The Twelve Tasks of Asterix

1976 English/French animated film

The Twelve Tasks of Asterix

Original theatrical release poster

Les Douze travaux d'Astérix
Directed by| René Goscinny
Albert Uderzo
Pierre Watrin
Henri Gruel
Screenplay by|

* Pierre Tchernia
* René Goscinny
* Albert Uderzo

Based on|

Asterix

* René Goscinny
* Albert Uderzo

Produced by|

* Georges Dargaud
* René Goscinny
* Albert Uderzo

Starring|

* Roger Carel
* Jacques Morel
* Jean Martinelli

Narrated by| Pierre Tchernia
Edited by|

* René Chaussy
* Isabel García de Herreros
* Minouche Gauzins
* Michèle Neny

Music by| Gérard Calvi

Production
companies

* Studios Idéfix
* Dargaud Films
* Les Productions René Goscinny
* Halas and Batchelor

Distributed by| Gaumont Distribution

Release dates

* 12 March 1976 (1976-03-12) (Austria)
* 20 October 1976 (1976-10-20) (France)
* 19 December 1976 (1976-12-19) (United Kingdom)

Running time

| 82 minutes
Country| France
Language|

French

Box office| 9.4 million tickets[1]

The Twelve Tasks of Asterix (French: Les Douze travaux d'Astérix) is a French animated feature film, written and directed by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, produced by Dargaud Films and Studios Idéfix, and distributed by Gaumont. It is the third animated film based on the Asterix comic book series, while the first to feature an original story by Goscinny and Uderzo, the series' creators, and is the only Asterix film to be produced using xerography animation techniques.

The film's plot revolves around Asterix and Obelix attempting to complete a series of tough challenges set by Julius Caesar, who seeks to prove they and their fellow villagers are not gods. The film starred Roger Carel, and Jacques Morel; while the English cast included Sean Barrett, and Geoffrey Russell.

The Twelve Tasks of Asterix received mixed review regarding the tone of the story and frequent breaks in the fourth wall, but gained popularity over the years to later be considered one of the best Asterix films, achieving the status of a cult classic.[2][3] The story was later adapted into a comic book by Marcel Uderzo, Albert Uderzo's brother,[4] though was not widely distributed and was not incorporated into the Asterix series; an illustrated book of the film was more widely published in multiple languages than the comic adaptation.

## Plot

[edit]

Following constant defeats by the rebel Gauls in Armorica, the Roman Senate slowly begin to believe they may be gods, due to their apparent invincibility. Julius Caesar, openly disdainful of the suggestion, decides to test the village and meets with their chieftain, Vitalstatistix. Caesar declares that the Gauls must undertake a challenge, inspired by the Twelve Labours of Hercules \- in which their best warrior must complete a set of twelve new tasks that only gods could succeed in. Caesar states that is all the tasks are completed, he will hand over the Roman Empire to them; if they fail even just one task, the Gauls must surrender to Rome. Agreeing to the terms, the village assigns Asterix and Obelix to perform the tasks, with Caesar assigning Caius Tiddlus, a Roman man renowned for his honesty, to act as both their guide to the tasks and the challenges' referee.

In their first set of challenges, Asterix defeats Asbestos the Greek, champion of the ancient Olympic Games, in a race, and Cilindric the German in a judo match, by outsmarting his opponent, while Obelix defeats Verses the Persian, by managing to throw a javelin further than him. In their next challenge, the pair find themselves crossing a lake to an island known as the "Isle of Pleasure", home to beautiful Sirens, who they must resist. Although the Gauls nearly succumb to the women, Obelix comes to his senses when he learns that there are no wild boars for him to hunt and eat, allowing the pair to accomplish the challenge. The pair continue to have further success, with Asterix defeating Iris the Egyptian, by surviving turning his powerful hypnotic power against him, while Obelix defeats Belgian cook Mannekenpix by consuming all of the meals he prepares - under the assumption they were hors d'oeuvres.

Following their success in enduring the "Cave of the Beast" in the next challenge, the pair find themselves told by Caius to acquire a permit document from "The Place that Sends you Mad", a multi-storey bureaucratic building. After finding it impossible because of the clinically unhelpful people who direct them elsewhere, Asterix beats them at their own game by requesting an imaginary permit and turning their behaviour against them, resulting in the building's Prefect to unwittingly hand over what the Gauls came for. The pair continue to complete further challenges: crossing a ravine filled with crocodiles by beating them up rather than using an invisible tightrope; answering a riddle by the Old Man of the Mountain, conducted in the form of a washing detergent advertisement; and enduring a night on a plain haunted by ghostly legionnaires, who Asterix scares away through furious complaints.

