ian Holm) enjoys a pampered existence, even as a prisoner, and is treated with great respect by those who serve him. Therefore, when he devises a scheme to trade places with a servant on a ship so that he may escape, the deckhand he chooses (also Holm) thinks he's the luckiest man alive, waited on hand and foot in St. Helena. Napoleon returns to Paris under the guise of this ship servant. When he arrives, he expects to be recognized, received with joy by his people, and made emperor once again. Instead, he is ignored. Days later, the deckhand in St. Helena dies, literally erasing Napoleon's existence. From there, Napoleon must adjust to daily life in the free world as nothing more than a simple Everyman. Fortunately, he finds a loving wife, Pumpkin (Iben Hjejle), to help him with the transition. [Less]

Genre: Comedies

Starring: Ian Holm, Iben Hjejle, Tim McInnerny, Tom Watson, Nigel Terry

Director: Alan Taylor
Screenwriter: Alan Taylor, Kevin Molony, Herbie Wave
Producer: Uberto Pasolini
Composer: Rachel Portman

DVD Info

Release:

Oct 12, 2002

[DVD Details]

DVD Features:

  • Region 1
  • Keep Case
  • Widescreen

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 5.1 - English

Interactive Features:

  • Interactive Menus
  • Scene Selection

Reviews

 
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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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06/24/06 03:33 AM
Time Out
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04/01/06 03:37 AM
Empire Magazine
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04/09/04 08:17 AM
Guardian [UK]
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02/03/04 05:13 PM
Jamie Russell
BBC
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N/R

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01/02/03 08:27 AM
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
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A nifty premise turns into a ridiculous film.

Full Review | Comment
09/03/03 01:34 PM
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews
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A great companion piece to other Napoleon films.

Full Review | Comment
06/02/03 05:35 PM
Jamie Gillies
Apollo Guide
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A unique, and not always successful mixture of comedy and drama, helped by Ian Holm's inspired acting.

Full Review | Comment
10/28/02 04:27 PM
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope
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Mr. Holm possesses the kind of skill that acting is all about: He can make an audience forget what they know and believe they are watching two different men.

Full Review | Comment
10/15/02 08:22 AM
Margaret A. McGurk
Cincinnati Enquirer
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09/18/02 08:21 AM
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com
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Fails to ignite in the way a film -- even a comedy -- revolving around Napoleon should.

Full Review | Comment
08/25/02 08:19 AM
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle
N/R

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08/09/02 08:21 AM
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News
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All of this is written, directed and acted with verve, feeling and wit.

Full Review | Comment
08/08/02 03:14 PM
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press
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It may not be history %u2013 but then again, what if it is? %u2013 but it makes for one of the most purely enjoyable and satisfying evenings at the movies I've had in a while.

Full Review | Comment
08/07/02 12:13 PM
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
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08/02/02 08:21 AM
Reel.com
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Unlike a vaguely similarly-themed film, Dave, New Clothes is not concerned with what the unwitting usurper does, but who he becomes.

Full Review | Comment
08/01/02 06:22 PM
Karina Montgomery
Cinerina
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The Emperor's New Clothes may not be proper history, but it is good entertainment.

Full Review | Comment
07/28/02 08:18 AM
Bruce Kirkland
Jam! Movies
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The story is pure fiction, but told with the dignity and self-assurance of an Oliver Stone conspiracy tale.

Full Review | Comment
07/26/02 07:16 AM
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star
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A delightful, if minor, pastry of a movie.

Full Review | Comment
07/25/02 03:40 PM
Jay Boyar
Orlando Sentinel
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Holm's strong performance never sinks to caricature.

Full Review | Comment
07/25/02 03:38 PM
Steve Schneider
Orlando Weekly
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