Critics, in France and Quebec, have been very hard on this movie. They all compare the film to the excellent comic books of the adventures of Astérix and Obélix. It's the same old story for any movie adapted from a book : the book will always be better! That's right: Astérix is not as charming as in the books, and some characters (Falbala) are there for... well... what for? Some of the characters of the books are missing in the movie: Cétautaumatix and Ordralfabetix. But for just good entertainment, this is a good movie! It reminds me a little bit of the Flinstone movie : better in cartoons (or comic strips) but not so bad at all. When I saw the movie, I noticed that people really loved Roberto Benigni, because of his succes in the Life is wonderful movie. Children of the audience love the movie, I have lots of fun, so, what's really wrong?
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MarioB17 June 1999
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LeRoyMarko15 April 2001I thought this movie was a fairly good adaptation of the work by Uderzo and Goscinny. Of course, the comic books are better and I would read one album probably 10 times before seeing this movie again. But still, this film was entertaining and fun to watch.
The acting was good by Depardieu and Clavier (who's also playing in Les Visiteurs) and Roberto Benigni was very good as the Roman soldier. I also liked Michel Galabru as the chief of the Gaulois. I really like this actor that I came to know after watching the whole series of «Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez» with Louis de Funès, the great French actor.
Two things to end this review. First, the special effects, in this day and age, could have been a lot better. Second, the movie is lacking the subtlety that the comic books have. Verdict: on the way to the video store, stop at the library and get the comic books too. Compare for yourself.
Out of 100, I gave it 75. -
rcuppen796 March 2001I've always been a big fan of the Asterix-comics, but I wasn't thrilled when I heard they were filming a live-action movie. I wasn't expecting much of this movie because most comic adaptations fail horribly. And this comic-adaptation is no different. Asterix is one of the best and most popular comics in Europe and a live-action movie would be the next step. But Asterix deserved a better movie than this one. "Asterix et Obelix contre Cesar" is not a bad movie, but as an adaptation from the comic it failed miserably. The story is just a mix of a few comics from Asterix. This makes it a poorly told story and it's rarely original. However, the makers did spend a lot of time on the art-direction, which is superb. Also the make-up is ok, and Jean-Jacques Goldman's opening number is brilliant. The special-effects are ok, but you can clearly see they came out of a computer. The acting is good or bad. Christian Clavier is ok as Asterix, but Gerard Depardieu wasn't at all convincing as Obelix and made it easy on himself by just playing a big teddy-bear. The movie is not as funny as the comics and there some things where the film is different from the comics. That's why I think that this movie is a poor adaptation of the comic. I hope the next Asterix-movie will be better.
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GrafZahl11 April 1999Before I went to see it I had some open items about this movie: - How would the actors fulfill the roles of the cartoon characters? - To which book(s) will the movie refer? And the really most important question: - How the hell are they going to animate the flying Romans?
To answer the last question: The special effects are really brilliant, every Asterix-fan will be delighted by the ways how the Romans leave ground. As well I really fell in love with the village.
Some actors are really good. Most of all Roberto Benigni as the evil Destructivus is gorgeous. As well, I was positively surprised by Depardieu as Obelix. But Asterix is not as witty and humorous as in the books, Miracolix (alias Panoramix or Getafix) the druid is not the relaxed old wise.
The plot is new but has a lot of motives from the books. The real Asterix-fan will have noticed (I only know the German titles): Der Seher, der Kupferkessel, der Gallier, die Goten, als Legionaer, and there are surely more.
All in all I really much enjoyed the movie although I was really skeptic about it before. And I missed the pirates. -
The-Sarkologist16 September 2012I still don't know what to make of this film, but at least it was written by the French meaning that the original French flair that appears in the comics is present within this film. However, it was always going to be difficult to make a live action version of the comics since many of the characters in the comics (as is typical of the French) are so larger than life that it is going to be hard to capture that feel, and it a way that is how the film turned out. I am so used to seeing a cartoon Asterix that it was actually really difficult to pick Asterix out from the rest of the characters, and while Obelix was noticeable, he simply was nowhere near as well rounded (you never call him fat) as he is in the comics.
