This was funnier than I expected it to be. I mean, I love the Asterix books but I rarely laugh out loud at them. The animated adaptation also managed to be cleverer than the book in certain instances, though some of the dialogue was unnecessarily changed in others. Something struck me about the character animation, as well, as some characters seemed to be better animated than others. I realize this is probably because different artists were assigned to different characters, but I wish a greater effort at consistency was attempted. These are minor points. This is great fun, for everyone, even if it says "Just for Kids" (the name of the company, I think) on the box.
19 Reviews
Amusing adventure with Asterix and his inseparable friend Obelix fighting Romans in Britain
ma-cortes29 September 2008
The year is approximately 50 B. C , Britain is entirely occupied by the Romans commanded by Julius Caesar . Well , not entirely.. One small village of indomitable Bretons still holds out against the invaders . And the life is not easy for the Roman legionaries who garrison the fortified camps . Similarly happens on Gaul , where a small village located in Armorica live our friends , the intelligent hero Asterix , the menhir delivery and addicted to wild boar Obelix, the venerable Panoramix with his potion which gives the drinker incredible energy, the majestic,hot-tempered, brave chief of the tribe Abraracourcix... There come a Asterix's cousin asking for help against Romans. As always the perilous mission is immediately trusted to shrewd and cunning Asterix . Obelix , ready to drop everything and go off on a new adventure with Asterix ; then they set out to deliver a barrel plenty of powerful potion getting superhuman strength and brewed by druid Panoramix . His mission transport it for the Britons and vanquish the invaders Romans.
The picture brilliantly retrieves the humour , strong satire and adventures of the original story . This is a nice adventure with hilarious moments here and there , and it has Asterix and his inseparable partner fighting , as always , against stupid Romans . Full of habits critical about actual British way of life and modern anachronisms that's common thing in comic books . The cartoon movie splendidly captures the outrageous adventures , tongue-in-cheek , irony , comedy from comic book story with the same title and drawn by Albert Uderzo and writing credits by Rene Goscinny . As usual , on the finale the village people eating boars in a gargantuan lunch and the Bard Cacofonix tied a tree and being accompanied by a lively musical score by Vladimir Cosma with a catching song on the start and the ending . The film will appeal to Asterix and Obelix fans , it's an funny entertaining for kids and grown-ups and nostalgics.
The picture brilliantly retrieves the humour , strong satire and adventures of the original story . This is a nice adventure with hilarious moments here and there , and it has Asterix and his inseparable partner fighting , as always , against stupid Romans . Full of habits critical about actual British way of life and modern anachronisms that's common thing in comic books . The cartoon movie splendidly captures the outrageous adventures , tongue-in-cheek , irony , comedy from comic book story with the same title and drawn by Albert Uderzo and writing credits by Rene Goscinny . As usual , on the finale the village people eating boars in a gargantuan lunch and the Bard Cacofonix tied a tree and being accompanied by a lively musical score by Vladimir Cosma with a catching song on the start and the ending . The film will appeal to Asterix and Obelix fans , it's an funny entertaining for kids and grown-ups and nostalgics.
A very funny adaptation of the comic book
matlefebvre209 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Of all the Asterix movies, this is the one I love the most. The comic-book-to-screen adaptation is faithful without being too much linear (which was the problem with "Astérix le Gaulois"). The animation is much acceptable without being outstanding, but let's not forget that it's not a Disney feature.
The movie respects generally well the events of the book. The Romans, led by the great Julius Caesar, invade and quickly conquer Britain. However, a small village keeps resisting to the invaders. One of the village's inhabitants, Jolitorax, is Astérix's cousin. He goes to Gaul to ask for help and for magic potion, so his village will be able to face Roman legions.
Asterix, Obelix, Jolitorax and Dogmatix (who was not in the book) embark towards Britain with a barrel of magic potion for Jolitorax's village. But before they can yell victory, they will have to face many events and deliver great battles against Romans.
The film works well on two levels. First, it's a pretty decent introduction to a real event in history. The territory we're talking about was really named Britain around 50 BC and the Romans really invaded it at about the same era. The city of London was really called Londinium at the time and the cities of Camulodunum (Colchester) and Durovernum (Canterbury) are also mentioned.
But the story was also an occasion for French comic writers René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo to make fun of their neighbors from the other side of the English Channel. The English (or Briton) stereotypes and habits are constantly ridiculed or parodied in some way. In the original French language version, the Britons speak with a heavy accent and expressions that you don't hear in French ("Je dis", the nouns and adjectives are inverted comparatively to the French language). That's why the original version is much more enjoyable to watch.
I could roll down a long list of parodies made in the whole movie. We only have to think about weekends, the continual British bad weather, their bad culinary tastes, the fact that they drive on the left side of the road, rugby and their "funny" language.
Of all the Asterix movies, this is the funniest, and by far. The parodies listed above are obviously funny, but many gags and scenes are simply hilarious. We only have to think of the boarding of the Roman galley, the prison break, or the wine "tasting" in the caves of the Roman palace that quickly (and predictably) degenerates into a Roman orgy.
What prevents this film from ranking as high as "Astérix et Cléopâtre", it's probably the fact that the latter was turned into a musical with such excellent songs, which made that transformation simply irresistible. But "Astérix chez les Bretons" doesn't rank pretty far behind "Cléopâtre".
The adaptation by Pierre Tchernia has to be underlined and some new elements have to be mentioned, such as the double wordplay made by Caesar about his invasion of Britain. It's also very funny of seeing wooden replicas of the Big Ben bell-tower, the Palace of Windsor, and also of the Tower Bridge. The addition of Dogmatix into the story is much appreciated in the sense that it's a well-loved character and his role in the movie is very much real.
A delightful running gag stars Stratocumulus, whose attempts of informing his superior, General Motus, always end with a fall and a pathetic trip and a collision with one of the General's marble statues.
