Since we had the distinction of watching Napoleon at Waterloo, it joins the ranks of Isle of Dogs (which we saw on the Isle of Dogs), Threads (which we saw in Sheffield) and The Chernobyl Diaries (which we saw at a Cineworld).

At over two and a half hours, Ridley Scott’s Napoleon biopic is something of an old-school epic – although if placed next to the 1927 version (five and a half hours) it appears as short as the man himself. Spearheaded by Joaquin Phoenix as the Corsican general, it charts all his greatest hits (1812 Overture, Waterloo by ABBA) through a series of triumphant battle sequences, interspersed with melodramatic marriage scenes between the emperor and Joséphine (Vanessa Kirby).

The result feels more like a loose collection of key events than a sweeping narrative arc, providing little character insight or historical detail, which is supposedly quite inaccurate (it barely even mentions Eurovision). Nevertheless, Napoleon grabs us by the scruff of the severed neck and succeeds in entertaining the masses for its lengthy runtime – and in the words of Marie Antoinette, let them eat popcorn.

Another visual feast from Scott, the picture is impressively directed by the curmudgeonly 86-year-old. He is reunited with Phoenix for the first time since Gladiator, and of all the people who have ever imagined themselves to be Napoleon, Phoenix is among the most convincing. His camp performance gives the picture a decidedly ’90s energy, and the film strikes a winning balance between mocking the behatted brigadier without tipping into total caricature.

Loaded with epic battles and stacked with British comedy talent (including Miles Jupp and Kevin Eldon), Napoleon mounts a defiantly fun campaign. It may fall short of revolutionary, but can I recommend it? Corsican.