Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra
Encyclopedia
Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, originally titled Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre, is a 2002 French-German film based on the comic book
Astérix et Cléopatre
by René Goscinny
and Albert Uderzo
and a sequel for the 1999 movie Asterix & Obelix Take On Caesar. It was the most expensive French movie at that time. It is the second adaption of Asterix and Cleopatra, following the 1968 animated movie.
The film was directed by Alain Chabat
and starred Gérard Depardieu
, Christian Clavier
and Monica Bellucci
. It was co-produced by French companies Katharina / Renn Productions, TF1 Film Productions and German companies KC Medien and CP Medien AG. It sold 14,557,020 tickets in France.
Unlike other live action adaptions of Asterix books, up to now, this movie is the only Asterix live action movie where the plot adheres closely to the original comic book
Astérix et Cléopatre
without incorporating elements from other books.
queen
Cleopatra (Monica Bellucci
) bets against the Roman Emperor
Julius Caesar
(Alain Chabat) that her people are still great, even if the times of the Pharaoh
s have long passed. She vows (against all logic) to build a new palace for Caesar within three months. Since all her architects are either busy otherwise or too conservative in style, this ambiguous honour falls to an architect named Edifis/Numerobis (Jamel Debbouze
).
Edifis is to build the palace and be covered in gold or, if not, his fate is to be eaten by crocodile
s. Edifis calls upon an old friend to help him out: the fabulous Druid
Getafix/Panoramix (Claude Rich
) from Gaul
, who brews a fantastic potion that gives the drinker supernatural strength. In order to help and protect the old Druid, Asterix
(Christian Clavier) and Obelix
(Gérard Depardieu) accompany him on his journey to Egypt. Asterix falls in love with an Egyptian woman named Guimieukis (Noémie Lenoir
).
Edifis/Numerobis's rival architect Artifis/Amonbofis (Gérard Darmon
) tries to incite a rebellion among Edifis's workers. Getafix brews some potion and construction resumes. 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.
The movie relies on layers of cultural jokes, many of them from the original graphic novels by René Goscinny
and Albert Uderzo
; more were added by the screenwriters, including many references to current popular culture: Caesar's military commander, Caius Céplus, is named for the abbreviation of production company Canal+
(and is spelt "Caius C+" in the English subtitles), and parodies Darth Vader
. Some jokes require a knowledge of French society, habits, etc. while others make use of the historical setting for humorous effect: Cleopatra asks her court painter (played by Claude Berri
, the film's producer and a renowned contemporary art collector) to paint her "not in profile, for once" (taking a Mona Lisa
pose) and he demurs, saying he's not into "modern art."
re-edited the film, cutting approximately 21 minutes and dubbing the movie into English using an American cast. The English script added many new jokes for the American audience, including more references to modern popular culture (Edifis continually calls Getafix a "droid
", for example; this pun was already hinted in the French version though, the actor playing Edifis being of north-African ascendance pushing on his distinctive accent to create a subtle confusion between "droid" and "druid"), and some changes in characterisation, most notably Obelix who appears far less stupid than usual. The dubbed dialogue uses some of the original English names, but the rest are either reused from the American English translation of the original album, or newly invented names. This is most notable among minor characters; the pirate crew, for example, are referred to by the names of famous rock and roll musicians (including John
, Paul
, George
and Ringo
) just before a cry of "let's rock and roll!"
The English language subtitles for other markets are a straight translation of the French dialogue, with only the names changed to match the original English translation of the album. The version released on DVD in the Australia by Madman Entertainment
contains two discs, one the original French version (with multiple language subtitles) and the other the Miramax edit.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
Astérix et Cléopatre
Asterix and Cleopatra
Asterix and Cleopatra is the sixth book in the Asterix comic book series by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. It was first published in serial form in Pilote magazine, issues 215-257, in 1963.-Synopsis:...
by René Goscinny
René Goscinny
René Goscinny was a French comics editor and writer, who is best known for the comic book Astérix, which he created with illustrator Albert Uderzo, and for his work on the comic series Lucky Luke with Morris and Iznogoud with Jean Tabary.-Early life:Goscinny was born in Paris in 1926, to a family...
and Albert Uderzo
Albert Uderzo
Albert Uderzo is a French comic book artist, and scriptwriter. He is best known for his work on the Astérix series, but also drew other comics such as Oumpah-pah, also in collaboration with René Goscinny.-Early life:...
and a sequel for the 1999 movie Asterix & Obelix Take On Caesar. It was the most expensive French movie at that time. It is the second adaption of Asterix and Cleopatra, following the 1968 animated movie.