Something that doesn't change however is the somewhat ambiguous ending. It's great to see the village winning over the Roman legions, but what about the future? Will they attack once again? Will Jolitorax's village still be able of defending itself? Those questions involve that maybe the trip of Asterix and Obelix was useless.
The final words by Getafix also fall short, even if his intervention had well begun.
So, to sum up quickly, for those who love the Asterix comic books, this movie is a must-see. After all, there are few tolerable Asterix films. "Astérix le Gaulois" is too much linear, while the movies co-produced in Germany ("Asterix in America" and "Astérix et les Vikings") are not good and the live-action adaptations are not much better.
The movie respects generally well the events of the book. The Romans, led by the great Julius Caesar, invade and quickly conquer Britain. However, a small village keeps resisting to the invaders. One of the village's inhabitants, Jolitorax, is Astérix's cousin. He goes to Gaul to ask for help and for magic potion, so his village will be able to face Roman legions.
Asterix, Obelix, Jolitorax and Dogmatix (who was not in the book) embark towards Britain with a barrel of magic potion for Jolitorax's village. But before they can yell victory, they will have to face many events and deliver great battles against Romans.
The film works well on two levels. First, it's a pretty decent introduction to a real event in history. The territory we're talking about was really named Britain around 50 BC and the Romans really invaded it at about the same era. The city of London was really called Londinium at the time and the cities of Camulodunum (Colchester) and Durovernum (Canterbury) are also mentioned.
But the story was also an occasion for French comic writers René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo to make fun of their neighbors from the other side of the English Channel. The English (or Briton) stereotypes and habits are constantly ridiculed or parodied in some way. In the original French language version, the Britons speak with a heavy accent and expressions that you don't hear in French ("Je dis", the nouns and adjectives are inverted comparatively to the French language). That's why the original version is much more enjoyable to watch.
I could roll down a long list of parodies made in the whole movie. We only have to think about weekends, the continual British bad weather, their bad culinary tastes, the fact that they drive on the left side of the road, rugby and their "funny" language.
Of all the Asterix movies, this is the funniest, and by far. The parodies listed above are obviously funny, but many gags and scenes are simply hilarious. We only have to think of the boarding of the Roman galley, the prison break, or the wine "tasting" in the caves of the Roman palace that quickly (and predictably) degenerates into a Roman orgy.
What prevents this film from ranking as high as "Astérix et Cléopâtre", it's probably the fact that the latter was turned into a musical with such excellent songs, which made that transformation simply irresistible. But "Astérix chez les Bretons" doesn't rank pretty far behind "Cléopâtre".
The adaptation by Pierre Tchernia has to be underlined and some new elements have to be mentioned, such as the double wordplay made by Caesar about his invasion of Britain. It's also very funny of seeing wooden replicas of the Big Ben bell-tower, the Palace of Windsor, and also of the Tower Bridge. The addition of Dogmatix into the story is much appreciated in the sense that it's a well-loved character and his role in the movie is very much real.
A delightful running gag stars Stratocumulus, whose attempts of informing his superior, General Motus, always end with a fall and a pathetic trip and a collision with one of the General's marble statues.
Something that doesn't change however is the somewhat ambiguous ending. It's great to see the village winning over the Roman legions, but what about the future? Will they attack once again? Will Jolitorax's village still be able of defending itself? Those questions involve that maybe the trip of Asterix and Obelix was useless.
The final words by Getafix also fall short, even if his intervention had well begun.
So, to sum up quickly, for those who love the Asterix comic books, this movie is a must-see. After all, there are few tolerable Asterix films. "Astérix le Gaulois" is too much linear, while the movies co-produced in Germany ("Asterix in America" and "Astérix et les Vikings") are not good and the live-action adaptations are not much better.
A wonderful satire on the 'British way of life'!
binapiraeus12 July 2014
Of all those wonderful adventures of our brave Celtic friends Asterix and Obelix, I believe this one is the VERY best: it depicts all the... little peculiarities of the British in a hilariously funny way - a feast for the French authors, of course! At the time the 'Asterix' comics were created, there still were quite a lot of post-war animosities between the various European peoples; and so each one of those cartoons (some of them were adapted for the screen later, as animated films or 'real' movies or both) kept picking on the strange characteristics of some other people - the British, the Germans, the Swiss, the Vikings - , but without becoming malevolent or insulting - the only thing was, of course, that the Gauls were ALWAYS the strongest, the bravest, the most fearless, and the most stubborn ones...
Well, in this case, Asterix comes to the aid of his British cousin (which shows the Celtic relationship between the two peoples!) against the Romans - and along the way, Asterix and Obelix meet with about ALL the British 'traditions': tea-time (even during battles), driving on the wrong side of the road, drinking warm bear and eating stewed boar with peppermint sauce (what a SHOCK for Obelix!)...
In short, this FABULOUS animated movie will be a wonderful enjoyment for the kids - but also GREAT entertainment for the grown-ups, who understand the more subtle sides of all the humor it contains; a simply PERFECT family film!
Well, in this case, Asterix comes to the aid of his British cousin (which shows the Celtic relationship between the two peoples!) against the Romans - and along the way, Asterix and Obelix meet with about ALL the British 'traditions': tea-time (even during battles), driving on the wrong side of the road, drinking warm bear and eating stewed boar with peppermint sauce (what a SHOCK for Obelix!)...
In short, this FABULOUS animated movie will be a wonderful enjoyment for the kids - but also GREAT entertainment for the grown-ups, who understand the more subtle sides of all the humor it contains; a simply PERFECT family film!
In Vino Veritas
CuriosityKilledShawn11 August 2010
Before the British can ask themselves what the Romans can possibly do for them they are not too terribly pleased with the bothersome invasion. Anticlimax, cousin of Asterix, sneaks off to Gaul for help. Getafix makes a barrel of magic potion and Asterix, Obelix and Dogmatix courier it back to Britain. Many, many beaten, bruised, and broken Romans make the mistake of getting in their way.
