Asterix and Cleopatra (1968) User Reviews

Asterix , Obelix and Panoramix go to Egypt where takes place several adventures

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 26 March 2011]

Enjoyable cartoon movie with original story based on the hugely successful series of comic books and featured by our immortals heroes . Asterix books are a popular comics with the same title about a village of indomitable Gauls who resist Caesar's invasion thanks to a magic potion that renders them invulnerable supermen . The year is 50 Bc. Gaul is entirely occupied by the Roman.Well,not entirely..One small village of indomitable Gauls still holds out against the invaders.and life is not easy for the Roman legionaries who garrison the fortified camps .In the village are our friends : ¨Asterix¨,the hero of this adventure,he's a shrewd,cunning little warrior,all perilous missions are immediately entrusted to him. ¨Obelix¨ his inseparable friend,he's a Menhir delivery-man by trade and addicted to wild boar,he's always ready to drop everything and go off on a new adventure with Asterix,so long as there's wild boar to eat, and plenty of fighting. ¨Panoramix¨,the venerable village druid, gathers mistletoe and brews magic potions,his speciality is the potion which gives the drinker superhuman strength although also has other recipes up his sleeve.¨Abraracurcix¨,the chief of the tribe,majestic,brave and hot-tempered,the old warrior is respected by his enemies,he has only one fear,he's afraid the sky may fall on his head tomorrow,but as he always says,'Tomorrow never comes'. And of course ¨Cacofonix¨,the Bard,opinion is divided as to his musical gifts,he thinks he's a genius,everyone else thinks he's unspeakable,but so long as he doesn't speak,let alone sing,everybody likes him..... Meanwhile the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra bets against the Roman Emperor, Julius Caesar, that her people are still great, even if the times of the Pharaohs has long passed. She vows to build a fabulous palace for Caesar within a short period of time. Since all her architects are either busy otherwise or too conservative in style, this ambivalent honor falls to a botcher architect. He is to build the palace and be covered in gold or, if not, his fate is to be eaten by crocodiles. Then the Egyptian architect calls upon an old friend to help him out: The magician Druid Panoramix from Gaul, who brews a fantastic potion that gives supernatural strength. In order to help and protect the old Druid, Asterix and Obelix accompany him on his journey to Egypt. En route to Egypt, the ship is met by a gang of pirates , and as always the pirate vessel is sunk .When Julius Caesar gets wind of the project succeeding, he has the building site attacked by his troops in order to win the bet and not lose face. But just like the local pirates, he hasn't counted on Asterix and Obelix .

This is a fine adventure with hilarious moments here and there, and has Asterix and his inseparable friend Obelix traveling to ancient Egypt to help Cleopatra build a fantastic palace and fighting, as always, against the stupid Romans , pirates and an ambitious architect. Although contains a primitive drawing , however being better developed than former entry ¨Asterix the Gaul¨ , both of them produced by Raymond Leblanc. It contains some customs critical about actual way of life and modern anachronisms that's common thing in comic books . The cartoon movie brilliantly captures the outrageous adventures, tongue in cheek, satire, comedy from original story with the same title and drawn by Albert Uderzo and writing credits by Rene Goscinny . This amusing movie is accompanied to lively musical score by Gerard Calvi with a catching leitmotif on the start and the ending. Full of humor , it's a funny entertaining for kids and grown-ups . The picture will appeal to popular animated hero Asterix and his faithful sidekick Obelix fans and comic-books nostalgics. A successful, funny adaptation from a great comic book.

Not bad...

[vaudevillejones · 6/10 · 30 November 2005]

This is the second Asterix film and, frankly, it's much better than 'Asterix the Gaul' (the first Asterix movie). Partly, I think this is because it's actually less faithful to the book than the first film. As a result, there are jokes that work far better on the screen than on the page, there are new scenes and there are even some fairly decent musical numbers.

I only have one real complaint about this film, and that is that a lot of the jokes lack subtlety- they are carried on beyond the point at which they remain funny.

That aside, not a bad film. More for the kids than the adults, but fairly entertaining nonetheless.

Charming piece of silliness

[Vartiainen · 6/10 · 18 September 2015]

The second of the animated Asterix films and once again based fully on an early comic album of the same name. This time Asterix, Obelix and druid Getafix travel all the way to Egypt to help a friend of Getafix, an architect named Edifis, who has been ordered to built a magnificent palace for Queen Cleopatra. The only problem is that he only has three months to do so and he has absolutely no skills as an architect.

