Asterix Versus Caesar
Encyclopedia
Asterix Versus Caesar is the first of the 1980s Asterix
films and the fourth film adaption based on the Asterix comic book
s. The plot was adapted primarily from the books Asterix the Legionary
and Asterix the Gladiator
by Goscinny and Uderzo's friend Pierre Tchernia
.
The film's theme song Astérix est La was composed and performed by Plastic Bertrand
),
falls in love with the chief's niece, Panacea. His heart is quickly broken when he hears that she is due to be married to the handsome Tragicomix. The two lovers are walking in the woods when they are captured by a group of Romans
led by a fresh new recruit looking to impress the Centurion of the Roman Camp. The Centurion is infuriated, knowing that the Gaul
s will attack. Panacea, Tragicomix and the new recruit are sent to the farthest outpost of the Roman empire (in the Sahara
) while the Centurion and his troops prepare for the battle.
The angered Gauls trash the camp after which Asterix and Obelix are sent to find the Panacea and Tragicomix and thus end up joining the legionaries.
In the Sahara Tragicomix and Panacea manage to escape the Romans but are captured by slave traders
and sold to Julius Caesar
(or rather given as the humorous scene explains). After defying Caesar they are condemned as the grand finale of the Circus Maximus
at the Colosseum
where they will be thrown to the lion
s.
Asterix and Obelix trace the pair to Rome
(after a brief stay in Egypt
) and try to find the guy who they were sold to (the head of the Gladiator
School). In a desperate effort to recruit Asterix and Obelix the owner of the Gladiator School orders their capture. They manage to capture Asterix who has lost his magic potion. That night a rainstorm flooded Asterix's cell and nearly drowned him. He is saved by Obelix who loses Dogmatix
(Idéfix) who in fact has the magic potion and is bouncing around the Roman sewers which water was extremely rapid as the rainstorm causes it (the Cloaca Maxima
?).
In an effort to free the lovers Asterix and Obelix join the Gladiator School. After they successfully mock up the show, Caesar unleashes the lions. Dogmatix makes a daring run across the lions' cage to the centre of the arena
and gives Asterix the potion. He throws it to Tragicomix who takes care of the lions. While Obelix attempts to capture the lions he's distracted by Panacea and runs in to a pillar shattering a third of the Colosseum. With the show over and the audience evacuated Caesar grants the Gauls their freedom.
The movie ends up with the trademark victory feast that ends with the chief tripping over a rope of sausage
s.
by Celebrity Home Entertainment
. In 2006, The film was released on Region 2 DVD as a part of a box set of animated Asterix films.
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...
films and the fourth film adaption based on the Asterix 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...
s. The plot was adapted primarily from the books Asterix the Legionary
Asterix the Legionary
Asterix the Legionary is the tenth Asterix book in the Asterix comic book series by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. It was first published as a serial in Pilote magazine, issues 368-389, in 1966.-Synopsis:...
and Asterix the Gladiator
Asterix the Gladiator
Asterix the Gladiator is the fourth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo . It was first serialized in the magazine Pilote, issues 126-168, in 1962.-Plot summary:...
by Goscinny and Uderzo's friend 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 :...
.
The film's theme song Astérix est La was composed and performed by Plastic Bertrand
Plastic Bertrand
Plastic Bertrand is a Belgian musician, songwriter, producer, editor and television presenter, best known for the 1977 international hit single "Ça plane pour moi".-Early life and bands:...
),
Plot
The movie begins when ObelixObelix
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...
falls in love with the chief's niece, Panacea. His heart is quickly broken when he hears that she is due to be married to the handsome Tragicomix. The two lovers are walking in the woods when they are captured by a group of Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
led by a fresh new recruit looking to impress the Centurion of the Roman Camp. The Centurion is infuriated, knowing that the 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...
s will attack. Panacea, Tragicomix and the new recruit are sent to the farthest outpost of the Roman empire (in the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
) while the Centurion and his troops prepare for the battle.
The angered Gauls trash the camp after which Asterix and Obelix are sent to find the Panacea and Tragicomix and thus end up joining the legionaries.
In the Sahara Tragicomix and Panacea manage to escape the Romans but are captured by slave traders
African slave trade
Systems of servitude and slavery were common in many parts of Africa, as they were in much of the ancient world. In some African societies, the enslaved people were also indentured servants and fully integrated; in others, they were treated much worse...
and sold to 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....
