ASTERIX AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES (2008)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous*
MYTHICITY: *good*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *comedy*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *sociological*

I chose the above still to illustrate my review because, even though Asterix and Obelix are indisputably the stars of the show, the centermost performer, one Benoit Poelvoorde, is a big part of why OLYMPIC is the funniest Asterix story I've encountered so far, in any medium.

This is the third of four live-action adaptations of the famed French comics-franchise, and the only one I've screened thus far. International star Gerard Depardieu has played the role of pot-bellied Obelix in all four, but in Film Number Three one Clovis Cornillac replaced the Asterix-actor from the first two movies. Cornillac and Depardieu evince good chemistry together, and all of the support-players are strong in their respective roles, particularly the renowned Alain Delon in his sole outing as the patrician ruler of Rome, Julius Caesar. But the Belgian comedian Poelvoorde sells the film as Caesar's adoptive son Brutus. Reportedly the character from the Asterix comic (whom I have not previously seen in any incarnation) is said to have been remodeled so that Poelvoorde could make him not just as relentlessly treacherous as the historical Brutus, but a conceited moron as well.

I also have not read the original Asterix comic ASTERIX AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES, but Wiki establishes that not only is Brutus not present in that story, there's also no love-story subplot. In the comic, Asterix and Obelix simply get involved in the Greek games simply as another gambit to embarrass the Romans. In GAMES the film, a Gaul named Lovesix competes with Brutus for the hand of Greek princess Irina, and it's decided that she will marry whoever wins the current Olympic contest. The romantic subplot adds extra dimension to what I view as the rather standardized, and somewhat boring, plot of most Asterix tales.

To be sure, most of the jokes revolving around the competition between the Gauls and Brutus (and his various stooges) are probably drawn from the album, particularly those concerning the Gauls' illegal use of strength-potion. Production values are high, matching the actors' stellar performances with excellent costuming and stuntwork, particularly in the concluding chariot-race between Lovesix and Brutus. Unlike many Asterix villains, Brutus is a consummate schemer, and when he's not coming up with ways to cheat in the games, he's setting deadly traps to kill off Daddy Julius, so that he Brutus can take over the Empire. 

GAMES isn't just the best Asterix story I've ever seen, as I said, in any medium. I'd also put this film on my list of best comedy feature-films of all time, along with the best of Preston Sturges and Mel Brooks and the one really good Abbott and Costello flick.