This time Asterix creators Goscinny and Uderzo oversaw the project and it shows. The film has real energy behind it, which has always been a hallmark of the Asterix series. The film is full of good visual humour, clever wordplay and fun characters. The animation quality is also much higher than previously and even the music, arguably the strongest point of the first film, has gotten bit of an upgrade. Plus, the characters are still very, very good, which we of course have the original comics to thank for.

Unfortunately the film suffers from the same problem the first one did. The comic album simply didn't have enough material for a full length feature film and thus they had to pad most of the scenes to obscene amounts. This is especially notable in the scenes with Cleopatra. Had they simply made new scenes and added subplots, it might have been more bearable, but this way it just seems needlessly prolonged.

Still, it is an improvement and a very good film for kids. Adults will probably find themselves slightly bored, but because the film is constantly moving, entertaining and showing you at least something, the children are not likely to notice. I certainly didn't.

Not brilliant, but it's a faithful adaptation of the book

[bob the moo · 9 April 2002]

When an argument between Caesar and Cleopatra over Egyptian ability turns into a bet, an architect is charged to build a palace for Caesar. The architect turns to Getafix, Asterix and Obelix to help him with the construction. However with a rival architect and the Roman empire seeking to stop Caesar losing the bet Asterix et al have more on their hands than they reckoned for.

The story is yet again faithful to the book, even opening and closing on the original cartoon itself. It doesn't manage to bring all the jokes out of the book as it could have done but it is still pretty good. The animation is solid and stays close to the source in style.

The characters are quite good, however their voices sound the same at times and don't match their roles too well – Obelix sounds less dopey this time but Asterix still sounds too squeaky. The downside, watching it now, is that the racist stereotypes are really crude – the black characters are dark with huge rubber lips. But I suppose at the time nothing was thought of it and we should take it in the spirit it was intended.

The musical numbers are OK –there aren't too many so the film isn't slowed down. The bets one is a sort of warning against anorexia with the lines `If you're off your food, you're ill' and `when you're eating well you're well'!

Overall it's not brilliant, but it's a faithful adaptation of the book and manages to bring some of the wit and charm of the characters out.

The second of the series is a lot of fun to watch for the most part

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 26 February 2021]

"Astérix et Cléopâtre" or "Asterix and Cleopatra" or "Asterix und Kleopatra" is a co-production between France and Belgium in the French language from 1968, so this one is already over half a century old. Of course, this is an animated film or with those back then, you can also still say cartoon movie. And not a very long one at that as it only runs for under 75 minutes. Maybe you are surprised that I included the German title, but why not? I think that right now, even after all these years, these films are hardly anywhere as famous as they are here in Germany and they also were back then, which you can see from the Golden Screen it received back in the day, an award in Germany for films that were seen by really, really many people at the theater. And as many people perceive this as a movie that is rather for children (which is absolutely not true, also good fun for grown-ups), this achievement is even more respectable. Many Bud Spencer films managed to win this Golden Screen Award, I think some Winnetou as well, but at least compared to the latter I believe that this is not an inferior watch at all. It is the second film from the series and was released just one year after the first (Astérix le Gaulois obviously) and one crucial change is that Goscinny and Uderzo, who wrote the comics of course, were also in charge of the direction here in contrast to the first film. The only other film Uderzo ever directed was Les 12 travaux d'Astérix almost a decade later and Goscinny also directed this one. The man had two more directorial efforts that were Lucky Luke films. Besides, the one I just mentioned is probably my very favorite from the entirety of Asterix movies and I will review that one as well in a few weeks I think. Bud Spencer and James Bond franchises are seen and reviewed for the most part, especially the latter, so let's move on to that little resilient village. There are a few more writers credited here from France and Belgium and I cannot say a lot about those honestly as I simply don't know them, but it seems Eddie Lateste is still alive now in 2021 in his early 90s and that means he has reached an even higher age than Uderzo, who died not too long ago. Goscinny left us a long time ago already sadly.

