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Summary
Tired with Julius Caesar’s constant put downs about her people, Cleopatre, queen of Egypt,
bets him that she can have built - in just three months - the most fabulous palace he
has ever seen. To that end, she engages the avant-garde young architect Numérobis,
promising him he will be covered in gold if he pulls of the challenge, or else become
crocodile meat if he fails. Numérobis realises that his only hope of success
is the magic potion invented by the Gaul druid Panoramix. He persuades the druid,
and his friends Asterix and Obelix, to come to Egypt to help him in his mission impossible
. However, a rival architect, Amonbofis, is determined that Numérobis
will fail and is prepared to resort to any means to stop the building work, even allying
himself with the Roman army...
Review
After the comparative disappointment of the first live action Asterix film - Astérix
et Obélix contre César (1999) - virtually no one was prepared for
the phenomenon Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre
which hit the French cinemas in Januaray 2002. The film was an out and out success,
attracting almost 15 million spectators in France alone, and unleashing a merchandising
phenomenon which looks set to make it the most successful film ever made in France.
In the original comic books of Goscinny et Uderzo, Asterix the Gaul was France’s last
hope against an all-conquering Roman Empire. In a similar way, Asterix the Film
appears to be France’s best chance of standing up to that all-enveloping giant that is
Hollywood cinema.
This is all very well providing the French film industry does not sacrifice its diversity
and end up as a bland imitation of American cinema. Fortunately, if Astérix
& Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre is anything to go by, that outcome
is unlikely. It may be a blockbuster movie (at 55 million Euros, it was the most
expensive film to have been made in France), it may rely greatly on special effects, but,
for all that, it is inherently a fine piece of cinema. Avoiding the pitfalls
of other recent French big budget films (such as Taxi
2), it does not rest on its laurels and it positively froths with the boundless
wit, imagination and individuality which best characterises French cinema.
The film was directed by the multi-talented Alain Chabat, an actor / comedian / writer
/ director, whose previous films La Cité de la peur: une comédie familiale
(1994) and Didier (1997) were popular successes. Christian Clavier and
Gérard Depardieu reprise their roles as Asterix and Obelix and are joined by cult
comic Jamel Debbouze (playing the architect Numérobis) and veteran actor Claude
Rich in the role of Panoramix. Gérard Darmon makes an impressive villain
as Numérobis' rival Amonbofis, whilst Monica Bellucci has the beauty and charisma
to make a convincing Cléopâtre.
One possible drawback with Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre
is that many of the jokes are targeted at a home audience and may not translate well
into other languages for other markets. This is a pity, since the satirical jokes
are undoubtedly the best part of the film (slave workers’ demanding a shorter working
day, the Itineris "l’SFR joke", the Cartapus joke, etc., etc.) - reflecting that
the one form of comedy the French are particularly adept at is satire (hence the enduring
success of shows like Les Guignols and Nulle part ailleurs). In a
similar vein, several of the cast are chosen more for their current popularity in France
rather than for their superlative acting talent (notably, Jamel Debbouze and Edouard Baer).
Such considerations will probably lessen the impact of the film’s success outside of France,
but the film offers so much more that it is still likely to be a box office hit in most
countries where it is marketed. For one thing, some of the visual jokes are universally
accessible and the film would still be hilarious even if all the dialogue were removed:
dim Roman centurions being pulverised by Asterix and his chums, Japanese tourists buying
models of the pyramids, Obelix disfiguring the Sphinx, the Scooby Doo sequence
where the dog Idéfix rescues Asterix, and much, much more.
Unquestionably, Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre
should stand as one of cinema’s best adaptation of a comic book adventure. Although
the film relies on special effects, these are used to serve the film and do not, as is
increasingly the case in big budget films, take over the film. Watching the film
is very much like reading a comic book - you have the same sense of fun and anticipation,
and you are kept constantly laughing. It is rare that a film combines visual comedy
and comic dialogue so effectively, but what is most pleasing about the film is its perpetual
self-mockery and sense of irony. It not only laughs at itself, it laughs at contemporary
issues in France, and also at cinema in general. References to other films abound,
from Star Wars ("l’empire contre-attaque") to Titanic ("je suis le roi du
monde"), even taking in a "borrowed" martial arts scene from Crouching Tiger, Hidden
Dragon.
Intelligent, self-referential, beautifully filmed and utterly hilarious in places, the
film is just as appealing to adults as to children (who will undoubtedly delight in the
comic exploits of Asterix and company). After the threadbare diet which was the
first Asterix film, many reviewers were dreading a sequel. Having feasted to excess
on Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre, we await
the next instalment with eager anticipation.
© James Travers 2002
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