This film is not based on one particular comic but appears to be a mix of a number of them. Obviously one of the comics is Asterix and the Soothsayer as the bogus soothsayer appears in the village with a scam to steal the Roman taxes and Asterix is the only one that sees through his scam. I suspect that the original comic, Asterix the Gaul is represented, and there are borrowings from other comics as well, such as Asterix and the Great Divide and Asterix and the Goths (though the Goths do not appear in this comic).
This film, however, is still very entertaining, and even though it is the second time that I have seen it (after reading a number of the Asterix comics and really enjoying them) I have still enjoyed it. I quite liked the way that they did the magic potion, and you can tell that the film makers used every available technology to create the film. However, I suspect attempting to watch it as a person who speaks French as a second language would be quite difficult since they do speak quite fast.
One thing I have noticed when I was in Europe are the films that are advertised in the various countries that I visited. If you go to Germany you will see that a bulk of the films advertised are all Hollywood films, however when you cross the border into France pretty much all of the Hollywood advertising disappears and are replaced by French films. Hong Kong (though not in Europe) seems to have a 50/50 split. I suspect that the reason for this is that Germany does not have a huge filmmaking industry, whereas the French and Hong Kong do (though it seems that the people of Hong Kong don't actually like Hong Kong cinema). Anyway, with most French films that I have encountered, I generally expect them to be better than their American counterparts. -
ma-cortes1 March 2021Decent and robust Asterix live-action entry with full of anachronisms that did exceptional business at the French box office and all around the world. Set in 50 B.C. , one small village of indomable Gauls holds out against the invaders for their independence . In the village lives our friends : Asterix : Christian Clavier , Obelix : Gerard Depardieu , Panoramix : Pieplu , the latter being the venerable local druid who brews magic potions , his speciality is the potion which gives the drinker supernatural strength , without forgetting the chief Abraracourcix : Michel Galabru and the singer Bardo Cacofonix . Then Caesar : Gottfried John and his aid of camp Detritus : Roberto Benigni plan to kidnap the notorious druid to get the secret elixir thas provides enormous strength . At the end takes place ordinary happy end thanks to an improved magic potion and a battle with the foregone conclusion routine still manages to surprise us.
Big fun and entertaining enough in this overwhelming outing of the immortal Gauls with plenty of state-of-art computer generator special effects and satisfying non-bloodthristy fights . The film is pretty well , thanks to a dash of hilarious scenes , silly anachronisms and a failed love story between Obelix and Falbala. Of course , there's a lot of battles with funny scenes and tongue-in-cheek humor . This time Asterix and Obelix take on an astute competitor named Detritus amusingly played by Roberto Benigni , who wants to overthrow Caesar , as well as one or two genuinely decent thrills , the best featuring a giant elephant , a monster , and a tub of tarantulas . Our two heroes, Asterix : Christian Clavier and Obelix : Gerard Depardieu are assisted by a great cast of familiar secondaries , such as : Roberto Benigni as Detritus , Michel Galabru as Abraracurcix , Daniel Prevost , Arielle Dombasle as Agecanonix's wife , the gorgeous Laetitia Casta as Falbala , Hardy Kruger Jr as Falbala's fiance , Michael Muller, Jean Pierre Castaldi, among others .