Another one who died in his 90s last year would be Roger Carel, the voice of Asterix. I cannot say too much about him either because I watched the German dub obviously, but I think he was pretty famous in France, certainly more famous than Jacques Morel, the voice of Obelix, who died already over a decade ago. May all of them rest in peace, also Goscinny and Uderzo, and I am grateful for what they left us. It's also still up on my agenda to read all the Asterix comic books once again and that means something coming from somebody like myself who is not big on readin at all. Anyway, as for the German dub here, it is kinda interesting that this won a German screen and I think it has a lot to with the excellent dub really just as excellent as the dubs were for these aforementioned Spencer films that also won the German Screen on several occasions. The translations are also really good there. By the way, we get an interesting little explanation very early on that is especially memorable to linguists like myself with how the Egyptians were actually speaking back then and how it is depicted here and how they ask us to forgive that mouth movements and words may not always be 100% in harmony with each other. Comes very easy to forgive this with such a high level of dialogue writing otherwise. In terms of the words, we have one running gag about Cleopatra's nose that I liked quite a bit, also how often they used it. A lot early on, but before it gets too much, they leave it out in the second half and then I think once more near the very end. If you have seen and/or read some Asterix, you will know some of the other jokes maybe. That would be of course Obelix's desire for the magic potion and he even manages to get a drop this time. But the druid rejecting him is the standard procedure of course. Then there are the pirates who always get punched and have their ship destroyed by the Gauls and here they even have an extra task, namely to destroy some barrels of magic potion themselves. And the bard is also ready to perform a farewell song. Problem is nobody else is ready for that.

To make the local aspect count, we find out how the sphinx lost her nose and who is the one responsible for that. Also interesting how the painters/scuulptors reacted right after it happened. I think the question/riddle on how the Egyptians managed to build these spectacular buildings and pyramids was not solved here, but they easily could have done it by saying it was thanks to the magic potion. Oh well. As for the local architect here in charge of building the palace, I honestly kept wondering how he did so well if we take a look at his other buildings early on. But then again, he did not have the manpower and our two heroes at his disposal for these other works. We have once again more antagonists than one. Caesar is in ist of course and once again he gets defeated by the Gauls thanks to their magic potion, even if it is just a proxy war this time. But Cleopatra is also not entirely friendly. Look at her words on what is going to happen to our heroes if they fail, even if she sides with them for the most part. The key antagonist here is another architect, a jealous one, even if in the end he is also with everybody at the table enjoying the spectacular meal. Despite his cruel ideas. The first is still relatively harmless and also pretty modern with how he tries to convince the workers to go on strike because payment does not equal effort. But things get more serious in his attempts to stop our heroes. Just take the example with his buddy who leaves them behind in the pyramid and without Obelix's little dog, they may have died in there indeed. So there are threats, also a few serious moments, but they still kept this film harmless for the most part. Just look at how Caesar and Cleopatra talk to each other. Or about each other. How he calls her people early on, which is enough to outrage her. Or how she calls him near the end when she finds about the attack. Kinda funny.

These moments were probably not mean funny, but they feel like it looking at how the movie has aged. Nonetheless, it's all about the comedy otherwise. Some inclusions are as brief as they are creative like the Santa painting on the pyramid's wall. Others feel more significant. The moment when Obelix splits the cake into three parts is probably among my favorite comedic moments in animation history. You cannot depict greed and hunger in a more charming and entertaining manner really. Obelix is the winner of course when it comes to comedy. The undisputed MVP. And maybe not too different to Spencer, even if the latter does not need any magic potion to be the stronges in the world. Take a look at the two occasions where he knocks down walls and the soldiers standing there to guard are knocked down at the same time. And all this after they laughed right before that about Obelix' warning. The first example would be when our heroes leave the prison Cleopatra put them in. And the second example would be when they go free the druid. Also from prison. So funny these moments. There are many other examples and really not a lot that did not impress me. Maybe one of the weaker parts would be the sequence with Cleopatra and her lion early on and a little later also the (almost) dream sequence with Obelix when he is not happy about the food. The lion appears in there as well. Not my favorite character. Music in general was not this film's biggest strength. I mean the moments when people were singing. The score was absolutely fine. A better singing part was when the two bad guys prepare the poisoned cake in the second half. Unreal what kind of stuff they throw in there. I guess Cleopatra's taster got lucky to be alive still. And the druid of course carries around an antidote against everything just in case. What a champ. They really needed it here.