The film was directed by Alain Chabat
Alain Chabat
Alain Chabat is a French actor and director who appeared in La Cité de la peur, French Twist, The Taste of Others and The Science of Sleep.- Life and career :Chabat was born in Oran, French Algeria. He is Jewish....
and starred Gérard Depardieu
Gérard Depardieu
Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu is a French actor and filmmaker. He is a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur, Chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite and has twice won the César Award for Best Actor...
, Christian Clavier
Christian Clavier
Christian Clavier is a French actor. He is the brother of French film director Stéphane Clavier.-Biography:After his high class studies at the Neuilly Lycée Pasteur—though asserted here and there, he never studied at Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris —he started his acting career with the...
and Monica Bellucci
Monica Bellucci
Monica Anna Maria Bellucci is an Italian actress and fashion model.-Early life:Bellucci was born in Città di Castello, Umbria, Italy as the only child of Luigi Bellucci, who was born in the British protectorate of Zanzibar, East Pakistan...
. It was co-produced by French companies Katharina / Renn Productions, TF1 Film Productions and German companies KC Medien and CP Medien AG. It sold 14,557,020 tickets in France.
Unlike other live action adaptions of Asterix books, up to now, this movie is the only Asterix live action movie where the plot adheres closely to the original comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
Astérix et Cléopatre
Asterix and Cleopatra
Asterix and Cleopatra is the sixth book in the Asterix comic book series by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. It was first published in serial form in Pilote magazine, issues 215-257, in 1963.-Synopsis:...
without incorporating elements from other books.
Summary
The EgyptianPtolemaic Egypt
Ptolemaic Egypt began when Ptolemy I Soter invaded Egypt and declared himself Pharaoh of Egypt in 305 BC and ended with the death of queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt and the Roman conquest in 30 BC. The Ptolemaic Kingdom was a powerful Hellenistic state, extending from southern Syria in the east, to...
queen
Queen regnant
A queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....
Cleopatra (Monica Bellucci
Monica Bellucci
Monica Anna Maria Bellucci is an Italian actress and fashion model.-Early life:Bellucci was born in Città di Castello, Umbria, Italy as the only child of Luigi Bellucci, who was born in the British protectorate of Zanzibar, East Pakistan...
) bets against the Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
(Alain Chabat) that her people are still great, even if the times of the Pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
s have long passed. She vows (against all logic) to build a new palace for Caesar within three months. Since all her architects are either busy otherwise or too conservative in style, this ambiguous honour falls to an architect named Edifis/Numerobis (Jamel Debbouze
Jamel Debbouze
Jamel Debbouze is an actor, comedian and producer of Moroccan descent.-Biography:Debbouze is the oldest of five brothers. He was born in Paris, France, but his family moved to Morocco the following year...
).
Edifis is to build the palace and be covered in gold or, if not, his fate is to be eaten by crocodile
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
s. Edifis calls upon an old friend to help him out: the fabulous Druid
Druid
A druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....
Getafix/Panoramix (Claude Rich
Claude Rich
Claude Rich is a French actor. He began his career as a theater actor, before his film debut in 1955 with René Clair, Les Grandes Manoeuvres.He married the actress Catherine Renaudin on 26 June 1959...
) from Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
, who brews a fantastic potion that gives the drinker supernatural strength. In order to help and protect the old Druid, Asterix
Asterix
Asterix or The Adventures of Asterix is a series of French comic books written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo . The series first appeared in French in the magazine Pilote on October 29, 1959...
(Christian Clavier) and Obelix
Obelix
Obelix is a fictional character from the French comic book series Asterix. He works as a menhir sculptor and deliveryman, and is Asterix's best friend. Obelix is noted for his fatness, the menhirs he carries around on his back and his superhuman strength...
(Gérard Depardieu) accompany him on his journey to Egypt. Asterix falls in love with an Egyptian woman named Guimieukis (Noémie Lenoir
Noémie Lenoir
Noémie Lenoir is a French model and actress of African and European descent.-Career:Lenoir was first spotted by Ford Models when she was 16 years old. In 1995, Lenoir signed with L'Oréal, and has since appeared in their advertisements alongside Laetitia Casta and long-term model and actress Andie...