The jokes and visual humor just don't stop. You'll be grinning from ear-to-ear when watching Asterix in Britain. The animation has such a detailed quality to it that the film nearly rivals vintage Disney. The music too, is also lovely. A score CD was produced in France, but it's long out of print. Bill Oddie is the voice of the little warrior this time around, while amusing English stereotypes fill out the rest of cast.
A favorite of mine since I was a kid, I first saw Asterix in Britain on BBC2 one Xmas morning. I nearly wore out the tape I recorded it on. My advice, buy the DVD. Even for kids raised on CGI it's a winner.
The jokes and visual humor just don't stop. You'll be grinning from ear-to-ear when watching Asterix in Britain. The animation has such a detailed quality to it that the film nearly rivals vintage Disney. The music too, is also lovely. A score CD was produced in France, but it's long out of print. Bill Oddie is the voice of the little warrior this time around, while amusing English stereotypes fill out the rest of cast.
A favorite of mine since I was a kid, I first saw Asterix in Britain on BBC2 one Xmas morning. I nearly wore out the tape I recorded it on. My advice, buy the DVD. Even for kids raised on CGI it's a winner.
The film that reconciles both British and French humor ...
ElMaruecan824 October 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Funny how I've always thought that "Asterix in Britain" was made before "Asterix vs. Caesar", not just because I watched it first, but because I believed "Caesar" was just trying to have a more ambitious narrative without quite succeeding.
But the hell with these comparisons, I just loved "Britain" because the film was hilarious by sticking to the book. Like "Cleopatra", the second Asterix film, it seemed like a wise choice from the animators to take a story with promising material and simply making a great film out of it. It sounds simple but it works. The film opens with a new take on "Caesar"'s theme, with English lyrics, and the sound gives it a sort of Beatles-like melodic appeal, the title is "The Look Out is Out" and just listen to it on Youtube, it's irresistibly catchy.
But the reasons the film works is because it also gives more screen-time to secondary characters like the Pirates and Romans. It's odd how the Gauls don't appear after almost 15 minute and it doesn't even affect the enjoyment. The conquest of Britain is wonderfully handled, confronting the majestic glory of the Roman Army and the Britons' iconic phlegm. In-between, the Roman fleet in its way to Britain run over the Pirate Ship, an an obligatory running-gag, even more effective with more inexperienced one's comment: "at least, it wasn't Gauls". The chief, holding on the same board, can only retort with a grunt.
On the imperial vessel, Cesar's general, named Motus, tells the Emperor that he'll conquer pretty fast this "little Britain", this "Great Britain" insists Cesar, embracing the glory of his D-Day. The film is full of clever winks to remaining stereotypes about the British people. Romans fight Britons but they're immediately interrupted at five o'clock, the time to drink hot water. Well, wouldn't you know tea wasn't exported yet? Romans learn to deal with Britons' peculiar idiosyncrasies such as the 'end of the week', a dilemma soon to be solved by Cesar who decides to attack them only at the end of the week and each day after five o'clock.
Cesar's genius pays off and the Roman flag can grandly throne over a newly occupied Britain. Well, not all Britain, one small village bearing strange resemblances with the Gaulish version (you might notice the guards wearing some long black hats) still resists. The chief (fittingly named 'Zebigbos') shares his hopelessness with Jolithorax, Asterix's cousin. Jolithorax decides to seek help from the Gauls to get some 'magic potion'. Now, just follow me, in the French version, it's called 'potion magique' but Jolithorax calls it "Magique Potion" by changing the words' positions. The way English dialogues are anglicized is one of the film's greatest delights.
Another example comes up when Jolithorax asks Obelix to shake hands (using the word 'shake' in French), naturally Obelix takes him literally reducing his help to flabby stuff. That's hilarious and I guess, I'm only unveiling the film's one flaw: some gags might get lost in translation. But that doesn't matter, as long as the adventure progresses. Getafix makes a barrel full of 'magic potion' so our heroes can bring it to Jolithorax' village. While crossing the English Channel, they rescue a group of Phenicians freighters from the Pirates (no need to tell where they finished) and fight Romans.
With these two naval encounters, the story kicks-off, the Romans know there is magic potion going to Britain and will pull every effort to get it, and Asterix is thanked by the Phenician with one mysterious bag full of oriental herbs, wait before you think it's a small price for saving a vessel. The barrel-adventure goes on, and the barrel got mixed up with a whole other stock full of wine, which puts Romans in a tricky situation, since the magic potion looks exactly like wine. This coincidence contribute to one of the greatest moments, when Romans start to check each barrel in order and disciple, piercing, plunging and drinking the outcome of that moment is a real slap on Roman's legendary organization. Naturally, General Motus is there to berate them the day after and make their hangover even more unbearable.
Asterix and Obelix' quest for the right barrel provides a nice touristic trip in Britain proving that things haven't changed much, Big Ben, the Tower of London ...and naturally, English great food world widely envied. Obelix, tired after crossing the Channel (and wondering if they shouldn't think about digging a tunnel under) is starving. His wish for the Channel is fulfilled a few centuries after, as for the food well, they get in an inn named the 'laughing boar'. But after discover the boiled recipe, mint sauce and warm beer, he wonders what's so funny about it; The food issues worsens his sensitiveness, he has to kick anyone who calls him 'fat', as he says 'there's no fat one, there's one and he's not fat' one of the greatest lines of all the Asterix films.
The quest finally ends to a rugby match where their discovery of the magic potion provokes a hilarious intrusion, only ruined by the arrival of the Romans, who simply destroy their boat, and the potion in the process. They can invade the village, having destroyed the main Allies, and as Motus harangued his soldiers : "To win without risk is to avoid troubles". And this is when the mysterious tea bag works plays its role as the film's Checkov gun. Asterix put the herbs on hot water make British (and later, the Romans) believe that it's magic potion. Now, with that mindset in both sides, the fight can only lead to a victory.