As I am getting to an end, let me say that I enjoyed this film a lot. Overall, it's definitely closer to 4 out of 5 than 2 out of 5. Still, this really high rating is reserved for the 12 travaux movie I mentioned early on, my favorite from the franchise. Still, I am glad I got to catch this one here tonight and looking forward to the other films in the coming weeks. No clue though why they showed this one first because it's not the first. But maybe the reason is that many think it's better than the first and also includes more references on foreign culture and travelling. Who knows. But the very first I will also watch and review soon. Also minor characters and short scenes in here are fun. Take Caesar's stealthed spy, take the hungry crocodiles (and lion) at the end, take the mouse, take the lovebirds (many animals in here), take Obelix's reactions when Asterix does not want his dog to join them and how acts as if he was the one barking, take Obelix's surprise that the druid immediately know it's him when everybody gets some magic potion and of course take Cleopatra's moments in the limelight when she talks about dying like a queen. Truly like an actress. And what a nose indeed! An easy thumbs-up for this movie that has aged really well. There are a handful other moments and inclusions I could talk about, like the snow in France early on, which also makes this film really beautiful to watch at times and nobody can say it is dated in terms of how it looks. Great attention to detail there as well, also with the scenes in Egypt of course. With costumes and sets. I am glad this is still on from time to time. Show it to your kids for sure. Or if you don't have any, keep watching it here and there for yourself. There's no way you will regret it unless animation really isn't your cop of tea at all. I personally think this film's charm is undeniable.

Surprisingly fresh...

[thegarf · 9/10 · 22 February 1999]

It's been a surprise for me to see this movie was made in the late 60's. I just can't count the times I've seen it during my childhood, because it was such a great parody of the Hollywood peplum and historical movies. As usual, Goscinny's story and talent brings out a lot of fun and humorous situation, helped by the excellent quality of drawings. Too bad there wasn't enough money to make more frames per sec., but this anime's quality and humour lie in the great work of reconstitution and study of houses, temples, furnitures, each becoming a reason for fun; the two friendly companions Asterix and Obelix once again show their talent helping an architect for a bet between Cleopatra and Caesar. A long and funny story making you travel from the shores of Gaul to the water of the Nile... perfect entertainment for kids (and their parents !). And listen carefully for the lyrics of the "Arsenic pudding" song !!! :)

Asterix by its creators

[parkerbcn · 7/10 · 14 June 2021]

One of the two Asterix animated adaptations that the two original creators directed after not being happy with the results of the first film adaptation "Asterix the Gaul". His next attempt, "The Twelve Tasks of Asterix" is much better, but this one also has good qualities. It's clearly faithful to the comic and very entertaining, with just a little too many not very great songs.

An 'epic historical drama' where every moment is a comic relief ...

[ElMaruecan82 · 10/10 · 24 May 2013]

In the "Movies-that-Made-my-Childhood" anthology, "Asterix and Cleopatra" is the number one. I grew up with it, my parents did (that's for posterity), I can recite it line by line, watch it again and again, I still laugh and may even discover subtle details in the process. But don't take my 'history' with the film as a bias; just watch it and you'll see that Disney had not the monopoly of entertainment, laughs and catchy songs. "Asterix and Cleopatra" is something special.

The first frame shows a funny-looking Egyptian with a deadpan expression. The narrator starts : "About two thousand years ago in the time of Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, the Egyptians talked like this" a speech bubble appears while the Egyptian talks in gibberish codified by funny drawings illustrating each sound he makes: a fly for buzzing, smoke for coughing, a bird for tweeting etc. After this hilarious nonsense, the narrator then concedes: "This language was rather difficult to understand, so the film you are about to see has been dubbed. However, due to the fact that dubbing techniques had not been perfected in this period, you may notice that the movement of lips is not always synchronized exactly with the words being spoken" The Egyptian proves his point by setting the tone: "And now after this interesting and instructive prologue, we are privileged to present a great historic epic drama".

The Egyptian is right on one thing, the prologue was indeed interesting and much, much instructive; however, I'm more doubtful about the word 'drama'. Which foreign drama (from most IMDb users' perspective) would acknowledge dubbing's inconsistencies? Hell, which animated feature would do so? To my knowledge, "Asterix and Cleopatra" is the only one to elevate the parody to such summits of hilarity. And it's only the beginning of a ten-laugh per minute spectacle, starting with a score imitating these historical epic peplum until it turns to Asterix' theme. The film is an adaptation of one of the most famous little Gaul's adventures, labeled then as the greatest story ever drawn. The cover exhaustively listed all the furniture that contributed to the making: pencils, paintings, pens, paper, beer etc. I guess any comparison with a little film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton was totally fortuitous..