).
Edifis/Numerobis's rival architect Artifis/Amonbofis (Gérard Darmon
Gérard Darmon
Gérard Darmon is a French movie actor and singer.Second husband to Mathilda May.He has three children: Virginie and the last two by Mathilda May, daughter Sarah and son Jules...
) tries to incite a rebellion among Edifis's workers. Getafix brews some potion and construction resumes. 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.
The movie relies on layers of cultural jokes, many of them from the original graphic novels by René Goscinny
René Goscinny
René Goscinny was a French comics editor and writer, who is best known for the comic book Astérix, which he created with illustrator Albert Uderzo, and for his work on the comic series Lucky Luke with Morris and Iznogoud with Jean Tabary.-Early life:Goscinny was born in Paris in 1926, to a family...
and Albert Uderzo
Albert Uderzo
Albert Uderzo is a French comic book artist, and scriptwriter. He is best known for his work on the Astérix series, but also drew other comics such as Oumpah-pah, also in collaboration with René Goscinny.-Early life:...
; more were added by the screenwriters, including many references to current popular culture: Caesar's military commander, Caius Céplus, is named for the abbreviation of production company Canal+
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
(and is spelt "Caius C+" in the English subtitles), and parodies Darth Vader
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
. Some jokes require a knowledge of French society, habits, etc. while others make use of the historical setting for humorous effect: Cleopatra asks her court painter (played by Claude Berri
Claude Berri
Claude Berri , born Claude Berel Langmann, was one of the great all-rounders of French cinema: an actor, writer, producer, director and distributor. "Out of my failure as an actor was born my desire to direct. Then my relative failure as a director forced me to become a producer. In order to get my...
, the film's producer and a renowned contemporary art collector) to paint her "not in profile, for once" (taking a Mona Lisa
Mona Lisa
Mona Lisa is a portrait by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. It is a painting in oil on a poplar panel, completed circa 1503–1519...
pose) and he demurs, saying he's not into "modern art."
Translations
Miramax FilmsMiramax Films
Miramax Films is an American entertainment company known for distributing independent and foreign films. For its first 14 years the company was privately owned by its founders, Bob and Harvey Weinstein...
re-edited the film, cutting approximately 21 minutes and dubbing the movie into English using an American cast. The English script added many new jokes for the American audience, including more references to modern popular culture (Edifis continually calls Getafix a "droid
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
", for example; this pun was already hinted in the French version though, the actor playing Edifis being of north-African ascendance pushing on his distinctive accent to create a subtle confusion between "droid" and "druid"), and some changes in characterisation, most notably Obelix who appears far less stupid than usual. The dubbed dialogue uses some of the original English names, but the rest are either reused from the American English translation of the original album, or newly invented names. This is most notable among minor characters; the pirate crew, for example, are referred to by the names of famous rock and roll musicians (including John
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, Paul
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, George
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
and Ringo
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
) just before a cry of "let's rock and roll!"
The English language subtitles for other markets are a straight translation of the French dialogue, with only the names changed to match the original English translation of the album. The version released on DVD in the Australia by Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment is an Australian company that distributes international films as well as Japanese anime and manga in Australia and New Zealand. The company is owned by Funtastic Limited and is one of the major entertainment companies in Australia. It employs 130 people and has an annual...
contains two discs, one the original French version (with multiple language subtitles) and the other the Miramax edit.