The motion picture was well directed by expert on comedies Claude Zidi who captures the outrageous adventures of the mighty Gauls , making a big box office and thanks to its huge cost just over 275 million francs . It is followed by "Asterix and Obelix , Mission Cleopatra" 2oo2 by Alain Chabat and "Asterix at the Olympic Games" 2008 by Frédéric Forrestier . Furthermore , other animated movies as "Asterix and the big fight" 1989 , "Asterix conquers America" , "Asterix and the Vikings" 2006 , among others . -
TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews22 October 2007I used to read the comics as a kid... by now, I only vaguely remember them, and those of the animated attempts that were produced that I watched, but a lot of things do seem to fit with what I remember. And hey, at least it's produced by the French, featuring the French, France being where the comic is actually from. There are many details that ring true as far as the source material goes... the first few moments contain a well-known image from the comics, reproduced in live action. This also has an interpretation of the singing of the village musician(I can't claim to know the original French names). Also seen is a recreation of the village leader on his shield. Whether or not you particularly care for seeing this, and whether or not you agree with this envisioning of it, it's there to take in. The small dog is there, as well, and he gets used some for comedy(if in fairly morbid and grotesque ways). The production values are of high quality. The acting is pretty good, if some is overacted, more or less intentionally. Depardieu isn't bad in his native language, either(and he is a fairly logical choice, as far as physical type goes, for Obélix, and Roberto Benigni(who, I guess, speaks French...?) is one of the best additions(although one could argue that he wasn't up against much), and gets several laughs. Ceasar was done well, the actor looks and performs as he should. The humor isn't bad, if at times childish, much of it derived from the comics(more or less well-integrated in the film) and some of it is run right into the ground. I did laugh at this film, if not terribly often. I watched this in the original, French language(not a fan of dubbing... actually, that's a powerful understatement), but some of the material still worked. The pacing is reasonable, well, it runs fine, at least. The plot isn't too bad, and works, if some more or less minor points don't make sense once you think about them(and one sub-plot is never fully resolved, characters not seen in the film anymore once they've done what they were there to do). Some things are lifted from the comics, though perhaps too much material from there was used, leaving too little time for development of what there is, as others have pointed out. This is a cartoon brought to life, obvious in the action(which I'm honestly not sure I've ever found particularly intense... entertaining, occasionally, maybe, but not intense). One particular character shows that the French, too, know of, and stoop to, the lowest common denominator(though I suppose it could have been more gratuitous, but this is at least partially a children's film... torture sequences and such notwithstanding). Most of the characters from the comics seem to be there(again, whether or not they're properly done or well-integrated can be debated). The effects are quite good, and help with the cartoon-y action that we know from the original stories by Goscinny(R.I.P.). Some ideas could have been explored in what the plot does, in particular something near the very end, but are not. There is one reference that could be considered clever... but by the second time it's made... yeah. The music isn't bad. The casting and costumes aren't bad. I guess fans might enjoy it, if they aren't too attached to the original. Making live action productions of drawn source material is seldom a good idea. I recommend this to those who want a live-action version of Astérix and Obélix, but not those looking for a good one. Whether or not the second one would fulfill that need, I can't say. 6/10
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Logiebear4224 February 2008I was a Huge fan of the Asterix books when I was about 5-6 and as I re-read them throughout the ages, I learned more, Understood more and enjoyed it more. I've vowed to never read the newer books for fear of ruining such a good childhood experience. I've heard talk of aliens in the newer ones *shudders* And so, It was with much trepidation that I picked up a copy of Asterix and Obelix from my video store. With even more trepidation, I watched it.
As a Die-hard fan, I can tell you this: You will enjoy this movie, warts and all.
The books have been recreated to some of the minutest details imaginable, It really is incredible what a good job they have done.
That being said, There are warts. Quite a lot of them. The visual effects aren't on the great side, The CGI is far from flawless. Also a couple of moments felt like they departed too far from the original idea.
The storyline is a combination of several Asterix books, plus some new elements. so even though I mostly knew what was going to happen, there were a couple of surprises along the way. Some were good, some bad. It all depends on opinion really.
The humor is good, I highly recommend the English overdub as it doesn't just translate the movie, but makes it a hell of a lot funnier. There is a lot of slapstick comedy, well executed mostly.
To conclude: This movie isn't perfect. It's not a masterpiece and it won't win any awards. But this I can say; If you read the books, enjoyed them, understood the humor and can bear a little tackiness - Then you WILL enjoy this movie. -
thegarf4 February 1999Why this title? Simple. A friend of mine invited me to a premiere of this movie, last Monday. We do not consider ourselves as cinemaniacs, but we both know a lot about what has been done these last 40 years. And I'm forced to say that "Asterix and Obelix, the movie" is pulling the global level downwards.
It's always a challenge to adapt a successful comic for the big screen. Many tried and failed (see Lucky Luke, Spawn, etc... only to name the most recent). My opinion is that this movie could have reached its target if Christian Clavier hadn't been involved.
