Astérix aux jeux olympiques (2008)

Directors:

Frédéric Forestier
Thomas Langmann

Writers:

René Goscinny (comic book) &
Albert Uderzo (comic book) ...

Release Date:

25 January 2008 (Poland)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy

Plot Keywords:

Sequel | Julius Caesar | Potion | Olympic Games | Druid

Cast

Gérard Depardieu	...	Obélix
Clovis Cornillac	...	Astérix
Benoît Poelvoorde	...	Brutus
Alain Delon	...	Jules Cesar
Vanessa Hessler	...	Princesse Irina
Franck Dubosc	...	Assurancetourix
José Garcia	...	Couverdepus
Stéphane Rousseau	...	Alafolix
Jean-Pierre Cassel	...	Panoramix
Elie Semoun	...	Omega
Alexandre Astier	...	Mordicus
Santiago Segura	...	Docteurmabus
Michael Herbig	...	Pasunmotdeplus (as Michael Bully Herbig)
Bouli Lanners	...	Samagas
Jérôme Le Banner	...	Claudius Cornedurus (as Jerôme Le Banner)

Also Known As:

Asterix alle olimpiadi (Italy)
Asterix at the Olympic Games (International: English title)
Asterix bei den Olympischen Spielen (Germany)
Asterix en los juegos olímpicos (Spain)

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

France | Germany | Spain | Italy | Belgium

Language:

French | Portuguese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Spain:T | Finland:K-7 | Portugal:M/6 | Germany:6 | Sweden:Btl | Australia:PG | South Korea:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Ciudad de la Luz, Alicante, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain

Company:

Pathé Renn Productions

Goofs:

Continuity: Pasunmotdeplus is a mute because Brutus cut out his tongue. Yet in the scene where it first looks like he's singing 'O solo mio', you can clearly see his tongue.

Movie Connections:

References La race des 'seigneurs' (1974)

Not as bad as I'd thought it would be

No, it's not *good*, I won't go that far. When you think of what it *could* have been, you feel cheated. The remarks listed in reviews stand: the focus isn't always there, the supposedly main character was relegated to being mere support, the pacing is often off - for example, the chariot race manages to look way less exciting than it should be, so one can speculate where the fault lies - the camera-work, the editing... I think it's the direction. The director(s) and the producer(s) went to create a film for about a bazillion types of audiences (and I don't blame them, when there are 70+ million Euros to justify and return) but that's a pretty tough goal. It worked for the original comic where the kids get the gags and the subtle education, and the adults get the clever wordplay and densely packed historical, literary, and other references, but this doesn't mean it will necessarily work in another medium. So there are too many plots (patched together from several Astérix books - this was the demise of the first film too, so future takers, learn!), too many people to satisfy, and too many actors and celebrities. To hold all those egos in check one needs a stronger director or team than the newbies (sorry, but it's true) this film had. I have the impression that they went with the idea that if they throw enough money and enough famous names into the cauldron the film will make itself, but, eh, no. This film desperately needed somebody who could shape it better because it's obvious where things were cut (some scenes make no sense) and they should have used the *titular character* a lot more. It must be said however that for an amusing night's out it's a perfectly fine piece of entertainment. We laughed quite a lot. Depardieu and Delon deliver, Poelvoorde is a comedian I'd not heard of before but now I'm interested in his other work, and as for the new Astérix - Clovis Cornillac - well, he got the character down to a T: he's too tall and a little too fit, sure, but he looks pretty darn much like the guy in the comic book and he moves and talks just like him. I'd never seen a fictional character recreated with such essential accuracy and since this must be even more difficult when the source material is based on grotesque and exaggeration, this is quite an achievement. Hopefully, Mr Cornillac will have (and accept) another chance to play in an Astérix film, this time with a bigger role.