Asterix the Gaul (1967)

Gaul invaded! Asterix must save the Druid Getafix from the Romans.

Director:

Ray Goossens

Writers:

René Goscinny (comic), Albert Uderzo (comic)

Stars:

Roger Carel, Jacques Morel, Pierre Tornade

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Roger Carel	...	Astérix (voice)
Jacques Morel	...	Obélix (voice)
Pierre Tornade	...	Abraracourcix / Le marchand de boeufs (voice)
Jacques Jouanneau	...	Assurancetourix (voice)
Lucien Raimbourg	...	Panoramix (voice)
Pierre Trabaud	...	Caius Bonus (voice)
Bernard Lavalette	...	(voice)
Robert Vattier	...	(voice)
Michel Puterflam	...	(voice)
Maurice Chevit	...	(voice)
Georges Carmier	...	(voice)

Storyline

In the year 50 BC Gaul is occupied by the romans - nearly. But the small village of Asterix and his friends still resists the Roman legions with the aid of their druid's magic potion, which gives superhuman strength. Learning of this potion, a Roman centurion kidnaps the druid to get the secret formula out of him.

---

Plot Keywords:

druid | potion | asterix | extraordinary strength | based on comic book | 

---

Genres:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy

---

Details

Country:

France Belgium

Language:

French

Release Date:

31 July 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Asterix de Galliër

Filming Locations:

Studios Belvision, Brussels, Brussels-Capital, Belgium

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,325,312

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dargaud Films, Belvision

Technical Specs

Runtime:

68 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The next story, Asterix and the Golden Sickle, started in issue #42 (August 11, 1960).

---

Goofs

In the UK version of the film, at the end you can see the English voice cast list, but it's actually Asterix and the Big Fight's voice cast.

---

Alternate Versions

The film was redubbed in 1984 for its theatrical re-release in Germany. Hans Hessling (Asterix) and Edgar Ott (Obelix) were replaced by Frank Zander and Günter Pfitzmann. In addition, parts of the score were replaced.

---

Connections

Followed by Asterix in Britain (1986)

---

Soundtracks

Je suis le marchand de boeufs

User Reviews

Those wacky Gauls with their wacky magic potions

Asterix the Gaul is the film adaptation based on René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo's comic strip series. In said series Rome has invaded almost all of Gaul. All but for one tiny village on the northern shores of the land, where the villagers still keep the legions at bay with the help of their druid Getafix, who knows the recipe of a very special magic potion, which is capable of increasing its drinker's strength to inhuman levels. The comic strip is a beloved children's classic in Europe and widely read by adult population as well. So a film adaptation was inevitable.

And in my opinion they succeeded pretty well. The film adapts the first album of the series, bearing the same name as the film, following its plot very closely. It's a simple story as far the adventures of Asterix and Obelix go, mainly meant to introduce the setting and the characters, but it's still filled with tons of humorous moments, outrageous characters and odd twists. It's nowhere near my favourite of these stories, but it's definitely head and shoulders above most of its peers.

What really keeps this movie from achieving a greater ranking is the animation, and to a lesser degree the music, which both show the constraints of the budget. The character designs are identical to the comic books, so no complaints there, but the film reuses its animation sequences heavily, the movements are either too jerky or too linear, depending on the scene, and the backgrounds, while nice, are a bit simplistic. The music has a few good moments, and I especially like the main theme, but it's nothing overly special.

Nevertheless, Asterix the Gaul is a good introduction into the world of Asterix and well worth a watch for all fans of humorous animation adventures.