The 'Cleopatra' book was a great choice because only the big screen could recreate, even improve, the epic feel through music and majestic shots on Egyptian sites in the backdrop, before turning them into derision. This explains why the same story was used for Alain Chabat's "Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra" which became one of the highest-grossing movies of French cinema. The story is a winner, starting from the titular character: Cleopatra, the delightfully hot-headed, exquisitely histrionic and capricious (drama) queen whose nose would have changed the face of the world, had it been shorter. Cleopatra, voiced by Micheline Dax, is more of a prima donna in the film and this is the perfect characterization to make her funny without damaging her inner majesty. On the other side, the suave and debonair Julius Caesar doesn't sugarcoat his words and provokes Cleopatra by stating that Egyptians are decadent and lost their touch as far as architecture is concerned. Cleopatra then promises a sumptuous palace built in three months, it's a deal.

For that mission, she hires Numerobis (Edifis in English), the greatest architect of Alexandria but that's not saying much since his trademark consists on buildings that end up collapsing and make laugh the neighbors. It's a hit-or-miss for Edifis, gold or crocodiles (replacing the arena's lions in Egyptian tradition), who's got no other choice than asking for help Panoramix (Getafix for the English speakers), the old druid accepts and he's escorted by the village's best warriors: Asterix, Obelix and little Idefix (Dogmatix). In their adventure, they encounter the ruthless pirates whose 'boarding, slit-throating, destroying, massacring, and, sinking' are labeled by the green parrot as 'daily routine'; they face the vicious plots of Edifis' main rival Amonobofis (Artifis). He's not that bad actually, even offering his precious help. However, he only consents on sharing the gold in case of success, otherwise, Numerobis would be sent alone to the crocodiles. Anyway, it won't be an easy job, even Julius Caesar would try to undermine their road to success, but our Gaulish heroes find time to travel along the Nile and visit the Pyramids, where Obelix notices a little cameo of Santa Claus in the hieroglyphs.

And that's only one of the countless gags that transcend the 'epic historical drama' facade. Served by a dubbing from (among others) Roger Carel, Pierre Tornade and Micheline Dax, who were also the main French voices in the Muppets Show, the film also benefits from a great music. During the first visit in the construction site, it's slow, pompous and depressing, like the sight of the two workers struggling to pull a one-ton block of stone during overtime. But as soon as the workers drink the magic potion, it's as if the potion even fueled the music with a fast-pacing rhythm, catchiness and energy, it goes so fast, you might even miss some hilarious sight gags. The film also features an operatic duo between Cleopatra and her scene-stealing lion; a magnificent ode to the joys of food, when Obelix makes some entrechats with roasted boars and Asterix informs that the old adage changed "we don't eat to live, but we live to eat", this trippy parade is one of the greatest tributes to French' appetite and the best about food is still to come. Who'd have thought making a poisoned pudding could be so jazzy?

The film has everything: slapstick, verbal humor, music, even the obligatory happy ending is treated with a a subtle detachment. "Asterix the Gaul", the first film; met with popular success, but it was cheap and graphically poor. With a few songs, escapism, unforgettable secondary characters, the authors Uderzo and Goscinny finally found the recipe for a cinematic magic potion.

Good but not perfect

[bazmitch23 · 7/10 · 8 January 2014]

There are some good gags in this film, like the poor dubbing in the beginning, the scene where the man is sharpening his hand to karate chop wood, the architect's's poor designs and Cleopatra acting like a spoiled brat.

But the songs are terrible. There is only 3 songs and the lyrics are hopeless. Cleopatra's song in the bath consists of only "La la la la la." and that annoying lion dancing. The food song consists of "When you're eating well, you're well. When you're eating well, you're well. Loss of appetite is a dreadful blight. When you're eating well, you're well." And don't get me started on the song where the villain bakes a cake.

The point of writing a song is to make it catchy so that people can't get it out of their heads. These lyrics are obviously written by a first timer.

Black people are drawn in a shockingly stereotypical way with giant lips and speak in stereotypical voices. I'm surprised the BBFC didn't cut those scenes out. They probably knew it was Asterix and gave it a U anyway without watching it. You could have full frontal nudity in it and they wouldn't know.

The animation is not great, it is not a Hollywood Disney film. Just a low budget French film. The voice acting is average. Asterix with an American accent is not good idea. Ceaser and Cleopatra's voices work though.

It's also really short. But back in the 60's, animated movies were very short.

But it is entertaining. There's good visual gags in it and it is certainly a lot better than Asterix The Gaul which was awful. Despite it's flaws, it is worth watching if you're an Asterix fan.