British thought they had the magic potion and according to Zebigbos, that's the definition of courage. Now, that I spoiled the whole story, I guess it don't matter if I reveal what was exactly in that Phoenician little bag Zebigbos wanted to make a national drink of?
But the hell with these comparisons, I just loved "Britain" because the film was hilarious by sticking to the book. Like "Cleopatra", the second Asterix film, it seemed like a wise choice from the animators to take a story with promising material and simply making a great film out of it. It sounds simple but it works. The film opens with a new take on "Caesar"'s theme, with English lyrics, and the sound gives it a sort of Beatles-like melodic appeal, the title is "The Look Out is Out" and just listen to it on Youtube, it's irresistibly catchy.
But the reasons the film works is because it also gives more screen-time to secondary characters like the Pirates and Romans. It's odd how the Gauls don't appear after almost 15 minute and it doesn't even affect the enjoyment. The conquest of Britain is wonderfully handled, confronting the majestic glory of the Roman Army and the Britons' iconic phlegm. In-between, the Roman fleet in its way to Britain run over the Pirate Ship, an an obligatory running-gag, even more effective with more inexperienced one's comment: "at least, it wasn't Gauls". The chief, holding on the same board, can only retort with a grunt.
On the imperial vessel, Cesar's general, named Motus, tells the Emperor that he'll conquer pretty fast this "little Britain", this "Great Britain" insists Cesar, embracing the glory of his D-Day. The film is full of clever winks to remaining stereotypes about the British people. Romans fight Britons but they're immediately interrupted at five o'clock, the time to drink hot water. Well, wouldn't you know tea wasn't exported yet? Romans learn to deal with Britons' peculiar idiosyncrasies such as the 'end of the week', a dilemma soon to be solved by Cesar who decides to attack them only at the end of the week and each day after five o'clock.
Cesar's genius pays off and the Roman flag can grandly throne over a newly occupied Britain. Well, not all Britain, one small village bearing strange resemblances with the Gaulish version (you might notice the guards wearing some long black hats) still resists. The chief (fittingly named 'Zebigbos') shares his hopelessness with Jolithorax, Asterix's cousin. Jolithorax decides to seek help from the Gauls to get some 'magic potion'. Now, just follow me, in the French version, it's called 'potion magique' but Jolithorax calls it "Magique Potion" by changing the words' positions. The way English dialogues are anglicized is one of the film's greatest delights.
Another example comes up when Jolithorax asks Obelix to shake hands (using the word 'shake' in French), naturally Obelix takes him literally reducing his help to flabby stuff. That's hilarious and I guess, I'm only unveiling the film's one flaw: some gags might get lost in translation. But that doesn't matter, as long as the adventure progresses. Getafix makes a barrel full of 'magic potion' so our heroes can bring it to Jolithorax' village. While crossing the English Channel, they rescue a group of Phenicians freighters from the Pirates (no need to tell where they finished) and fight Romans.
With these two naval encounters, the story kicks-off, the Romans know there is magic potion going to Britain and will pull every effort to get it, and Asterix is thanked by the Phenician with one mysterious bag full of oriental herbs, wait before you think it's a small price for saving a vessel. The barrel-adventure goes on, and the barrel got mixed up with a whole other stock full of wine, which puts Romans in a tricky situation, since the magic potion looks exactly like wine. This coincidence contribute to one of the greatest moments, when Romans start to check each barrel in order and disciple, piercing, plunging and drinking the outcome of that moment is a real slap on Roman's legendary organization. Naturally, General Motus is there to berate them the day after and make their hangover even more unbearable.
Asterix and Obelix' quest for the right barrel provides a nice touristic trip in Britain proving that things haven't changed much, Big Ben, the Tower of London ...and naturally, English great food world widely envied. Obelix, tired after crossing the Channel (and wondering if they shouldn't think about digging a tunnel under) is starving. His wish for the Channel is fulfilled a few centuries after, as for the food well, they get in an inn named the 'laughing boar'. But after discover the boiled recipe, mint sauce and warm beer, he wonders what's so funny about it; The food issues worsens his sensitiveness, he has to kick anyone who calls him 'fat', as he says 'there's no fat one, there's one and he's not fat' one of the greatest lines of all the Asterix films.
The quest finally ends to a rugby match where their discovery of the magic potion provokes a hilarious intrusion, only ruined by the arrival of the Romans, who simply destroy their boat, and the potion in the process. They can invade the village, having destroyed the main Allies, and as Motus harangued his soldiers : "To win without risk is to avoid troubles". And this is when the mysterious tea bag works plays its role as the film's Checkov gun. Asterix put the herbs on hot water make British (and later, the Romans) believe that it's magic potion. Now, with that mindset in both sides, the fight can only lead to a victory.
British thought they had the magic potion and according to Zebigbos, that's the definition of courage. Now, that I spoiled the whole story, I guess it don't matter if I reveal what was exactly in that Phoenician little bag Zebigbos wanted to make a national drink of?
Great Adaptation
JasonLeeSmith20 November 2003
This is an excellent adaptation of the Asterix comic of the same name. Its true to the book, and very fun. Some of the voices are a bit awkward trying to fit the words into the translation. Great for kids and adults both.
Sadism. Viewer discretion.
makiefer-871288 February 2024
There is this horrible scene, where the Roman Centurion forces his soldiers to get drunk at night, and shouts at them the next morning for not being sober. Those were the 80s. No one would have taken the slightest issue with that scene. He is a Centurion. Those are his men. You abuse your subordinates, go home to your family, and enjoy your meal. I love Asterix. I read all the comic books as a kid. As a kid, it does not register to you, that this Centurion is a sadist. As a kid, you see a lot of hate, that you can't explain. Maybe, you find explanations later in life. Or maybe sadists drew this movie. Can't watch it.
