IMDb RATING
7.6/10
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YOUR RATING
A group of indomitable Gauls are challenged by Roman Emperor Julius Caesar to accomplish twelve impossible tasks.A group of indomitable Gauls are challenged by Roman Emperor Julius Caesar to accomplish twelve impossible tasks.A group of indomitable Gauls are challenged by Roman Emperor Julius Caesar to accomplish twelve impossible tasks.
- Awards
- 2 wins
Roger Carel
- Astérix
- (voice)
Jacques Morel
- Obélix
- (voice)
Pierre Tornade
- Abraracourcix
- (voice)
Jean Martinelli
- César
- (voice)
Henri Virlojeux
- Panoramix
- (voice)
- …
Nicole Vervil
- Impedimenta
- (voice)
Bernard Lavalette
- Le préfet
- (voice)
Storyline
Did you know
- Trivia"The Place That Sends You Mad" is not all that anachronistic. The Roman empire, especially its later eastern part (Byzantium) was famous for its over-complicated and heavy bureaucracy. All that red tape was partly responsible for the empire's fall.
- GoofsWhen Julius Caesar lists the Twelve Labours of Hercules, several of them are wrong, namely Hercules killing Geryones and Diomedes and Hercules freeing Theseus from the underworld. Hercules killed Geryones while having to steal his cows; when Hercules had to steal Diomedes's men-eating horses he fed Diomedes to the horses; Hercules went into the underworld to capture the multi-headed dog Cerberus, during which he also rescued the captive Theseus.
- Quotes
Julius Caesar: Brutus, stop playing with that knife. You'll end up hurting someone.
- Crazy creditsThe Studio Idefix logo is in the form of the MGM logo, but it features Dogmatix in the logo and bears a Roman laurel wreath; the Latin inscription reads "Delirant isti Romani" ("These Romans are crazy.")
- Alternate versionsAs a bonus feature for the German DVD release, each Asterix film was given a new dubbing in a German dialect. This film was dubbed in Bavarian.
- ConnectionsFeatured in René Goscinny: Profession humoriste (1998)
Featured review
History made hilarious
I've been laughing at "The Twelve Tasks of Asterix" for about 20 years now. Early on, I laughed hardest at the slapstick comedy segments. Now, I laugh hardest at the history-based jokes and sly sexual references. So you see, like all the best children's entertainment, this can be enjoyed on several different levels - some for the kiddies, some for the adults.
(The slapstick comedy is still cool to my adult self, by the way. Nothing beats watching an unruly mob of Gaulish villagers tear through a phalanx of hapless Roman dudes...)
The plot is very episodic, centering around the efforts of wily Asterix and oafish Obelix to perform twelve tasks and, if successful, become gods in the eyes of the Romans. Inevitably, some of the tasks are more interesting than others. The best one is set in the Place That Sends You Mad, a spot-on satire of bureaucracy and red tape. Probably the lamest task involves alligators and an invisible string, but even that's okay.
The animators did an excellent job capturing the style of the Asterix comic books. Oddly enough, though, the quality of the drawing is variable. Sometimes the characters look quite rough and sketchy, and other times the lines are much cleaner. However, the task set in the Beast's cave is undeniably very well-animated and even a bit creepy.
The ending is outrageous, and therefore brilliant. It brings the Asterix saga to a satisfying close (of course, the little guy's adventures continue in various formats). Speaking of the ending, pay especially close attention to Caius Tiddleus's cup when he's getting tickled by the priestess in the closing moments. It's a good, naughty sight gag.
This movie was my first exposure to Asterix, and thus I have a soft spot for it. Sentiment aside, though, I do think it's easily the best of the Asterix films, and is only rivaled by the very best comic adventures. Hey, I honestly haven't got tired of it during these twenty-odd years of occasional viewing - that's about the best endorsement I can give a film!
(The slapstick comedy is still cool to my adult self, by the way. Nothing beats watching an unruly mob of Gaulish villagers tear through a phalanx of hapless Roman dudes...)
The plot is very episodic, centering around the efforts of wily Asterix and oafish Obelix to perform twelve tasks and, if successful, become gods in the eyes of the Romans. Inevitably, some of the tasks are more interesting than others. The best one is set in the Place That Sends You Mad, a spot-on satire of bureaucracy and red tape. Probably the lamest task involves alligators and an invisible string, but even that's okay.
The animators did an excellent job capturing the style of the Asterix comic books. Oddly enough, though, the quality of the drawing is variable. Sometimes the characters look quite rough and sketchy, and other times the lines are much cleaner. However, the task set in the Beast's cave is undeniably very well-animated and even a bit creepy.
The ending is outrageous, and therefore brilliant. It brings the Asterix saga to a satisfying close (of course, the little guy's adventures continue in various formats). Speaking of the ending, pay especially close attention to Caius Tiddleus's cup when he's getting tickled by the priestess in the closing moments. It's a good, naughty sight gag.
This movie was my first exposure to Asterix, and thus I have a soft spot for it. Sentiment aside, though, I do think it's easily the best of the Asterix films, and is only rivaled by the very best comic adventures. Hey, I honestly haven't got tired of it during these twenty-odd years of occasional viewing - that's about the best endorsement I can give a film!
helpful•171
- dr_foreman
- Aug 14, 2006
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Top Gap
By what name was The Twelve Tasks of Asterix (1976) officially released in India in English?
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