Asterix Versus Caesar

Infobox Film
name = Astérix et la surprise de César
director = Gaëtan Brizzi
Paul Brizzi
released = 1985
runtime = 79 min.
writer = Pierre Tchernia
"adapted from"
René Goscinny
Albert Uderzo
producer = Yannik Piel
music = Vladimir Cosma
language = French / English
imdb_id = 0088748

"Asterix Versus Caesar" ("Astérix et la surprise de César", 1985) is the first of the 1980s Asterix films, based on the Asterix comic books, and is often considered as one of the best Asterix-films by fans of the comics and the movies. The movie is a great departure from the early movies, not only introducing a new and very 1980s-sounding Asterix Theme Song, but also better animation and more dramatic deliverance of the plot. The plot was adapted primarily from the books Asterix the Legionary and Asterix the Gladiator by Pierre Tchernia.

The plot

The movie begins when Obelix falls in love with the chief's niece, Panacea. His heart is quickly broken when he hears that she is due to be married to the handsome Tragicomix. The two lovers are walking in the woods when they are captured by a group of Romans lead by a fresh new recruit looking to impress the Centurion of the Roman Camp. The Centurion is infuriated, knowing that the Gauls will attack. Panacea, Tragicomix and the new recruit are sent to the farthest outpost of the Roman empire (in the Sahara) while the Centurion and his troops prepare for the battle.

The angered Gauls trash the camp after which Asterix and Obelix are sent to find the Panacea and Tragicomix and thus end up joining the legionnaires.

In the Sahara Tragicomix and Panacea manage to escape the Romans but are captured by slave traders and sold to Julius Caesar (or rather given as the humorous scene explains). After defying Caesar they are condemned as the grand finale of the Circus Maximus at the Colosseum where they will be thrown to the lions.

Asterix and Obelix trace the pair to Rome (after a brief stay in Egypt) and try to find the guy who they were sold to (the head of the Gladiator School). In a desperate effort to recruit Asterix and Obelix the owner of the Gladiator School orders their capture. They manage to capture Asterix who has lost his magic potion. He is saved by Obelix who loses Dogmatix (Idéfix) who in fact has the magic potion and is bouncing around the Roman sewers (the Cloaca Maxima?).

In an effort to free the lovers Asterix and Obelix join the Gladiator School. After they successfully mock up the show, Caesar unleashes the lions. Dogmatix makes a daring run across the lions' cage to the centre of the arena and gives Asterix the potion. He throws it to Tragicomix who takes care of the lions. While Obelix attempts to capture the lions he's distracted by Panacea and runs in to a pillar shattering a third of the Colosseum. With the show over and the audience evacuated Caesar grants the Gauls their freedom.

The movie ends up with the trademark victory feast that ends with the chief tripping over a rope of sausages.

Trivia

*The storm sequence in which Asterix loses his potion, Obelix loses Dogmatix and Asterix nearly drowns in the underground prison is probably the darkest of any scenes in Asterix films, and was originally a short story written by Goscinny to express fear to one of his kids.
*Planned when Goscinny was alive, legal battles hindered the production for years.Fact|date=February 2008 When the movie came around, Goscinny had long since died, but in many scenes there can be seen some reference to him. For example, Asterix shortly greets a huge stone memorial.
*Despite "Asterix the Gladiator" featuring Cacofonix as a main character, he only appears briefly in this film and has no lines.
* Goscinny's caricautre is seen in the film as a man with a brom in the Colosseum.
*It is the first and only time the Colosseum is featured in an Asterix adventure. It is an anachronism as it was built around 80 A.D., more than a century after Asterix's adventures took place. Goscinny and Uderzo were aware of that so they didn't draw it in any of the books. [www.asterix.co.nz]

Film book

A book of the film was released containing the story and stills from the film. It was later re-printed when Orion Publishing re-released the entire series.

VHS and DVD release

In English, the film was released on VHS and later Region 2 DVD. It was then released in 2006 as a part of a box set of animated Asterix films.

External links

* [http://www.asterix.co.nz/movies/asterixvscaesar.htm AsterixNZ entry]