First of all : Asterix, played by Clavier, is far from being funny, intelligent and mischievous like in the comics. The character we see is mainly over-excited, he is as dumb as his nice-but-not-too-bright friend Obelix. And you just can't stand this voice when you've heard Pierre Tornade's interpretation in the cartoon versions....
Next comes Obelix, interpreted by Depardieu. It's curious when you say it, but the character is far too clever. And like Asterix, they talk a lot and don't laugh enough.
Caesar... well, the usual bad guy.
FInally let's turn to the story. It has some interest, but not many efforts have been made to involve the audience. It looks like a shapeless compendium of 2 or 3 comic books,with a strange beginning and a weak end. In between : the vast silence of lack of imagination. Many interesting things could have rose from it all, but everything drowns under the flood of pitiful puns and wordplays... Where are the beautiful views of roman cities, all Goscinny's irony about military states and administrative zeal ???
Oh, I almost forgot the sexy girl, Laetitia Casta... believe me, she was born to be photographed but definitely NOT to act !!! I'm sure all you english-speaking viewers will hear a nice voice after the sound dubbing : remember the French had to deal with the sleepy, boring and un-talented Laetitia. God, forgive her because she doesn't understand what she says...
One phrase to say it all : better buy the comic books collection. This way you'll be sure to have a lot of fun. Or have a look at the films (especially with the Brittons... :)) -
Asterix and Obelix Take on Caesar is not a masterpiece in any shape or form and has its problems but it is not an awful movie. Then again it is dependent on version you see, in my opinion the French version is the best while the translation isn't really worth bothering with. I agree the plot is tired and the direction on the languid side, and that the visuals and CGI is nothing brilliant to be honest with you. Take on Ceasar is also criticised for having none of the wit and charm of the animated adventures or the books. Of course they are definitely better, but it is dependent on which version you see(that criticism is understandable if it were the translation), in the French version there are enough deft touches in the script to amuse I think. The pacing is good, while the acting is fine. Christian Clavier and Gerard Depardieu are well cast in the title roles, while Roberto Benigni sinks his teeth into his role as the scheming centurion. In conclusion, nothing fantastic, but it isn't that bad. 6/10 Bethany Cox
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survivor-223 April 1999Let's make one thing clear. This movie isn't as bad as I expected. But then, I expected it to be about the worst piece of trash this side of alpha centauri. You see, the critics around here universally trashed it. Worse so then anything I have ever seen (including Godzilla and the Man in the Iron Mask), so I was very, very wary upon entering the theatre. But hey, this is Asterix, one of the greatest comic books ever, It can't be that hard? Well it was. It sucks. Big time. It's filled with unnecessary and even annoying special effects (beams out of the eyes when hypnotizing - puh-leeze) to show off the budget. It's got the biggest plotholes I have ever seen in a movie (how does this stupid slave who just pretends so be a psychic know how to hypnotize), unfinished or gratuitous subplots (Laetitia Casta as Falballa is obviously just in it to show of her boobs, because there is no connection whatsoever to anything in the movie) and to top it off some laughable masks and make-up to make Asterix & co look like the comic counterpart.
There are some saving graces though, in three shapes. First, obviously, Benigni. Depardieu is also pretty decent (if nowhere near really good) as Obelix and German actor Gottfried John is Caesar, both in looks and the way he acts.
Still avoid if you can. It's one of the worst and most unfunny movies this year. -
dafyd29 August 2004This film is a genuinely brilliant live-action translation of an (arguably) unfilmable classic comic book series... Claude Zidi's writing and direction are top notch, and the main characters as played by Clavier and Depardieu work extremely well.
The English translation, on the other hand, is awful. When I saw the film in England having already watched it in France, I was, frankly, embarrassed! Terry Jones relies too much on direct translations and gags that don't fit... perhaps they should have used Bell and Hockeridge, the hugely talented translators of the actual books. Oh well.
