Asterix Versus Caesar

1985 film by Paul and Gaëtan Brizzi

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Asterix Versus Caesar

Theatrical release poster

Astérix et la surprise de César
Directed by| Gaëtan Brizzi
Paul Brizzi
Written by| Pierre Tchernia
Based on| Asterix the Gladiator
Asterix the Legionary
by René Goscinny
Albert Uderzo
Produced by| Yannik Piel
Starring| Roger Carel
Pierre Tornade
Pierre Mondy
Serge Sauvion
Henri Labussière
Roger Lumont
Edited by| Monique Isnardon
Robert Isnardon
Music by| Vladimir Cosma

Production
companies

* Dargaud Films
* Les Productions René Goscinny

Distributed by| Gaumont Distribution

Release dates

* December 11, 1985 (1985-12-11) (France)
* July 30, 1987 (1987-07-30) (United Kingdom)

Running time

| 74 minutes
Country| France
Language| French

Asterix Versus Caesar (also known in France as Astérix et la surprise de César) is a 1985 French animated adventure comedy film, written by René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo and Pierre Tchernia, produced by Dargaud Films and Les Productions René Goscinny, and released in France originally in December 1985. The film's story sees Asterix and his friend Obelix set off to rescue two lovers from their village that have been kidnapped by the Romans.

The film is the fourth film adaptation of the Asterix comic book series, but features an original story combining the plots of Asterix the Gladiator and Asterix the Legionary, both written by Goscinny. The film's main theme song, Astérix est là, was composed and performed by Plastic Bertrand. A book of the film, containing stills, was released following the film's release, and was later reprinted by Orion Publishing when it re-released the entire comic series.

## Plot

[edit]

To honour Julius Caesar's successful campaigns of conquest, gifts are brought to Rome from across the Roman Empire. Seeking to cement the celebrations, Caesar orders Caius Fatuous, head of a prominent gladiator school, to provide him with a grand show. Meanwhile in Gaul, Asterix notices that his friend Obelix has begun acting strangely. Getafix soon reveals that he is in love with Panacea, Chief Vitalstatistix's niece, who had recently returned. Attempting to win her affection, Obelix becomes distraught when she is reunited with Tragicomix, a younger and handsome man (the son of a neighbouring chieftain) who intends to marry her. Seeking to spend time together, the two lovers venture out into nearby woods, only to be ambushed by a group of Romans, led by a fresh recruit hoping to make a good impression.

When Asterix and Obelix discover what happened, they inform the village, who proceed to attack the garrison. In the aftermath, the camp's Centurion is questioned. He reveals that he angrily ordered the recruit to take his prisoners away, knowing of the consequences that the recruit's actions would bring. Asterix and Obelix, joined by Dogmatix, proceed to the nearest Legion HQ for information on where the recruit went. Upon learning he was dispatched to a distant outpost in the Sahara Desert with his prisoners, they joined the army in order to follow after them. Arriving at the desert frontier, the pair learn that Panacea and Tragicomix escaped from the Romans before their arrival, and after deserting the Romans, soon discover that a band of slave traders found them and sold them on to Rome.

Securing passage to the Roman capital, Asterix and Obelix learn that Panacea and Tragicomix were bought by Caius. The pair attempt to meet with him at a bathhouse, causing Caius to witness them beating up his bodyguards easily. Impressed, he orders his men to capture them for his show. Following a small argument with his friend that causes him to misplace his magic potion, Asterix is kidnapped by Caius' men. When Obelix discovers he is missing, he proceeds to seek him out, rescuing him from a flooded cell. However Dogmatix goes missing, after running off into the city's sewers to recover the magic potion. Without both, the pair continue to seek out Panacea and Tragicomix and quickly learn that, under Caesar's orders, Caius arranged for them to become the grand finale of the emperor's show at the Colosseum.

Seeking to gain entry, the pair go to Caius' school and secure places as gladiators the following day. The Gauls soon quickly make a mess of the show, winning a chariot race and easily beating down a number of gladiators. As lions are released to kill them, alongside Tragicomix and Panacea, Dogmatix arrives with the magic potion. The group defeat the lions with the potion, while Obelix, distracted by Panacea, accidentally shatters a third of the Colosseum. Impressed with the show, Caesar grants the Gauls their freedom and gets Caius fed to the lions in their place. Returning home, the group arrive to their village's trademark victory feast being held in their honour. As the villagers celebrate, Asterix sits alone in a tree, after having somewhat fallen for Panacea on his return.

