Astérix and Obélix: God Save Britannia

I was so shocked by the negative reviews of this film on IMDb that I signed up specially to praise it. I'm British, and I absolutely loved all the jokes about my home country, including the music, which is sometimes authentic and sometimes a sort of satire on British patriotic tunes. I don't read strip cartoons, so I don't know how close to the original it is, but it's excellent in its own right. The script is very good - there's all the legionnaires' comments on illegal immigrants (and the satirised illegal immigrant himself is a joy),not to mention Caesar's claptrap about civilising the barbarians. All utterly authentic ... And then there's the dreadful teenager Goudurix, who says everything dreadful British (and I suppose French) teenagers say and do. Does it really matter if he hints Astérix and Obélix might be gay? the film itself makes it clear they aren't, and anyway, gays are good. And there are all the little details, like the 'Godax' - 'Dogax' posters at the rugby match, and the fish and chip shop in Londinium, and the in-jokes about how the British and French see each other. I only gave the film 9 because I personally don't like Depardieu, but he does his job well - oh, and the opening titles are awful and totally unsuited to the film. But in general it's a joy, and it's a real pity most Brits will miss out on it because they wouldn't be able to understand it.

The fourth film adaptation of the famous Asterix comic books is the best one so far. Entertaining and even witty at points, instead of boring and crude like the previous films, the movie is based (quite faithfully) on the 1966 album Asterix in Britain (one of the best of the series), with some bits from Asterix and the Normans. Asterix and Obelix help the Britons resist a Roman invasion by Julius Caesar (in the real history, Julius Caesar made a punitive expedition to Britain in 55 BC; Britain would only fall under Roman rule in 43 AD under emperor Claudius). A lot of the comic situations are based (like in the original albums) on national stereotypes, on how the French and the Englishmen see each other. There is also some mildly risqué humor here (with a Briton initially believing Asterix and Obelix to be a gay couple). Edouard Baer is Asterix. Gerard Depardieu is Obelix (he's fine, and by now, it's difficult to think any other actor playing that role).The veteran Catherine Deneuve has a cameo as the queen of the Britons. Fabrice Luchini is Julius Caesar. Production values are acceptable.

...and it could not be more. because it is one of easy films, seductive for the names from cast, for use of cliches and stereotypes, for humor and for cultural references in clothes of not real good irony. a mixture of history and cartoons. so, just nice. or only nice. but nothing more because it is a film giving to each viewer a small present , from great actors in sketches of characters, cultural clash , contemporary references and the absence of Clavier as Asterix by effort of admirable Baer.

Fun film, but not as good as the others. The story remains funny though and Britannia is a good change of atmosphere for the gang.

This is a very cute adaptation (with updates) of the classic Asterix comics. The version I had only had French audio with subtitles available in English. This wasn't a problem, as one of the running gags of the film is that French actors playing English characters (most notably the impossibly elegant Catherine Deneuve) speak with their French with horrible English accents. The prize for best/worst Frenglish goes to Charlotte Le Bon, who sounds like she's flunking her first semester of French. The jokes are generally cute-but-harmless, notably the 5:00 hot water break that defines life in England at the time of Caesar. There are references to Star Wars and A Clockwork Orange that don't appear in the 1966 source material, and an Indian character who might strike a contemporary audience as uncomfortable. Still, of all the live-action Asterix films, this one seems to best capture the spirit and absurdity of the comics. Very sweet, very fun, and well worth catching on video.