I definitely recommend the film, though, albeit only in the original French. Don't worry if you don't speak a word of the language; you'll soon pick up what's going on, without the experience being spoiled by the abysmal English dubbing. -
There are lots of opportunities to make a movie from a bad or average comic, an old or otherwise forgotten comic. Who cares about those books anyway? But are there lots of opportunities to make a movie from a good comic, that can still be bought by dozens in any bookstore, that is fresh in the memory of many people? I don't think so. Asterix is considered a good comic. Not average or poor. Asterix is not old. I don't mean the character, because no character in a comic ever seems to grow older. I mean, this comic book series doesn't grow old. Every day, Asterix-readers die of age. And at the same time young children start to read Asterix. This doesn't apply for more than two or three other comic book series. At least here in Europe, where most comic books you read only appear in one or two neighbor countries, but rarely in the whole Roman empire. So, the makers of Astérix took a high risk. And they succeeded. There are many reasons to call this an Asterix-product, not just some movie based on a comic.
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kamagurka31 March 2002that's what it boils down to: the plot is an absurd stew made from various Asterix stories, wich shows: good indgredients don't mean good soup, cause the plot plain sucks. the cast is...alright, although depardieu is far too witty to play obelix(dammit, he oughta be STUPID like the menhirs he's carryin!). only absolutely cool thing: Benigni as Destructivus. but Benigni(note that he's the only thing i bother capitalizing) is a god in all he does, so...(although the german sinch didn't do him any good, gotta watch the italian one). all in all: an entertaining movie, but barely.
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Clive-Silas19 December 2001At the end of the day it's not a film for introducing one's kids to Astérix - buy the comic books for that. It's more a capture of the flavour of the Astérix books for those of us adults who remember them with affection, and who consequently aren't concerned overly with details of plot or characterisation. In fact Astérix and Obélix are woefully under-characterised from the start of the film. If you don't know that Obélix's trade is in quarrying menhirs, then the joke about the heart-shaped menhir for Panacea (Laetitia Casta) is likely to fall flat. But those of us who know and love the characters already are going to enjoy it.
One reason for not showing it to your kids would be that there is the occasional crudity in the language - in my view utterly unnecessary, and against the practice of the comic books - at least the English translations of same.
One of the joys of the English translations of the books was the pains taken by the translators to include jokes specifically for the English, particularly in character's names, eg the chief is called VitalStatistix, the druid is called GetAFix, Caius Bonus becomes Crismus Bonus, etc. Terry Jones has happily continued this tradition, although it's a shame that he didn't do more, as it seems to me that movie script rather emphasised silly japes and slapstick over the wonderful wit of the comic books.
Dèpardieu is an absolute revelation as Obélix (and in the English version, splendidly dubbed by Terry Jones himself). -
Jabberwock9 June 1999Going to the movies to see living actors playing the characters of beloved cartoon heroes is always a challenge. Good, static images appeal for an active part of imagination. Projected on a screen, living people are to be taken as they are, wether we like them or not.
I was a little fearful about that when I went to see Astérix, Obélix & Co in that movie. I found myself laughing frequently like the greater part of the audience, in a happy tone.
The plot was fair to the original story and I think the majority of the actors did a good job, though, the talented Gérard Depardieu as Obélix, lacked some of that immense naivety and the physical roundness that makes the character unique and lovable.
Not the best movie ever made, but certainly not the worst. -
sixzilly5 December 1999i like this movie because it is very entertaining. especially because i also love the comic. it's fun to see all the characters become alive. this is the kind of movie to watch if you want to enjoy a movie without being too emotionally attached.
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slwepen29 August 2006I saw this movie because I like Asterix and Obelix and I like movies, So I thought this movie will be nice, but actually not.I already knew the comics are better because Asterix is a typical story for comics.But I can't give less than 6/10 because the characters are really like the comic.Roberto Begnini is also a great actor en shows that in this movie.I didn't laugh during this movie because the jokes are too bad.But what I liked during this movies were the resemblances between the comic and this movie.Roberto is not only a great actor he speaks also french very well.The most French movies have good humor with funny moments but this movie is actually boring.In general I don't like comedies.Obelix walking with the stone is also pretty good.Many things were good made and thats the reason why I give 6/10.Actually I didn't expect a nice movie before I watch this movie.The next time I will not watch movies of Asterix and Obelix.
