Asterix and Obelix vs Caesar

Infobox Film
name = Asterix et Obelix


caption = Theatrical poster
director = Claude Zidi
producer = Claude Berri
writer = René Goscinny, Gérard Lauzier
starring = Christian Clavier, Gérard Depardieu, Roberto Benigni, Laetitia Casta
music = Jean-Jacques Goldman, Roland Romanelli (ex-Space)
cinematography = Tony Pierce-Roberts
editing = Hervé de Luze
Nicole Saunier
production_company =
distributor =
released = 3 February 1999
runtime =
country = France/Italy/Germany
awards =
language = French
followed_by = ""
budget =
gross =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0133385

"Asterix and Obelix vs Caesar" (Aust.) or "Asterix & Obelix take on Caesar" (UK) (French: "Astérix et Obélix contre César") is a Franco-Italo-German movie, created by Claude Zidi, and released by 1999. The sequel, , was filmed in 2002.

The film combines elements of the plots of several mostly early Asterix stories, most from "Asterix the Gaul" (Getafix's abduction), "Asterix and the Soothsayer", "Asterix and the Goths" (the Druid conference), "Asterix the Legionary" (Obelix becoming smitten with Panacea) and "Asterix the Gladiator" (the characters fighting in the circus). Jokes and references from many other albums abound, including a humorous exchange between Caesar and Brutus taken from "Asterix and Cleopatra".

Plot summary

Julius Caesar is celebrating his victory over all of Gaul, but Lucius Detritus has kept from him the setback that one small village is holding out against the invaders. Detritus travels to the garrison near the village where Caius Bonus, the garrison's commanding Centurion, explains that the Gauls have a magic potion brewed for them by their Druid which makes them invincible. Detritus decides he must capture the potion for himself, and hearing that the clever Asterix and permanently invincible Obelix are the backbone of the Gaulish forces, attempts to eliminate them, though his first attempt fails.

A false soothsayer arrives at the village and predicts the arrival of Romans and treasure; despite Asterix's protestations, the village is taken in and when a Roman tax collector arrives, they drive off his forces and take the gold. The "soothsayer" later drugs and hypnotises Asterix to create a diversion while he makes off with the tax money, but news of the theft reaches Caesar, who comes to the garrison himself, demanding the legion attack. He witnesses the defeat of his army and is taunted by Asterix and Obelix; he demands Detritus subdue the village or be fed to the lions.

Detritus disguises himself and some men as Druids and kidnaps Panoramix (Getafix) as he is attending a Druid conference. Asterix disguises Obelix as a legionnaire, and they enter the garrison to rescue the Druid, but they are separated, Obelix maintining his diguise. Asterix joins Getafix in the dungeon, and the pair resist Detritus' demands to make the magic potion until he tortures Idefix (Dogmatix). Detritus uses the potion to throw Caesar into a cell, locked in an iron mask, and takes command with an oblivious Obelix as his bodyguard. Eventually Obelix helps Asterix, Getafix and Dogmatix escape, and they also bring the prisoner in the mask.

Caesar makes a deal with the Gauls to help him defeat Detritus, who mounts an all-out attack on the villagers using his own magic potion. To defeat him, Panoramix brews a special version of the potion uses a rare ingredient which creates dozens of duplicates of Asterix and Obelix. Caesar is returned to power, and he grants the village its freedom.

Cast

*Christian Clavier (English: Olaf Wijnants): Astérix
*Gérard Depardieu (English: Terry Jones): Obélix
*Roberto Benigni (English: Johnnie Lyne-Pirkis): Lucius Detritus (Tullius Destructivus)
*Michel Galabru : Abraracourcix
*Claude Piéplu : Panoramix (Getafix)
*Daniel Prévost : Prolix
*Pierre Palmade : Assurancetourix
*Laetitia Casta : Falbala (Panacea)
*Arielle Dombasle : M. Agecanonix
*Sim : Agecanonix
*Marianne Sägebrecht : Bonnemine
*Gottfried John : Jules César
*Jean-Pierre Castaldi : Caius Bonus
*Jean-Roger Milo : Cetautomatix
*Jean-Jacques Devaux : Ordralfabetix

Awards

*Golden Screen (1999)
*Bavarian Film Award (2000)
*Bogey Award in Silver (1999)

External links

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