Great piece of French animation

[Johnny B · 9/10 · 8 February 1999]

This is probably one of the best French animated films to date. It surely is the best of all Asterix movies since its story holds more together than any of the others. Its comic parts are many, but they are not ridiculous as many found in the others. On the cover of the book there was this motto: "The Greatest Story Ever Drawn". Surely it says right. Although much of the animation seems to have been inspired by 20th Century Fox's "Cleopatra" (1963), still it is full of originality. There is never a dull moment - it is entertainment from beginning to end.

Bad character, but a beautiful nose

[maxmages · 6/10 · 21 September 2022]

Undoubtedly a significant improvement over the last one, despite only being released a year later. That was unimaginable, especially at the time.

I also like the gags with the translations they contain. They are unique, especially in German, where there is also a dialect soundtrack.

It always bothered me as a kid that they sing in this film, but now as an adult I can relate to the songs. Especially the level of silliness.

I always tip my hat to the translators' ideas and rhymes and how funny this film is, it just puts you in a good mood right from the start. In German, Cleopatra has a somewhat annoying voice, it's so shrill, so squeaky. It hurts a bit in the ear and because she also screams a lot throughout the movie, it's hard to take. But that actually makes them suitable as a threat.

All of the characters come off pretty well here, and this is a film that makes good use of its staff. Only the architect who built the pyramids and the temple falls behind a bit, he seems far too incompetent and boring to me, which is why I sometimes wondered why he even had this job. But I can overlook that. Suspension of Disbelief.

I think this is the best of all the Asterix stories.

[furienna · 9/10 · 29 April 2006]

Well, well, well... I managed to find this movie one morning in late December of 1994, so I could record it on my VCR, and I have watched it now and then ever since. About "Asterix" in general, I can only say, that I only like it for one thing: Its historical setting and its mention of ancient gods and goddesses. Otherwise, it can't compare to let's say "Tintin" when it comes to quality. But about this story in particular, where the Gauls Asterix, Obelix and Getafix have to go to Egypt to help queen Cleopatra's architect to build a temple for Julius Ceasar within three months, I must say, that it has to be one of my favorite "Asterix" stories of all time.

disappointing and without the wit of the comic strip

[HelenMary · 4/10 · 14 January 2013]

I read Asterix cartoons over and over in my youth so know them well, but had never seen the animation until today and I'm sad to say I was disappointed. The film didn't have the language wit of the comic strip (the Latin asides) and the animation was naive. You can't say, "Oh but it was 1968" because look what Disney was doing then! It was entertaining and fun to watch but not great. The drawing was poor, which was proved when my film froze a few times to reveal the sketchiness of the artwork! It was similar to the comic in the design of the characters - they looked the same - but song and dance numbers? Really? Maybe I'm being too pedantic about a much loved comic book but there were many points where I thought it was lazy production. I didn't even laugh. I guess for older children, who this is supposed to be for, it would be okay, but it lacked continuity, was too stop-start, limited dialogue (I suppose they were keeping to the comic) so it seemed too simple and not entertaining enough and I got the impression it was trying to be Disney but falling well short. I think I'll stick to reading Asterix.

Asterix rocks!

[hadjiquest79 · 10/10 · 24 January 2006]

I once saw this film on Disney Channel when I was only 9. I got this disc from work for only $1! It is a complete version. I LOVE Asterix! I love the part when he drinks the magic potion and the power-up effects. Obelix is so funny, especially when he waits in the queue for the magic potion. Getafix refuses Obelix and told him that Obelix fell into the potion when he was a baby. Cacofonix always "strangled the cat". Vitalstatistix, the Gaulish leader always worries about "The sky falling on his head". The main story is that Caesar, Asterix's arch-nemesis, made a bet with Cleopatra about building a palace. Edifis is an Egyptian architect, who is building a palace in a 3-month deadline. If architects completed the job on time, they were covered with gold. If not, they were thrown to the crocodiles. As an Asterix lover, I got some comics and video games. I got "Asterix and the Great Rescue" for my Sega Genesis and Sega Game Gear. I just got "Asterix and Obelix Kick Buttix" for the PlayStation 2.

"Asterix and Cleopatra" Movie Firmly Adheres to the Book, but Should Please both Asterix Fans and Newcomers

[japamo · 8/10 · 1 April 2014]

I caught this delightfully energetic and amazingly visually sumptuous 1969 70 minute film on YouTube. Although "Asterix" is a French-themed comic by Goscinny and Urdezo, I watched "Asterix and Cleopatra" (hereafter "A & C") in English. I'm not sure if the film was dubbed or originally shot in English, but there is a wry hint that it is dubbing at the beginning of the film which explains that since most of the film is situated in Egypt and Egyptians speak in hieroglyphics, the English dubbing may not synchronize with the mouth movements. At any rate, I thought the dubbing (if any) was rather satisfactory.

