Two main reasons for me watching this flick:2. It features one of my all time favorite actors Gerard Depardieu
I guess this movie was pitched at kids but it certainly had an eye on the adult audience that would accompany children to the theater. The plot couldn't have been more basic with our Gaul heroes Asterix and Obelix taking part in the Olympic Games to help their pal win the hand of the princess of Greece. The French cast did a top rate job in expressing their inner cartoon selves with Depardieu looking very much at home as the portly Obelix. However it is worth the cost of the movie rental just to see the outstanding comedic performance of Beniot Poelvoorde as Ceaser's son Brutus (no relation to my own hound of the same name!). He just about stole the show from the main characters with a frenzied slapstick role which is hard to pull off without coming across as forced. I had never heard of this guy who was a Jury member at Cannes in 2004 but I think I may seek out more of his movies and see if this was a one off.
Naturally with any kids movie there is a happy ending, closure all round, the good triumph, the bad get what's coming (poor old Brutus!). The final scene was full of surprises with a couple of big French sporting names and a cameo right at the end by another favorite French actor of mine, Jamel Debouzze of Amelie and Angel A fame.
So this was a total surprise having expected to watch an average movie it was actually pretty bloomin' decent.
P.S Alain Delon was a Great Ceasar!
Rating: ***
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