What a great film
HortonJ192924 August 2019
A good adaptation with funny animation
Munin7518 July 2012
Every Asterix full length animation film is fairly fun, but Asterix in Britain is undoubtedly one of the best, along with The Twelve Tasks of Asterix. While children will surely enjoy Asterix in Britain, it can also be enjoyed by adults.
The soundtrack is particularly good (even epic at times), and the animation is very funny. This film is a relatively faithful adaptation of the comic strip, with some pertinent additions, and the jokes are good. I saw it in French and much of the humor stems from the stereotypical speak of the Britons, caricatures of British people, so I don't really know how it would translate in English, but I'm told the translations of the comics tend to be pretty good in capturing the original humor. The authors admired the British very much and they show it here as the Britons are depicted as a brave people, and the little jokes are akin to "love taps" more than anything else, so British people shouldn't be offended by it. There are only little stabs about bad food, tea-drinking, sports-loving and nice lawns.
Anyway, it's a fun little animation which might look a little dated (it was released the year of my birth, in 1986), but fans of the Asterix comics will surely enjoy it.
The soundtrack is particularly good (even epic at times), and the animation is very funny. This film is a relatively faithful adaptation of the comic strip, with some pertinent additions, and the jokes are good. I saw it in French and much of the humor stems from the stereotypical speak of the Britons, caricatures of British people, so I don't really know how it would translate in English, but I'm told the translations of the comics tend to be pretty good in capturing the original humor. The authors admired the British very much and they show it here as the Britons are depicted as a brave people, and the little jokes are akin to "love taps" more than anything else, so British people shouldn't be offended by it. There are only little stabs about bad food, tea-drinking, sports-loving and nice lawns.
Anyway, it's a fun little animation which might look a little dated (it was released the year of my birth, in 1986), but fans of the Asterix comics will surely enjoy it.
The French Language Version is Best
mbyrne-31 March 2006
I am guessing that these other comments refer to the 'dubbed', English version of the film. I saw the original french language version, many years ago while in France on holiday. In their version the English characters speak french, with wonderfully over the top English accents. It lent a great sense of the English/French relationship and I think got a lot closer to the Gosciny-Uderzo feel for the story and characters. If you ever get a chance to see the french version it's a whole different experience.
I am guessing that these other comments refer to the 'dubbed', English version of the film. I saw the original french language version, many years ago while in France on holiday. In their version the English characters speak french, with wonderfully over the top English accents. It lent a great sense of the English/French relationship and I think got a lot closer to the Gosciny-Uderzo feel for the story and characters. If you ever get a chance to see the french version it's a whole different experience.
I am guessing that these other comments refer to the 'dubbed', English version of the film. I saw the original french language version, many years ago while in France on holiday. In their version the English characters speak french, with wonderfully over the top English accents. It lent a great sense of the English/French relationship and I think got a lot closer to the Gosciny-Uderzo feel for the story and characters. If you ever get a chance to see the french version it's a whole different experience.
French Satire
ashowen6 April 2006
I viewed this film in my French class (the original french language version). Everyone in my class thought the British characters were hysterical because of their accents while speaking French. It is funny to see how the French make fun of their rivals in Britain. It is also fun to see the barbaric architectural style of London with Big Ben and Parliament made of wood! I would not recommend this film for a person who does not speak French or who is not familiar with the historical background of the film (The Gallo-Roman period in France). Even with the animation style that characteristic of the eighties, it is still fun to watch and see the French version of history.
Great for children learning French and adults with a reasonable command of the language.
smoore-3919 June 2009
The overall plot of this animated version of Astérix chez les Bretons is faithful to that of the book. As the latter is perhaps the best of all the Astérix volumes, this film could fare badly in the comparison. But whereas most of the Astérix films lose much in the transition to a dumbed-down, vaguely Hollywoodesque cartoon that I suppose is meant to appeal to children, Asterix in Britain manages to retain much of what made the original (written and drawn) version great. I haven't yet listened to any of the dubbed versions of the film, but the French is particularly clever in using native English speakers to play the roles of the Bretons.
Bursts with ideas and lovable characters
alex_wimmer4 August 2022
Having seen this one many times as a kid, I wasn't sure I would still like it as an adult. To my positive surprise, however, it's filled with original ideas and jokes that may vary in subtlety, but remain at a funny level throughout. One may see this Astérix-episode as a respectful parody of British peculiarities, seen from a French perspective. The animation is quite beautiful at times.
Great fun watch, even better than I remembered
Horst_In_Translation19 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
What we have here is "Astérix chez les Bretons" and as the title already gives away, this is a movie in the French language. At least in the original. I watched the German dub today. This is also a Danish co-production, which surprises me a bit because I do not see a great deal of Scandinavian involvement with this movie. If I am not mistaken, this is the fifth animated Asterix film and it's been almost 20 years at that point in 1986 already since the very first film. Also I was already born when this came out. It has its 35th anniversary this year, surely something to be proud of and I am glad it is still on national television, especially here in my country, which is of course not the country where this film is originally from. This one stays slightly under the 80-minute mark and even if that is certainly not a lot compared to full feature films in general, this is still by far not the shortest of these many Asterix films. The two original writers of the comic book, Goscinny and Uderzo, did not contribute here too much. The only credit they have apparently is that they were in charge of the base material. This is different compared to the older films with which they had more impact, be it in terms of screenplay writers or directors even. But it does make sense because Goscinny had been dead already for years and that point and maybe Uderzo did not want to take care of it on his own. And it must be said they did everything right because the ones in charge here did a marvellous job really. This applies to director Pino Van Lamsweerde and he has so many countries attached to his life and body of work that it is difficult for me to focus on one. In any case, it was among his final career efforts already, even if he lived on for a long time afterwards. He died in 2020, last year. So did Uderzo and also Roger Carel, the voice of Asterix. Which means 2020 was a pretty sad era for Asterix fans. At least, they all reached really high ages.