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ElMaruecan8221 February 2014The second half of the 90's wasn't a highlight in the history of French Comedy and "Asterix and Obleix Take on Caesar" is no exception, well, what would you expect from such a stupid title?
Anyway, in the 90's, some great comedies were made, "The Visitors", "The Three Brothers" but the majority of those that did well at the box-office aren't really worth remembering. Just like in America, it's was the dawn of the CGI age, special effects were the new trend, the directors' darlings, and for some reason, it unveiled the laziest aspect of French filmmaking; betraying a thirst for cheap and predictable success. It started with "The Guardian Angels" in 1995, took a high point with the dreadful "Visitors 2" two absolute disasters as far as storytelling is concerned, an exception though with the passable "Taxi'. But in 99, the Asterix movie sealed the fate of good old popular cinema that could rely on great dialogs and acting.
Yet, it was the highest-grossing film in France. How the hell did it work? Well, the answer is in the title, any adaptation of the most popular comic-book character in France was a certificate of success. The casting was also promising, Christian Clavier was the little Gaul and Gérard Depardieu the strong and likable Obélix, the same duo from "The Guardian Angels", the little nervous one, the heir of Louis de Funès and the gentle strong guy, who made me regret the days where he was playing the straight man with his fellow Pierre Richard. The rest of the cast constantly invites us to a 'spot that star' game, from Michel Galabru to the then international star Roberto Benigni. The star-studded cast was so omnipresent to it distracted from the plot.
After a second thought, it was probably meant to distract, given the inexistence of the plot. Well, after a third thought, it's not that there was no plot, the plot was inconsistent, full of little twists and displays of fantasy that would have made Goscinny roll over his grave. But Albert Uderzo, the drawer was much alive at that time, so was Goscinny's daughter, how they accepted such bad screen writing is beyond me. But later, Uderzo would publish an awful adventure featuring aliens in the Gaulish village, so I guess I don't have much to blame on the director, who thought, and rightfully so, that any script would do, no matter how damaging it would be for Asterix' legacy. Even the title "Asterix and Obélix vs. Caesar" is so childish and stupid (it doesn't even reflect the story) that it should have been a warning about the content.
I'm a fan of Asterix, as some other reviews show, and if there ever was one thing that characterizes his adventures is a mix of fun and wit, severely lacking in this film whose only merit lies on its initial premise.But then, why taking so much distance from the books? The legionaries wear red uniforms which in the screen look terrible, the villagers are all hideous and seem to have the same hair color. Asterix is blonde and Obelix has red pigtails but in the films they are both brown-haired and wear totally different outfits, it's as if the film tried to make a historical feature, but this is a joke for God's sake, let's keep the original format and move on. The acting is part of the blame too, Clavier is still possessed by the mimics of Jacquouille from "The Visitors" and Depardieu is so dumb, it removes every bit of sympathy from Obélix, which is unforgivable. And don't get me started on the druid Getafix who would give any normal child the creeps.
The rest for the cast know what kind of film they star in but even their ham performances can't redeem the ridiculousness of some scenes. At one point, they fight over fish's freshness and end up divided into two groups what were they thinking? It wasn't even funny in the paper. I won't get too much deeper into the plot, which borrows several bit from every album and combines them in the most disjointed way. There's a tax inspector like in the "Cauldron" adventure, a "Soothsayer", Obelix disguises as a Roman like in "the Goths", he's in love with the beautiful Falbala (played by Laetitia Casta) and so on and so forth. I suspect Claude Zidi didn't grow up reading the comic-books and assigned a trainee to read all of them and grab the most likely bits to look good on the script. And they would build something on that.
In another scene, Asterix is confronted to wild animals in a sort of arena that reminds of "Temple of Doom", later they meet a druid who's 200-year old druid. The only bit of fantasy the comic-book ever allowed itself was the magic-potion. Clearly the film doesn't respect Asterix' canon which wouldn't have been problematic had it tried at least to be funny. But it's failure is undeniable and today, everyone forgot about it. I guess, for two reasons. One is because it's a bad film. The second is because Alain Chabat made "Asterix and Cleopatra" in 2002, and to know what is wrong with the first, just watch the second and you'll get the idea. Only an Asterix-geek like Chabat could make a film, humbly adapted from an already existing adventure (that inspired an animated feature) and then build some new gags around it.
