[thechat] Asterix and Obelix Movie?

[William Anderson]

Terry Fowler wrote:

> I saw some production photos online a few years ago
> that included Gerard Depardieu in Obelix's blue and
> white striped pants among other fun and interesting
> aspects of A&O. I just realized recently that I never
> heard another word about it. I just googled and looked
> at several sites and went to imdb.com and sure enough,
> there was such a movie. 1999. I'm wondering if the
> reason it never showed around here is just that it's
> a foreign-language film and theater owners figure us
> 'murricans are just not going to watch a subtitled or
> dubbed movie, or is it because the film was, like,
> horrible?

Funny, it was shown here dubbed with some out-raaaaaaaaygeous French 
accents.  There have been two live action movies recently, both equally 
bad.  Both have been on Sky Movies here a few times.

The first was Astérix et Obélix contre César (Asterix and Obelix Take On 
Caesar), with an English translation by Terry Jones, of all people!  Didn't 
matter, it was a bad movie.

The second was Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre (Asterix & Obelix: 
Mission Cleopatra, aka Asterix and Obelix Meet Cleopatra).  Same primary 
cast, no such luxury of a Terry Jones translation, equally bad (imo).

It seems there's another one planned for release in 2006, Astérix et les 
Vikings (probably one of my favourite books of the Goscinny et Uderzo era). 
  I'm in fear, frankly.

I'm sorry, Obelix will always be that plump fellow from the books, getting 
humphty about not being able to take magic potion due to falling into the 
cauldron when he was a baby - man, did that piece of exposition have to 
take place in *every* book? :)  However, Depardieu just looks like 
Depardieu in a poor Obelix outfit - he really didn't own the role, imo. 
Shame that.

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