Asterix at the Olympic Games (film)

Infobox Film
name = Astérix aux Jeux Olympiques


caption =
director = Frédéric Forestier, Thomas Langmann
producer = Jérôme Seydoux, Thomas Langmann
writer = René Goscinny (original comic book), Thomas Langmann, Alexandre Charlot, Frank Magnier
starring = Clovis Cornillac
Gérard Depardieu
Benoît Poelvoorde
Alain Delon
Jean-Pierre Cassel
José Garcia
Jérôme Le Banner
Nathan Jones
Stéphane Rousseau
Vanessa Hessler
Franck Dubosc
music = Frédéric Talgorn
cinematography = Thierry Arbogast
editing =
production_company = La Petite Reine, Pathé Renn Productions
distributor =
released = 25 January 2008 Poland
30 January 2008 Greece & France
runtime =
country = France
awards =
language = French
budget = 78 million €
gross =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0463872
preceded_by = ""

"Asterix at the Olympic Games" (French: "Astérix aux Jeux Olympiques") is a French movie, adapted from René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo's Astérix comic series. It was filmed essentially in Spain in the course of the year 2006. Its €78 million budget makes it one of the most expensive European movies ever.cite web |publisher= TIME magazine |url= http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1708610,00.html |title = Asterix Aims to Conquer Europe| accessdate=31 January | accessyear=2008] The movie has been poorly received by critics, but has done well at several European box offices topping charts in Poland, Spain and France [http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080211/media_nm/boxoffice_overseas_dc;_ylt=AuT_yJRjympYY7qMfY2fWelxFb8C] . In May 2008 it received the "Gérard du cinéma" (French equivalent of the Razzie Awards) for "Worst French film made in 2007."

Plot

Astérix and Obélix have to win the Olympic Games in order to help their friend Alafolix marry Princess Irina (portrayed by supermodel Vanessa Hessler). Brutus (Benoît Poelvoorde) uses every trick in the book to have his own team win the game, and get rid of his father Julius Caesar (Alain Delon) in the process, but fails.

The film is very loosely adapted from the original Asterix at the Olympic Games comic book. The love story subplot between Alafolix and Irina was not featured in the original story. Brutus, portrayed here as a comical villain, is the main antagonist, while he was not even depicted in the comic.

Cast

Clovis Cornillac replaced Christian Clavier as Astérix. Jean-Pierre Cassel - playing his last film role - was the third actor to portray Druid Panoramix (Getafix), after Claude Piéplu and Claude Rich, while Alain Delon was the third actor to portray Julius Caesar in a live action Asterix film, after Gottfried John and Alain Chabat. Gérard Depardieu (as Obélix) is the only actor to reprise his part in all three films. There is a cameo of Adriana Sklenaříková as Mrs Geriatrix (replacing Arielle Dombasle in the first movie), and Jamel Debbouze reprises his role as Numerobis. German comedy star and director Michael Bully Herbig has a bit-part as a mute roman soldier.

The film featured several cameos by real-life sport stars, such as Michael Schumacher, Jean Todt, Zinedine Zidane, Tony Parker, and Amélie Mauresmo. The part of Roman athlete Claudius Cornedurus (Gluteus Maximus), played by Jérôme Le Banner, was originally to be played by Jean-Claude Van Damme [ [http://www.allocine.fr/article/fichearticle_gen_carticle=18373779.html News : Alain Delon et Jean-Claude Van Damme dans "Astérix 3" ! ] ] .

References