"THE YEAR IS 50 B.C. and Gaul is entirely occupied by the Romans. Well, not entirely..."

Since 1961, the illustrated adventures of Asterix and Obelix have held a very special place in the hearts of generations of well-read children and adults alike. With a mix of classic witticisms and comedy-veiled lessons in ancient history, Asterix has made millions laugh and learn, unintentionally of course. After achieving acclaim and success as a comic-book series, Asterix and Obelix followed the well travelled path into animated films and finally into live-action feature films. Asterix At The Olympic Games is the third such feature film and takes the ably yet simply illustrated Frenchmen into the 21st Century with aplomb. From the village of indomitable Gauls to Rome to Ancient Greece, each location is lovingly recreated in a manner that softens the harsh reality of utilitarian wood and stone to provide a comfortable and warm environment for the characters to reside in. For those familiar with the series, the small instances of pagan magic and feats of fantastic strength which peppered the classic series is delivered superbly in a humourous and slightly surreal manner similar to Kung-Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer. That said, despite passable performances by Clovis Cornillac as Asterix and Gerard Depardieu as Obelix, a story that should ideally revolve around these central characters – why else would their names be on the front cover? – instead deviates its focus to Caesar’s amusing yet ultimately disposable son Brutus and the superfluous Gaulish character Lovesix, whose infatuation with a Greek princess is the pretext for this slightly misguided tour of the ancient world. And sure, while this is a minor disappointment, true fans of the series will revel in the rich adaptation of the Gaulish world and the classic one-liners that turned a largely educational comic into a worldwide success.

***½

PATRIX PERRIER

Be first to comment on this article

Write Comment
Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Poster's IP addresses are logged.
Name:
Comment:
Code:*