First, let's get to the plot. Julius Caesar is visiting Cleopatra at her palace and criticizes her kingdom's soft decadence. The outraged queen bets Caesar that her people have the will and know-how to construct a summer palace within 3 months. She tasks the inept architect Edifis with the challenge and the constant fear that if he fails, he will be fed to the crocodiles. In desperation, Edifis flees to Gaul to enlist the help of the diminutive but crafty Asterix, his rotund, pugnacious pal Obelix (and his tiny but devoted dog Dogmatix), and the druid Getafix and his super-strength potion. With their help and the potion, the Egyptian workers now have the power to erect blocks and pillars at astounding speed. But opposing Edifis, Asterix, and company are Edifis's jealously bitter and devious rival Artifis and his servile helper Crucut, who attempt to sabotage the construction. Also standing in our heroes' way is Julius himself, who uses his invincible army to try to stop the building and this win the bet. Can our heroes help Cleopatra win the bet and avoid imprisonment (and death by crocodile)? If you are an Asterix fan, chances are you'll enjoy this slavishly faithful animated version of the book. As another reviewer mentions, "A & C"'s animation is reminiscent of a 50's or 60's Popeye cartoon, with all the vigorous, lively movement, fighting, violence, and property destruction. In particular, "A & C" reminded me of a Gene Deitch Popeye cartoon, with the slightly surreal tone (especially Obelix's out-of-left field daydreaming about food). Besides the rollicking punch-ups, "A & C" retains most of the "Asterix" book trademarks, such as the punny names (Edifis, Artifis, get it), the effects of the super-strength potion, the reason Obelix (usually) doesn't get to taste any potion despite his earnest attempts, and even the ornate, luscious scenery and backdrops (a triumph in any cinematic year).

But even if you are an "Asterix" novice, I think "A & C" will give you a satisfying crash course in Asterix lore and will entertain you with its sheer vitality, sturdy and suspenseful plot, and outlandish characters alone, no matter what. Although a considerable amount of fighting goes on, it is cartoonish and non-graphic and thus safe as well as fun for young children. I highly recommend this extraordinary effort.

P.S.: Some viewers might be offended by the depiction of African-Americans with bulbous lips. Personally, I wasn't since practically every character sported an exaggerated anatomical part. Also, while I was generally okay with Asterix's and Obelix's vocalizations, they were a tad too similar to Looney Tunes cartoon voice-work, especially Obelix's, who sounded like Mel Blanc's Lenny "Duh George" impersonation. I consider these insignificant flaws in a movie that showcases what the "Indomitable Gauls" are made of.

Unquestionably the best asterix movie and the best animation movie ever.

[rortrain · 10/10 · 1 January 2017]

This is so unfair that this wonderful animation movie is not ranked higher than 7.2.. This is the most beautifully animated movie ever released. It is a musical, the funniest and most entertaining asterix movie but also it is a masterpiece. Every line is funny, the characters are singing, dancing,full of life , it is far better than "les 12 travaux of aterix" because this one is also a musical, the characters are extremely interesting and it never stops to amazed me. The plot, the story are extremely entertaining. it is easily the best asterix ever and people should start to realize it because we can not find a bigger classic for an animated movie that this. Every children in the world should watch this but the reason this movie is so magical and so unique is that it is as much entertaining for adult people of all ages than children. A wonderful adventure, full of melodies and of touching characters.

The moment we've all waited for....

[PlanecrazyIkarus · 9 September 2002]

OK: I'll admit it. I don't remember all of the details of the story any more. But this movie was one of my favourite Asterix movies. It is based on the Asterix comic of the same title (the 2nd or 3rd one in the series, I believe), and it contains the one moment that I, a big Obelix fan, have always been waiting for.... I won't spoil it, but it's been the best bit of the movie for me.

Also, it contains such a remarkable nose...

Funny and enjoyable, one of the better Asterix cartoons and movies.

Awesome French Cartoon Movie

[jeremycrimsonfox · 9/10 · 19 September 2022]

Asterix is well known as a French icon. Appearing in comics in 1959, he has appearing in almost everything. This movie, from the 1960's, is one of the many films involving this hero.