Voice cast
| Character | French (original) cast | English cast |
|---|---|---|
| Asterix | Christian Clavier Christian Clavier Christian Clavier is a French actor. He is the brother of French film director Stéphane Clavier.-Biography:After his high class studies at the Neuilly Lycée Pasteur—though asserted here and there, he never studied at Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris —he started his acting career with the... |
David Cobourn |
| Obelix | Gérard Depardieu Gérard Depardieu Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu is a French actor and filmmaker. He is a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur, Chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite and has twice won the César Award for Best Actor... |
Dominic Fumusa Dominic Fumusa Dominic Fumusa is an American stage and screen actor, currently starring on the comedy drama series Nurse Jackie on Showtime.-Career:Fumusa has originated roles on the Broadway stage in such plays as the Tony Award-winning Take Me Out, Tape, and [sic]... |
| Numerobis | Jamel Debbouze Jamel Debbouze Jamel Debbouze is an actor, comedian and producer of Moroccan descent.-Biography:Debbouze is the oldest of five brothers. He was born in Paris, France, but his family moved to Morocco the following year... |
Jamel Debbouze Jamel Debbouze Jamel Debbouze is an actor, comedian and producer of Moroccan descent.-Biography:Debbouze is the oldest of five brothers. He was born in Paris, France, but his family moved to Morocco the following year... |
| Cleopatra | Monica Bellucci Monica Bellucci Monica Anna Maria Bellucci is an Italian actress and fashion model.-Early life:Bellucci was born in Città di Castello, Umbria, Italy as the only child of Luigi Bellucci, who was born in the British protectorate of Zanzibar, East Pakistan... |
Diane Neal Diane Neal Diane Neal is an American actress widely known for her role as Casey Novak on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.-Biography:... |
| Julius Caesar | Alain Chabat Alain Chabat Alain Chabat is a French actor and director who appeared in La Cité de la peur, French Twist, The Taste of Others and The Science of Sleep.- Life and career :Chabat was born in Oran, French Algeria. He is Jewish.... |
T. Scott Cunningham |
| Panoramix | Claude Rich Claude Rich Claude Rich is a French actor. He began his career as a theater actor, before his film debut in 1955 with René Clair, Les Grandes Manoeuvres.He married the actress Catherine Renaudin on 26 June 1959... |
Phillip Proctor |
| Amonbofis | Gérard Darmon Gérard Darmon Gérard Darmon is a French movie actor and singer.Second husband to Mathilda May.He has three children: Virginie and the last two by Mathilda May, daughter Sarah and son Jules... |
Tom Weiner |
| Idea | Isabelle Nanty Isabelle Nanty Isabelle Nanty is a French actress and film director.see http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0353243/. She played the part of Georgette in the 2001 French film Amélie and Isabelle in La Belle Histoire... |
Isabelle Nanty Isabelle Nanty Isabelle Nanty is a French actress and film director.see http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0353243/. She played the part of Georgette in the 2001 French film Amélie and Isabelle in La Belle Histoire... |
| Narrator | Pierre Tchernia Pierre Tchernia Pierre Tchernia was born Pierre Tcherniakowski on January 29, 1928 in Paris. In France known as "Magic" Tchernia and Monsieur Cinema, he is a cinema and television producer, screenwriter, presenter, animator and actor.- Career :... |
Erik Bergmann |
Soundtrack
- "Mission Cleopatra" - Snoop DoggSnoop DoggCalvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
and Jamel DebbouzeJamel DebbouzeJamel Debbouze is an actor, comedian and producer of Moroccan descent.-Biography:Debbouze is the oldest of five brothers. He was born in Paris, France, but his family moved to Morocco the following year... - "Asterix and Cleopatra" - Philippe Chany
- "I Got You (I Feel Good)I Got You (I Feel Good)"I Got You " is a hit song by James Brown. Released as a single in 1965, it was one of Brown's signature songs, and is arguably his most widely-known recording.-Description:...
" - James BrownJames BrownJames Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr... - "Yakety SaxYakety Sax"Yakety Sax" is a piece of music written by James Q. "Spider" Rich and popularized by saxophonist Boots Randolph.The composition includes pieces of assorted fiddle tunes such as "Chicken Reel", and was written for a performance at a venue called The Armory in Hopkinsville, Kentucky...
" - Boots RandolphBoots RandolphHomer Louis "Boots" Randolph III was an American musician best known for his 1963 saxophone hit, "Yakety Sax"... - "The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)The Imperial March"The Imperial March " is a musical theme present in the Star Wars franchise. It was composed by John Williams for the film Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back...
" - John WilliamsJohn WilliamsJohn Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T... - "Ti AmoTi amo"Ti amo" is a 1977 song recorded by Italian singer Umberto Tozzi from the album È nell'aria...ti amo. It achieved success at the time, becoming a hit in many European countries, including Sweden and Switzerland where it topped the charts. A Spanish version was released as "Te Amo", and had a good...
" - Umberto TozziUmberto TozziUmberto Antonio Tozzi is an Italian pop/rock singer and composer, born in Turin. His most internationally famous song is "Gloria" -Biography:...