Chabat showed respect to the adventures and retrospectively, viewers see the first film as a cheap attempt to adapt the adventures. The only redeeming aspect is some generous close-up on Laetitia Casta's assets. Well, I'd have paid the full-ticket price just to see them on the big screen.
In conclusion, "Asterix and Obelix take on Caesar" might have been successful but Claude Zidi's take on Asterix is a disaster. -
One of the things I enjoyed during my childhood was reading Asterix-comics. And I still do. But then the cartoons came along and I hated everything about them. The humor was made more childish and everything was so stupid. And I keep thinking how bad they would have been, if they were live action. Both the live action and the cartoons are bad, but the live action is the worst. The movie tries to relate closely to the comics, but fails hard. And one thing that really bugs, is that they even were allowed to make a sequel after this flob. I actually had a bad taste in my mouth after watching this, so I'll warn you about watching this. I'll give it one more point for some of the music.
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palaste25 May 2000I, not being a fan of live-action movies based on cartoons or comics, didn't expect much of this film. "At least it's made by the French, as were the comics", I thought. The film, however, turned out to be pretty good. The actors did their jobs well and actually managed to look like the original Gauls and Romans I've grown to love. The special effects were impressive, especially the effect of the magic potion. The plot didn't follow any particular album, instead it was a mix-match of several album stories, with a little of its own thrown in. In my opinion, they didn't focus on certain albums enough. The main story, however, was very good. My only real complaint is the portrayal of the Roman legions. The Italian accent they spoke in was needless, because the Italian language wasn't around in 50 BC. And they should dress in green, not red! I recommend this movie to all fans of the Asterix comics. This is what live-action movies about cartoons should be like, which is more than I can say for many Disney movies.
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The movie has two main problems : - Jokes will mainly entertain the children, not much for adults - The "Obelix in love" subplot is played serious and not for comedy like in the books and the facts its ends with a downer, with the girl telling Obelix "Whe should just stay friends" after he save the entire village... What kind of horrible massage is that for the children?
However on the plus side... - The cast is great (especialy Roberto Benigni)and most of supporting cast do a great job playing the characters from the books - Some scenes like the fish fight and fight with the Romans are like strait out of the book - The music is great and over all for most part the movie is entertaining to watch
While its far from good it not bad and younger Asterix fans will love it -
varkaris6 January 2000Depardieu is very hilarious in the role of Obelix while Clavier as Asterix is perfect in bringing laughter and joy.Detritus played by Begnini is depictive of the Roman marshall in an environment of Roman expansion.Brilliant comedy based on visual effects.Transformation of the cartoon series that will work well in bringing the spirit of the Roman era with the naivety of the Galatian people and their resistance against the external menace.If you read the cartoons,you will love this too.
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mikejaques16 July 2004This is an awful film, a complete waste of 80 minutes. The storyline is overly simplistic and awful, whilst the English dubbing is terrible and detracts greatly from the movie. I rented this movie with high hopes and was sorely let down. I have been a big Asterix fan since I was a kid and still enjoy the both the animations and comics. Therefore I was disappointed to that this movie is a wasted opportunity. The sets are nice, the costumes good, and some big name actors appear. However as is common with a lot of these cartoon to film adaptations the story is very weak. The film becomes irritating after about 10 minutes. I haven't seen the follow up and on this evidence will not bother. Hire the original cartoons instead.
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Don-16718 March 2001Yes it is... The shame of the film industry. I loved Asterix and Obelix when I was a kid. They were well designed characters and really had a sense of humor. .... But what this movie is about?... Completely nothing. Spending a great deal of money making something really lame. No story, no character evolution, no humor. The special effects are really bad. The flying Roman soldiers are blobby and the chroma keying and computer animations are very obvious. It is just annoying to see such great actors in a film like this (Gerard Depardieu, Roberto Benigni, Gottfried John). I don't want to see the sequel (Asterix: Mission Cleopatra). Big thumbs down for the French.