TheLittleSongbird Asterix and Obelix Take on Caesar is not a masterpiece in any shape or form and has its problems but it is not an awful movie. Then again it is dependent on version you see, in my opinion the French version is the best while the translation isn't really worth bothering with. I agree the plot is tired and the direction on the languid side, and that the visuals and CGI is nothing brilliant to be honest with you. Take on Ceasar is also criticised for having none of the wit and charm of the animated adventures or the books. Of course they are definitely better, but it is dependent on which version you see(that criticism is understandable if it were the translation), in the French version there are enough deft touches in the script to amuse I think. The pacing is good, while the acting is fine. Christian Clavier and Gerard Depardieu are well cast in the title roles, while Roberto Benigni sinks his teeth into his role as the scheming centurion. In conclusion, nothing fantastic, but it isn't that bad. 6/10 Bethany Cox

eijkriche There are lots of opportunities to make a movie from a bad or average comic, an old or otherwise forgotten comic. Who cares about those books anyway? But are there lots of opportunities to make a movie from a good comic, that can still be bought by dozens in any bookstore, that is fresh in the memory of many people? I don't think so. Asterix is considered a good comic. Not average or poor. Asterix is not old. I don't mean the character, because no character in a comic ever seems to grow older. I mean, this comic book series doesn't grow old. Every day, Asterix-readers die of age. And at the same time young children start to read Asterix. This doesn't apply for more than two or three other comic book series. At least here in Europe, where most comic books you read only appear in one or two neighbor countries, but rarely in the whole Roman empire. So, the makers of Astérix took a high risk. And they succeeded. There are many reasons to call this an Asterix-product, not just some movie based on a comic.

Brevity The film is dedicated to René Goscinny. I am very doubtful as to whether he would've liked this sort of remembering. All this dinning mess does to this fan of the comics is irritate him. And yes, it almost makes one growl "sacrilege...", which is, you know, far from a good thing.All that is good about the comic books has been lost on the way. All the verbal wit, the best thing about the albums. Not here. Absent. The other layers beyond the most prominent one. Gone. Not here.The running jokes of the bard being tied to a tree or of Obélix begging for the potion from the albums are here, but they are executed as though this is the viewer's first Astérix experience, thus making the titular character explaining that the other titular character fell into the potion merely irritating; they have only used the parts that constantly repeat themselves in the albums, the Astérix clichés, if you will, but they have forgotten to alter them. Moreover, the characters' characteristics have been changed so that they barely resemble their comic book counterparts.What few jokes and gags there are that might have even worked are mostly ruined by bad delivery or execution. What the hell is Benigni doing? Doesn't work for me. His performance is characteristic of the whole film: much noise, little success.The plot, if there is such a thing, goes nowhere. The film mashes elements from various albums together so that what is left is an incoherent chaos. As if that weren't enough, they bring aboard these moronic new things, such as the cloning fiasco.The costume and set design and the special effects, even the hair, are all done as if this were a cartoon, and yes, very badly so. They are merely annoying. Just thinking of the post-potion-drinking effect makes me cringe. "C'est intolérable", indeed. Even the bloody music over the bloody credits is ridiculously chosen!I had two strong candidates for the summary of this comment; the other one was "Lost in adaptation". Alain Chabat improved on both this and his directorial debut "Didier" with the sequel more loyal to one (!) of the albums and, while at it, proved that it is, in fact, possible for a live-action Astérix film to work, which is why I chose the current title. For you see, this one does not work.

mikejaques This is an awful film, a complete waste of 80 minutes. The storyline is overly simplistic and awful, whilst the English dubbing is terrible and detracts greatly from the movie. I rented this movie with high hopes and was sorely let down. I have been a big Asterix fan since I was a kid and still enjoy the both the animations and comics. Therefore I was disappointed to that this movie is a wasted opportunity. The sets are nice, the costumes good, and some big name actors appear. However as is common with a lot of these cartoon to film adaptations the story is very weak. The film becomes irritating after about 10 minutes. I haven't seen the follow up and on this evidence will not bother. Hire the original cartoons instead.