In ancient Egypt, Cleopatra is having an argument with Caeser, and after he loses faith in the Egyptians, the queen makes a bet with him that she will have a grand palace built for him in Alexandria in three months, with success convincing Caeser the Egyptian people are still powerful. Hiring Edifis for the task, with failure resulting in him being fed to the crocodiles, and needing magic to make it possible, he goes to his old friend, Getafix, and enlists his help alongside Asterix and Obelix. However, Artifis, the rival of Edifis, is out to sabotage the construction by any means necessary, and even Caeser attacks when he learns of the three heroic Gauls being in Egypt.

This is a neat French cartoon, as it has a lot of action and comedy. The English voice acting is nice (even though the lip sync is off, but thankfully, the intro warns of this), and the music and songs are memorible.

Simply averagix

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 5/10 · 5 December 2009]

In this 1968 animated movie Cleopatra and Julius Ceasar (wait...they didn't co-exist) make a bet that her summer home cannot be completed within a couple of weeks. Cleopatra enlists Asterix, Obelix and Getafix to help in the construction. The Romans retaliate with their own tricks and "hilarity" ensues. It might have been funny if the hijinks were more imaginative and exciting and also if it weren't punctuated with some boring acid-trip musical numbers.

The movie opens with an ironic explanation of why the cheap dubbing doesn't look natural. They should have extended this to explain why there are some things that just cannot BE translated and why there are frequent moments that just don't make sense. I guess some of the blame for this could be down to the fact that in 1968 French animation hadn't evolved to any level of sophistication. The choppy, crude drawings and awful music don't help much either.

The comic-book is better.

Hieroglyphics as a "Natural" Language

[BabelAlexandria · 8/10 · 2 May 2022]

My kiddos loved the first Asterix movie, so I quickly picked this up on ebay: one again, a "version remasterisée" on blu ray with excellent quality picture and clear sound, the original English dubbing. Surprisingly, although they are both interested in ancient Egypt, they liked this one less than the first and the third movies. By far their favorite part, and very much in keeping with the series' farcical spirit, is the introduction, in which one of the Egyptian characters (the troubled architect) mimes hieroglyphics as "natural" language (e.g. Sounds of animals and environmental features) rather than human natural language: part of his apology that the dubbing (of Egyptian, apparently, not French!) will be off sequence with the lip movements of the animated characters. How's that for metatheatrics?

a not dated funny Asterix movie

[centaursbos · 18 July 2010]

I know this movie form a long time, certainly for the past 18 years, and still I watch it occasionally. There are quite a lot differences in the language you watch this movie, and I have seen German, English & in Dutch.As has been mentioned the movie looks very fresh, and it is 40 years old. It's quite weird that France had to give up his colonies in for instance Africa in the last decade and a half before this film was made.

I like a lot of the dialogs especially of Asterix and Obelix, Asterix is much smarter than Obelix, but some of Obelix's decisions tend to have a good effect in things that happen. The use that Asterix and Obelix make of the Panoramix magic potion works quite well for me, partly I think because they do not use it for every issue or problem. The magic potion cant help for instance when they can't find the way out of the pyramid. But in this movie the only problem is a limited amount of time. And even that is not a real a problem. I think that because of this, although it has shifted from time to time for me, the lack of real conflicts / problems/ confrontations etc I like a bit more the film le douze travaux d'Asterix. In this film there is a major problem with bureaucracy, and the way Asterix and Obelix solve it is very funny. Bureaucracy is also a theme I hardly see in movies.

Because of the architecture and art, I think that some sort of Egyptological advice went into this movie. Otherwise the makers did do their homework and were much inspired bij for instance at that time quite recent discoveries ( Lake Nasser, from Montet & Carter f.i. ). Although a lot of art is not really accurate, because cartouches don't appear in the homes of citizens and not even in rich peoples houses. But I like to see the attention there is paid to it. Some animations have some puzzling objects. When Cleopatra takes a bath, there is a boat visible quite similar to an object that has been found in Tutankhamens grave, and the meaning of this particular boat is not clear.

But I have some things that should have been done much better, even though a lot was not known about this in 1968. .I'm not optimistic (from experience) about this, but I hope that every viewer realizes that we are given a stereotyped view on the appearance of the Egyptians for instance. I could only find some truth in the portrayal of the Egyptians in regard to the to their ages. They are often young, consistent with the fact that most ancient Egyptians died between their thirties and forties, and the (early) childhood mortality rate was very high. But despite the relative low life expectancy and the relatively isolated geographical situation, the (ancient) Egyptians have a wide range of physical characteristics. There was even a king from the New Kingdom who had red hair. I had hoped that these aspects would have been included.