(or rather given as the humorous scene explains). After defying Caesar they are condemned as the grand finale of the Circus Maximus
Circus Maximus
The Circus Maximus is an ancient Roman chariot racing stadium and mass entertainment venue located in Rome, Italy. Situated in the valley between the Aventine and Palatine hills, it was the first and largest stadium in ancient Rome and its later Empire...
at the Colosseum
Colosseum
The Colosseum, or the Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre , is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire...
where they will be thrown to the lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
s.
Asterix and Obelix trace the pair to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
(after a brief stay in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
) and try to find the guy who they were sold to (the head of the Gladiator
Gladiator
A gladiator was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their legal and social standing and their lives by appearing in the...
School). In a desperate effort to recruit Asterix and Obelix the owner of the Gladiator School orders their capture. They manage to capture Asterix who has lost his magic potion. That night a rainstorm flooded Asterix's cell and nearly drowned him. He is saved by Obelix who loses Dogmatix
Dogmatix
Dogmatix is a fictional character, a tiny white dog who belongs to Obelix in the Asterix comics. Dogmatix is a pun on the words dog and dogmatic. In the original French his name is Idéfix, itself a pun on the French expression idée fixe meaning an obsession...
(Idéfix) who in fact has the magic potion and is bouncing around the Roman sewers which water was extremely rapid as the rainstorm causes it (the Cloaca Maxima
Cloaca Maxima
The Cloaca Maxima is one of the world's earliest sewage systems. Constructed in Ancient Rome in order to drain local marshes and remove the waste of one of the world's most populous cities, it carried an effluent to the River Tiber, which ran beside the city....
?).
In an effort to free the lovers Asterix and Obelix join the Gladiator School. After they successfully mock up the show, Caesar unleashes the lions. Dogmatix makes a daring run across the lions' cage to the centre of the arena
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
and gives Asterix the potion. He throws it to Tragicomix who takes care of the lions. While Obelix attempts to capture the lions he's distracted by Panacea and runs in to a pillar shattering a third of the Colosseum. With the show over and the audience evacuated Caesar grants the Gauls their freedom.
The movie ends up with the trademark victory feast that ends with the chief tripping over a rope of sausage
Sausage
A sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
s.
Book Adaption
A book of the film was released containing the story and stills from the film. It was later re-printed when Orion Publishing re-released the entire series.English Cast
- Jack Beaber ... Asterix
- Billy Kearns ... Obelix
- Robert Barr ... Getafix
- Gordon HeathGordon HeathGordon Heath was an African-American actor and musician who appeared in feature film Animal Farm, and the British made for TV movie Othello, directed by Tony Richardson. Together with his lover Lee Payant, he ran a Left Bank café called L'Abbaye later in his life...
... Caesar - Allan Wenger ... Caius
Additional Voices
- Paul BarrettPaul BarrettPaul Franklyn "Legs" Barrett is the UK's best known agent and manager of 1950s style Rock and Roll artistes, an author and previously a singer and film actor...
- Herbert Baskind
- Bertie Cortez
- Jerry Di Giacomo
- William DohertyWilliam DohertyWilliam Doherty was an American entomologist who specialised in Lepidoptera and later also collected birds for the Natural History Museum at Tring ....
- Bill DunnBill DunnBill Dunn is an American politician and a Republican member of the Tennessee House of Representatives. He has served as a state representative since being elected to the 99th Tennessee General Assembly...
- Christian EricksonChristian EricksonChristian Erickson is an American actor and voice actor currently living in Paris, France. He is known for his role as General Kormarov in the film adaption of Hitman, and his most popular role is that of Lance Boyle, the TV presenter in the MegaRace video games series.-Films:* Fun with Dick and...
- Patrick Floersheim
- Steve Gadler
- Robert Ground
- Derry Hall
- Patricia Kessler
- Mike MarshallMike Marshall (actor)-Early life and career:Marshall was born in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, a hospital in Hollywood, California on 13 September 1944. When his parents divorced, his father made sure that he receive an American education. He began studying Law, but he dreamed of becoming an actor. He later joined...
- Sean O'Neil
- Thomas M. Pollard
- Raphaël Rodriguez
- Stuart Seide
- Pierre Semmler
- Jimmy Shuman
- Ken Starcevic
- Mostéfa Stiti
- Norman Stokle
- Arch Taylor
VHS and DVD release
In 1990, the film was released on VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
by Celebrity Home Entertainment
Celebrity Home Entertainment
Celebrity Home Entertainment , founded by Noel C. Bloom , was a home video distributor specializing in mostly obscure material from around the world, as well as B-grade action films and soft-core adult fare, although they also released some material that...
. In 2006, The film was released on Region 2 DVD as a part of a box set of animated Asterix films.