So much average

One of my all time favorites.

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

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?

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.

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.

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.