The Twelve Tasks of Asterix (1976)

A group of indomitable Gauls are challenged by Roman Emperor Julius Caesar to accomplish twelve impossible tasks.

Directors:

René Goscinny, Henri Gruel

Writers:

René Goscinny (story), Albert Uderzo (story)

Stars:

Roger Carel, Jacques Morel, Pierre Tornade

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Roger Carel	...	Astérix / Les 2 sénateurs (voice)
Jacques Morel	...	Obélix (voice)
Pierre Tornade	...	Abraracourcix (voice)
Henri Labussière	...	Le réceptionniste (voice)
Jean Martinelli	...	César (voice)
Pascal Mazzotti	...	(voice)
Lawrence Riesner	...	(voice)
Claude Dasset	...	(voice)
Roger Lumont	...	Cylindrique le Germain, prof de karaté allemand (voice)
Gérard Hernandez	...	Le vénérable du sommet (voice)
Henri Virlojeux	...	Panoramix / Iris (voice)
Nicole Vervil	...	(voice)
Jacques Hilling	...	(voice)
Henri Poirier	...	(voice)
Mary Mongourdin	...	(voice)

Storyline

When Julius Cesar fears, that he will probably never be able to defeat the gaulic village of Asterix and his friends, he has the idea of offering the Gauls a deal: if they are able to solve twelve tasks that he selected, he will hand over the Roman empire to them. If not, they have to submit.

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Plot Keywords:

roman empire | 1st century b.c. | based on comic book | sequel | character name in title | 

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Taglines:

Twelve mighty tasks to prove the Gauls are gods or mortals!

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy

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Details

Country:

France UK

Language:

French English

Release Date:

17 November 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Twelve Tasks of Asterix

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dargaud Films, Les Productions René Goscinny, Studios Idefix

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Caricatures in the movie include French director, writer, actor, animator and presenter Pierre Tchernia, who also narrates this movie in the French version as a Roman consul in "Place that send you mad", and French actress Brigitte Bardot as the goddess Venus.

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Goofs

When 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.

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Quotes

Julius Caesar: Brutus, stop playing with that knife. You'll end up hurting someone.

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Crazy Credits

The 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 Est Romani" ("These Romans are crazy.")

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Alternate Versions

In Denmark, the film was once aired as a mini-series, containing a number of cuts.

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Connections

Featured in Troldspejlet: Episode #31.12 (2004)

User Reviews

Enjoyable cartoon movie with original story featured by ours immortals heroes

vThe year is 50 Bc. Gaul is entirely occupied by the Roman. Well,not entirely..One small village of indomitable Gauls still holds out against the invaders. And life is not easy for the Roman legionaries who garrison the fortified camps . In the village are our friends : ¨Asterix¨,the hero of this adventure,he's a shrewd , cunning little warrior ,all perilous missions are immediately entrusted to him.¨Obelix¨ his inseparable friend,he's a menhir delivery-man by trade and addicted to wild boar,he's always ready to drop everything and go off on a new adventure with Asterix,so long as there's wild boar to eat, and plenty of fighting.¨Panoramix¨,the venerable village druid,gathers mistletoe and brews magic potions,his speciality is the potion which gives the drinker superhuman strength although also has other recipes up his sleeve.¨Abraracurcix¨,the chief of the tribe,majestic,brave and hot-tempered,the old warrior is respected by his enemies,he has only one fear,he's afraid the sky may fall on his head tomorrow,but as he always says,'Tomorrow never comes'. And of course ¨Cacofonix¨,the Bard,opinion is divided as to his musical gifts,he thinks he's a genius,everyone else thinks he's unspeakable,but so long as he doesn't speak,let alone sing,everybody likes him..... The film concerns about Julius Caesar who offers the Gauls a covenant ,they must prove which they're Gods by making twelve extremely difficult works, similar to 12 works of Hercules which are the following: vanquished to the Amazonas,captured wild boar and bull of island of Crete,killed the Hydra,swept the stable of Ujias,murdered to Gerion and Diomedes,took apples of garden of Hesperides,won a race against the clock to a deer,strangled to Lion of Nemea,shot arrows to birds of lake Stinfano,got out at Teseo of the inferno. Asterix and Obelix will must be able resolve twelve similar tasks that Caesar chose and if the fail they will converted slaves and the Gauls village will hand over the Roman empire to them . Between the dangerous missions our friends must suffer are the followings : the fighting a winner javelin thrower and against a judo-man, the lures of mermaids , taking a celestial challenge with a God, combating a ghosts army, the crossing an invisible bridge and confronting public officials with a extremely critic to the bureaucracy ,among others. The picture will appeal to Asterix and Obelix comic-books fans.