The writer here was Pierre Tchernia, a true all-rounder it seems as he has acted, directed and written on so many occasions. In contrast to Van Lamsweerde, this is also not the only Asterix film he worked on. Actually, he worked on quite a few I see and he has not been with us anymore for five years now. May they all rest in peace. As for this movie here, it is once again a meet-up between out favorite Frenchies and people from another nation and culture as it happened so many times in Asterix films and even way more often in Asterix books. I think they did great here from this perspective. It's basically Bretagne meets Grande-Bretagne from beginning to end. There were so many funny references here in this film linked to Britain. It's impossible to mention them all, but let's see what stayed in the mind. There is the teatime (that actually wasn't "teatime" yet") early on of course, which is pretty hilarious how they stop fighting to have their favorite beverage. There is the fog. There is the rain. There is the Tower. There is a brief mention of the Channel. There is the tea revelation in the end. There is the peppermint sauce. There is the rugby game. We hear about Oxford and Cambridge and how they are so famous when it comes to rowing. And so on. I thought that you could indeed learn a lot about Britain here while watching and the best thing is that it is all downright funny too. One reasn for my high rating is how educational this was.
As for the title, it is the case that they always use Asterix there, but with this film here sometimes I felt as if Asterix was really nothing but a smart bystander who would make sure that the mission is accomplished, also with his great idea in the end. But by 1986, they definitely recognized already that there is so much more entertainment and fun potential to the character of Obelix and he is basically the by far best thing about this movie. Again, it's not possible to mention all the hilarious moments, but I will give you some. The scene in the fog was amazing after the battle when he asks if there are any Romans left and how two respond differently. And then the one Roman guy asking if there are any Gauls still there was hilarious too. Then there is the running gag with Obelix appreciating the idea that he is not obese. Hilarious more than once. Also when the one fella sees double. "There are no two fat folks here, just one and that one is not fat either." Best line ever. The way the voice actor was talking in a slightly offended and sensitive manner was hilarious too. Great dubbing. I hope it's as good in your language and in the original too. Kinda sweet that in the ages of political correctness one can still watch these films. I guess if this was made today, then some white knights would whine again. Another funny Obelix (okay, not only him) moment here is when he basically runs out of the Tower while Asterix runs up and all of a sudden, they miss each other and it takes more running until they are both out and down there at the entrances. There we also see a lot of nice attention to detail for example with shields flying out of windows etc.
I also liked it when Obelix spoke a sentence that was constructed like something from the English language in the end to show his solidarity with their British friend. Or when he said something like "the poor pig" about his food when he is the last person otherwise to show mercy on boars. As we see when he does not exactly pick up what the druid told him to early on. When he said that it was because he considered it an abomination and travesty what was done to the pig because it got turned into a meal that he found really unpleasant. I don't really know why, but I remember this line pretty well somehow. I think I found it really funny and the irony behind it too. Apart from all of that, we also get a great deal of the usual inclusions here. The Gauls love fighting and brawls as we see once more early on. We find out that Obelix fell into the magic potion as a child. We meet the pirates again and it's fairly funny how they react when the captain's son mentioned the Gauls, but the Romans are also not too shabby as we see. A little mocking of Caesar was in it as well when he made that genius plan on how to win against the Brits. The one thing he did not expect was that they had one among them who is close to our favorite Gauls and it's a delight for Obelix already too because the Romans basically stopped caring about the little village and moved on to Britain with their conquests and he was depressed because he could not beat any of them up for a long, long time. So Obelix of course joins in on the journey here and this gives us many other fun moments. Just take the scene in which Obelix tells the Roman soldiers to follow the words of their leader and attack, so he can finally have some fun.
Still, even if violence is always a factor in these movies, it's always family friendly. Nobody is killed (except the boars) and hardly anybody is injured. The best example is when the Brits leave for their drinks and everybody is really fine. Okay, the one guy is injured a bit by Obelix during the rugby game. Fun animation there with this yellow-black wall that easily collapses in the face of Obelix's magnificent strength. The music was great fun here too. The Asterix tune is amazing already, but here we at times also get some vocals that truly make an impact. The ending is happy as always too. It's certainly not too frequent that a fifth film from a movie series reaches such a high level of quality, but here it was the case in my opinion. I genuinely enjoyed the watch. No need to really go into detail now about the case of the missing barrel, even if it's the key story. It was really more the case here that the smaller moments and attention to detail made this an amazing watch, even if said core story wasn't shabby either. The confrontation with the guy who stole the barrel was okay. Idefix getting a bit of the potion too and taking care of a bigger and stronger dog immediately afterwards was okay too and also Asterix's not amused surprise when a barrel of wine is actually a barrel of wine and how he deals with it when talking to the guy selling the wine. Oh and the neighbor of the thief I just mentioned was hilarious too I think. That was another thing how they depicted the British as really relaxed here ("Ruhe weg haben" as we say in German) that I found pretty entertaining. Even when the Romans are about to attack, they still have the time and decency to respectfully admire the Roman fleet.
Rugby is generally nothing I am too interested in here, but this was fun too. I already mentioned some of it earlier, but there is more. Also the slim player for example who is literally stomped to the ground and then accused of pretending and the following revenge thanks to the magic potion were fun as well. And the pirates return too in the end. And then with the closing credits we listen to the awesome tune again. Apparently, Cook da Books performed it. Must admit no clue who that would be. My loss for sure. That's all then. I highly recommend watching this movie. It helps if you have seen some of the previous films, or all of them, but it is not a necessity. This is also a great first choice for an Asterix film. And a great rewatch if you have seen it before. Also especially recommended to the English of course because this is their movie from the Asterix universe. Maybe the ones who love the druid (Miraculix in German) will not enjoy it that much because he is not included a lot here, but at least makes a crucial reference in the end about the magic herbs. Sure, maybe it is a bit exaggerated that they managed to keep the Romans away only through willpower (and tea), but it's tolerable I suppose. After all, it's fantasy anyway, even if the proxy war statement here is still interesting. Drunk Obelix I did not find that funny, but it was probably really accurate how he behaved. So yeah, do not miss out on this movie.