## Cast

[edit]

Character  | Original Dub  | English Dub[1]

|
|

Asterix  | Roger Carel | Jack Beaber[1]
Obelix  | Pierre Tornade | Billy Kearns[1]
Caius  | Pierre Mondy | Allan Wenger[1]
Julius Caesar  | Serge Sauvion | Gordon Heath[1]
Getafix  | Henri Labussière | Robert Watson Barr[1]
Dubious Status  | Roger Lumont  | Patrick Floersheim[1]
Vitalstatistix  | Jean-Pierre Darras | Bertie Cortez[1]
Panacea  | Séverine Morisot (speaking)
Danielle Licari (singing)  | Patricia Kessler[1]
Nefarius Purpus  | Henri Poirier  | Edward Marcus (uncredited)[1]

* * *

Arch Taylor[1]
Incautius  | Patrick Préjean | James Shuman[1]
Garrulus Rumpus  | Michel Barbet  | Jerry Di Giacomo[1]
Terminus  | Pierre Tchernia | Sean O'Neil[1]
Roman Cook  | Pierre Mirat  | Arch Taylor[1]

### Additional Voices

[edit]

* Original: José Luccioni (The Coliseum Announcer), Yves Barsacq (Unhygienix), Edmond Bernard, Paul Bisciglia, Gérard Croce, Alain Doutey, Philippe Dumat (Farfelus, the slave trader), Michel Gatineau (The Desert Bandit, A Bodyguard of Caius Obtus at the Baths), Paul Mercey, Henri Poirier (The leader of the Roman camp, The Roman with the long speech), Thierry Ragueneau (Tragicomix), Nicolas Silberg (The Presenter of Gifts), Peter Wollasch, Alain Coutey, Martin Lamotte, Roger Barbet
* English: Bill Dunn[1], Steve Gadler (Fulliautomatix)[1], Stuart Seide[1], Mike Marshall[1], Thomas M. Pollard[1], Bill Doherty[1], Christian Erickson[1], Paul Barrett[1], Norman Stockle[1], Derry Hall[1], Peter Semler[1], Robert Ground[1], Raphael Rodriguez[1], Mostéfa Stiti[1], Herbert Baskind[1], Ken Starcevic[1]

### Uncredited

[edit]

* Original: Roger Carel (Dogmatix), Guy Piérauld (Geriatrix)

## Home media

[edit]

In 1990, the film was released on VHS 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.

### Television

[edit]

In the United Kingdom, it was watched by 320,000 viewers on television during the first half of 2005, making it the ninth most-watched foreign-language film on UK television during that period.[2]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae "The Asterix Versus Caesar Cast". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
2. ^ "4. Film on UK Television in the First Half of 2005". Research and Statistics Bulletin. 3 (1). British Film Institute, UK Film Council: 20-34 (26-7). September 2005. Retrieved 21 April 2022 – via Yumpu.

## External links

[edit]

* AsterixNZ entry
* Asterix Versus Caesar at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Asterix

Comic books|

| Goscinny and Uderzo|

* Asterix the Gaul
* The Golden Sickle
* The Goths
* The Gladiator
* The Banquet
* Cleopatra
* The Big Fight
* In Britain
* The Normans
* The Legionary
* The Chieftain's Shield
* Olympic Games
* The Cauldron
* In Spain
* The Roman Agent
* In Switzerland
* The Mansions of the Gods
* The Laurel Wreath
* The Soothsayer
* In Corsica
* Caesar's Gift
* The Great Crossing
* Obelix and Co.
* In Belgium

|

Uderzo alone|

* The Great Divide
* The Black Gold
* Asterix and Son
* The Magic Carpet
* The Secret Weapon
* Asterix and Obelix All at Sea
* The Actress
* The Falling Sky

Ferri and Conrad|

* The Picts
* The Missing Scroll
* The Chariot Race
* The Chieftain's Daughter
* The Griffin

Fabcaro and Conrad|

* The White Iris
* in Lusitania

Other books|

* Asterix Conquers Rome
* The Class Act
* Asterix and Obelix's Birthday: The Golden Book
* Astérix et ses Amis
* How Obelix Fell into the Magic Potion When He Was a Little Boy

Films|

| Animated|

* Asterix the Gaul (1967)
* Asterix and Cleopatra (1968)
* The Twelve Tasks of Asterix (1976)
* Asterix Versus Caesar (1985)
* Asterix in Britain (1986)
* Asterix and the Big Fight (1989)
* Asterix Conquers America (1994)
* Asterix and the Vikings (2006)
* The Mansions of the Gods (2014)
* The Secret of the Magic Potion (2018)

|

Live-action|

* Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar (1999)
* Mission Cleopatra (2002)
* Asterix at the Olympic Games (2008)
* God Save Britannia (2012)
* The Middle Kingdom (2023)

Television|

Asterix and Obelix: The Big Fight (2025)

Video games|

* Asterix (1983)
* Obelix (1984)
* Asterix and the Magic Cauldron (1986)
* Asterix and the Magic Carpet
* Asterix (1992, Master System)
* Asterix (1992, arcade)
* Asterix (1993)
* The Great Rescue
* The Power of the Gods
* Asterix & Obelix
* Asterix & Obelix Take On Caesar
* Mega Madness
* Asterix & Obelix XXL
* XXL 2: Mission: Las Vegum
* XXL 2: Mission: Wifix
* Asterix at the Olympic Games
* XXL 3: The Crystal Menhir

Characters|

* Asterix
* Obelix
* Dogmatix

Related articles|

* Parc Astérix
* English translations of Asterix
* Asterix Omnibus (book collection)
* Oumpah-pah le Peau-Rouge

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