Emporer's New Clothes, The

Quality: **** Accreditability: -1

RATING: PG

STARRING: Ian Holm, Then Hiele, Tim McInnerny, and Tom Watson

DIRECTOR: Alan Taylor

BASED ON THE NOVEL THE DEATH OF NAPOLEON BY: Simon Lays

DISTRIBUTOR: Paramount Classics

GENRE: Romantic Comedy

INTENDED AUDIENCE: Teenagers and adults

SUMMARY: The Emperor's New Clothes is a very entertaining diversion that speculates what Napoleon's life may have been like if he had escaped exile. Ian Holm plays the imprisoned Emperor, who ex, changes places with a sailor named Eugene (also Holm) so he can escape prison. At the right moment, Eugene will reveal himself to be an imposter, and Napoleon, in France, will once again rally the people and assume power. Since his life doesn't work out the way he has planned it,Napoleon finds himself comforting the widow of one of the officers still loyal to him. Unable to reveal his true identity, Napoleon must decide whether to settle for being Eugene, a simple melon farmer.

The Emperors New Clothes is a funny film with an excellent performance by Ian Holm as Napoleon. Its false Romantic worldview, however, implies that, in another environment, Napoleon may have turned out to be a nice guy. Despite this problem, Napoleon discovers the dark side of his personal triumphs, While he was out saving Europe, his people suffered and eventually despised him. It takes the love of a good woman to help him realize this.

CONTENT: Romantic worldview; man creates a merchandising/marketing plan for local melon farmers; some moral and redemptive elements; no foul language, but passing gas and urinating; some comical and other mild violence such as a couple of people slip on melon peels; no see scenes but implied fornication in scenes with couple lying dressed in bed and man reads sappy sensual passage from book; upper male nudity in bath; alcohol use and drunkenness.

Copyright Human Events Publishing, Inc. Jul 1, 2002
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