The writer here was Pierre Tchernia, a true all-rounder it seems as he has acted, directed and written on so many occasions. In contrast to Van Lamsweerde, this is also not the only Asterix film he worked on. Actually, he worked on quite a few I see and he has not been with us anymore for five years now. May they all rest in peace. As for this movie here, it is once again a meet-up between out favorite Frenchies and people from another nation and culture as it happened so many times in Asterix films and even way more often in Asterix books. I think they did great here from this perspective. It's basically Bretagne meets Grande-Bretagne from beginning to end. There were so many funny references here in this film linked to Britain. It's impossible to mention them all, but let's see what stayed in the mind. There is the teatime (that actually wasn't "teatime" yet") early on of course, which is pretty hilarious how they stop fighting to have their favorite beverage. There is the fog. There is the rain. There is the Tower. There is a brief mention of the Channel. There is the tea revelation in the end. There is the peppermint sauce. There is the rugby game. We hear about Oxford and Cambridge and how they are so famous when it comes to rowing. And so on. I thought that you could indeed learn a lot about Britain here while watching and the best thing is that it is all downright funny too. One reasn for my high rating is how educational this was.
As for the title, it is the case that they always use Asterix there, but with this film here sometimes I felt as if Asterix was really nothing but a smart bystander who would make sure that the mission is accomplished, also with his great idea in the end. But by 1986, they definitely recognized already that there is so much more entertainment and fun potential to the character of Obelix and he is basically the by far best thing about this movie. Again, it's not possible to mention all the hilarious moments, but I will give you some. The scene in the fog was amazing after the battle when he asks if there are any Romans left and how two respond differently. And then the one Roman guy asking if there are any Gauls still there was hilarious too. Then there is the running gag with Obelix appreciating the idea that he is not obese. Hilarious more than once. Also when the one fella sees double. "There are no two fat folks here, just one and that one is not fat either." Best line ever. The way the voice actor was talking in a slightly offended and sensitive manner was hilarious too. Great dubbing. I hope it's as good in your language and in the original too. Kinda sweet that in the ages of political correctness one can still watch these films. I guess if this was made today, then some white knights would whine again. Another funny Obelix (okay, not only him) moment here is when he basically runs out of the Tower while Asterix runs up and all of a sudden, they miss each other and it takes more running until they are both out and down there at the entrances. There we also see a lot of nice attention to detail for example with shields flying out of windows etc.
I also liked it when Obelix spoke a sentence that was constructed like something from the English language in the end to show his solidarity with their British friend. Or when he said something like "the poor pig" about his food when he is the last person otherwise to show mercy on boars. As we see when he does not exactly pick up what the druid told him to early on. When he said that it was because he considered it an abomination and travesty what was done to the pig because it got turned into a meal that he found really unpleasant. I don't really know why, but I remember this line pretty well somehow. I think I found it really funny and the irony behind it too. Apart from all of that, we also get a great deal of the usual inclusions here. The Gauls love fighting and brawls as we see once more early on. We find out that Obelix fell into the magic potion as a child. We meet the pirates again and it's fairly funny how they react when the captain's son mentioned the Gauls, but the Romans are also not too shabby as we see. A little mocking of Caesar was in it as well when he made that genius plan on how to win against the Brits. The one thing he did not expect was that they had one among them who is close to our favorite Gauls and it's a delight for Obelix already too because the Romans basically stopped caring about the little village and moved on to Britain with their conquests and he was depressed because he could not beat any of them up for a long, long time. So Obelix of course joins in on the journey here and this gives us many other fun moments. Just take the scene in which Obelix tells the Roman soldiers to follow the words of their leader and attack, so he can finally have some fun.
Still, even if violence is always a factor in these movies, it's always family friendly. Nobody is killed (except the boars) and hardly anybody is injured. The best example is when the Brits leave for their drinks and everybody is really fine. Okay, the one guy is injured a bit by Obelix during the rugby game. Fun animation there with this yellow-black wall that easily collapses in the face of Obelix's magnificent strength. The music was great fun here too. The Asterix tune is amazing already, but here we at times also get some vocals that truly make an impact. The ending is happy as always too. It's certainly not too frequent that a fifth film from a movie series reaches such a high level of quality, but here it was the case in my opinion. I genuinely enjoyed the watch. No need to really go into detail now about the case of the missing barrel, even if it's the key story. It was really more the case here that the smaller moments and attention to detail made this an amazing watch, even if said core story wasn't shabby either. The confrontation with the guy who stole the barrel was okay. Idefix getting a bit of the potion too and taking care of a bigger and stronger dog immediately afterwards was okay too and also Asterix's not amused surprise when a barrel of wine is actually a barrel of wine and how he deals with it when talking to the guy selling the wine. Oh and the neighbor of the thief I just mentioned was hilarious too I think. That was another thing how they depicted the British as really relaxed here ("Ruhe weg haben" as we say in German) that I found pretty entertaining. Even when the Romans are about to attack, they still have the time and decency to respectfully admire the Roman fleet.
Rugby is generally nothing I am too interested in here, but this was fun too. I already mentioned some of it earlier, but there is more. Also the slim player for example who is literally stomped to the ground and then accused of pretending and the following revenge thanks to the magic potion were fun as well. And the pirates return too in the end. And then with the closing credits we listen to the awesome tune again. Apparently, Cook da Books performed it. Must admit no clue who that would be. My loss for sure. That's all then. I highly recommend watching this movie. It helps if you have seen some of the previous films, or all of them, but it is not a necessity. This is also a great first choice for an Asterix film. And a great rewatch if you have seen it before. Also especially recommended to the English of course because this is their movie from the Asterix universe. Maybe the ones who love the druid (Miraculix in German) will not enjoy it that much because he is not included a lot here, but at least makes a crucial reference in the end about the magic herbs. Sure, maybe it is a bit exaggerated that they managed to keep the Romans away only through willpower (and tea), but it's tolerable I suppose. After all, it's fantasy anyway, even if the proxy war statement here is still interesting. Drunk Obelix I did not find that funny, but it was probably really accurate how he behaved. So yeah, do not miss out on this movie.
Favourite as a kid, favourite as an adult
bbparadox9 February 2024
Watched this as a kid and LOVED IT, I found it hilarious then and possibly more funny now.
Having just rewatched it at age 37 it does not fail to entertain, I remember every word, the story is interesting, well developed and soo funny.
The English dubbing is hilarious and high quality, hadn't a clue when I was younger it was dubbed.
So many great characters, minimal that are boring. Obélix is such a funny character in this film, his voice, his words, actions, behaviour by far my favourite.
Recommended watching, at all ages, young, old, groups, solo, it's just very unique enjoyable storytelling.
Having just rewatched it at age 37 it does not fail to entertain, I remember every word, the story is interesting, well developed and soo funny.
The English dubbing is hilarious and high quality, hadn't a clue when I was younger it was dubbed.
So many great characters, minimal that are boring. Obélix is such a funny character in this film, his voice, his words, actions, behaviour by far my favourite.
Recommended watching, at all ages, young, old, groups, solo, it's just very unique enjoyable storytelling.
Standard version of the book only the Euro-pop spoils it!
bob the moo14 April 2002
When the Romans invade Britain they do such ghastly things as fight outside working hours and at weekends, hence the island quickly falls. One Briton sneaks across the channel to seek help from his cousin Asterix. Asterix, Obelix and the Briton take a barrel of magic potion back across the channel in an attempt to help the British villages to fight back.
Another in the staggered animated Asterix series. This story follows the book quite closely and manages to have some of it's wit `send us a victorious wind o gods' implores Caesar just before his map blows over his face! However much of this is the usual hitting Romans fare. The story may not be great but it's still very enjoyable for children.
The colours are a bit washed out looking at times and the animation isn't state of the art (even then!) but it's easy to overlook this. Some of the characters are very good the British, although cliched, are very funny, however the main characters are a bit off. All the Gauls have `Allo, Allo' French accents that annoy. Worse is Obelix being played again like a buffoon crossed with a child not very good at all.
Overall this is an acceptable addition to the Asterix stable, it doesn't totally manage to carry off the wit of the books but it's a reasonable funny and faithful version. The worst thing is the terrible Euro-pop played over the end credits.
Another in the staggered animated Asterix series. This story follows the book quite closely and manages to have some of it's wit `send us a victorious wind o gods' implores Caesar just before his map blows over his face! However much of this is the usual hitting Romans fare. The story may not be great but it's still very enjoyable for children.
The colours are a bit washed out looking at times and the animation isn't state of the art (even then!) but it's easy to overlook this. Some of the characters are very good the British, although cliched, are very funny, however the main characters are a bit off. All the Gauls have `Allo, Allo' French accents that annoy. Worse is Obelix being played again like a buffoon crossed with a child not very good at all.
Overall this is an acceptable addition to the Asterix stable, it doesn't totally manage to carry off the wit of the books but it's a reasonable funny and faithful version. The worst thing is the terrible Euro-pop played over the end credits.
Making fun of the British is even better
ms_gerosa20 June 2007
This movie is gold! Of all Asterix's books and movies this is from far my favorite. They make fun of most English traditions like 5 o'clock tea, rugby and walking on the left side of the road. And you'll laugh your ass off when they make fun of the English climate and their cosine. Ancient London is also satirized with a wooden Parliament and and an ancient version of the London Bridge. All tough kids find this picture enjoyable, only by understanding the rival between France and Great Briton that you will be capable of enjoying this peace of work at it's full potential.
Jolly oh!
Jolly oh!
A funny story.
zutterjp4821 February 2024
I have always loved the comic books of Astérix and Obélix written by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo and I enjoyed very much this story of Astérix and Obélix in Britain !!
Like other stories of Astérix and his friend Obélix, this travel of the two heroes to Britain has a good touch of suspense: the barrel with with the magic potion has been stolen and then begins a desperate run for finding the barrrel: a lot of funny adventures !!
But also the film is a pleasant caricature of the British way of life: the.lined up houses in the town, the left hand traffic, the English cooking (wild boar boiled with mint), the tepid beer , the rugby and above all the pleasant way of speaking: the use of the adjective before the substantives so Astérix speaks about the Roman patrol instead of the patrouille romaine,etc Thi film is also an historical fiction, I appreciate the story of the arrival of the tea in Britain, before the. English were drinking hot water with a cloud of milk, then appears the Phoenician merchant and his tea leaves and finally tea becomes the national drink of Britain !!
Like other stories of Astérix and his friend Obélix, this travel of the two heroes to Britain has a good touch of suspense: the barrel with with the magic potion has been stolen and then begins a desperate run for finding the barrrel: a lot of funny adventures !!
But also the film is a pleasant caricature of the British way of life: the.lined up houses in the town, the left hand traffic, the English cooking (wild boar boiled with mint), the tepid beer , the rugby and above all the pleasant way of speaking: the use of the adjective before the substantives so Astérix speaks about the Roman patrol instead of the patrouille romaine,etc Thi film is also an historical fiction, I appreciate the story of the arrival of the tea in Britain, before the. English were drinking hot water with a cloud of milk, then appears the Phoenician merchant and his tea leaves and finally tea becomes the national drink of Britain !!
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