Asterix and Obelix eventually find themselves in Rome, alongside their fellow villagers, for their final task. Brought to the Circus Maximus, the Gauls fight against gladiators, whom they beat, and defeat various animals sent against them by turning the arena into a modern-day circus. Having succeeded in every task, Caesar agrees that they are gods, giving the Gauls control of the Roman Empire. Caesar retires to live a quiet and peaceful life with Cleopatra, while Caius is rewarded for his service and retires to the Isle of Pleasure. As the village celebrates their success, Asterix answers Obelix's question of them really conquering Rome by pointing out that everything that happened to them was a mere cartoon, in which anything is possible. Obelix takes advantage of this and teleports himself and his wild boar meat to the Isle of Pleasure to enjoy himself.

## Cast

[edit]

Character  | Original Dub  | English Dub[5][6]

|
|

Original Dub  | English Dub
Astérix  | Asterix  | Roger Carel | Sean Barrett[5][6]
Assurancetourix  | Cacofonix  | Geoffrey Russell[5][6]
Idéfix  | Dogmatix  | Roger Carel
Caius Pupus  | Caius Tiddlius  | Roger Carel  | Sean Barrett
Sénateur romain #2  | Roman Senator #2  | Lawrence Riesner  | Geoffrey Russell
Sénateur romain #3  | Roman Senator #3  | Jean Stout  | John Ringham
Obélix  | Obelix  | Jacques Morel | Michael Kilgarriff[5][6]
Grande prêtresse  | Chief Priestess of the Isle of Pleasure  | Micheline Dax | Christina Greatrex[5][6]
Cléopâtre  | Cleopatra  | Gennie Nevinson
Mme Agecanonix  | Mrs. Geriatrix  | Nicole Jonesco  | Christina Greatrex[6]
Le vénérable du sommet  | Old Man of the Mountains  | Gérard Hernandez | Paul Bacon[5][6]
Jules César  | Julius Caesar  | Jean Martinelli | Alexander John[5][6]
Jupiter  | Zeus
Abraracourcix  | Vitalstatistix  | Pierre Tornade | Paul Bacon[5][6]
Panoramix  | Getafix  | Henri Virlojeux | Geoffrey Russell[5][6]
Iris  | Iris the Hypnotizer  | Paul Bacon[5][6]
Cétautomatix  | Fulliautomatix  | Georges Atlas  | Sean Barrett
Hermès  | Hermes  | George Baker
Fantôme de la plaine des trépassés  | Roman Ghost  | Sean Barrett
Sénateur romain  | Roman Senator  | Claude Bertrand | Unknown
Le centurion #2  | The Centurion #2
Bureaucrate #5  | Bureaucrat #5  | Caroline Cler  | Ysanne Churchman
Bureaucrate #2  | Bureaucrat #2  | Claude Dasset  | George Baker
Soldat  | Soldier  | Jacques Hilling | John Ringham
Bureaucrate #1  | Bureaucrat #1  | Henri Labussière | Alexander John
Bureaucrate #4  | Bureaucrat #4  | Odette Laure | Paddy Turner
Le préfet  | The prefect  | Bernard Lavalette | George Baker
Cylindrique le Germain  | Cylindric  | Roger Lumont  | Sean Barrett
Sénateur romain #1  | Roman Senator #1  | Pascal Mazzotti | Paul Bacon
Le centurion #1  | The Centurion #1  | Henri Poirier
Mannekenpix  | Mannikinpix  | Stéphane Steeman  | Sean Barrett
Vénus  | Aphrodite  | Monique Thubert  | Paddy Turner
Bonemine  | Impedimenta  | Nicole Vervil  | Ysanne Churchman
Le narrateur  | Narrator  | Pierre Tchernia (uncredited)  | John Ringham
Le chef des indiens  | Indian Chief  | Claude Dasset  | Paul Bacon
Prêtresses  | Priestesses  | Mary Mongourdin  | Paddy Turner
Barbara Mitchell
Bureaucrate #3  | Bureaucrat #3  | Nicole Jonesco  | Gennie Nevinson
Bureaucrate #6  | Bureaucrat #6  | Gisèle Grimm  | Christina Greatrex
Bureaucrate #7  | Bureaucrat #7  | Jean Stout  | John Ringham
Junon  | Hera  | Nicole Jonesco  | Christina Greatrex
Mars  | Ares  | Lawrence Riesner  | Paul Bacon
Soldat romain  | Roman Soldier  | Jean Stout  | George Baker
Entraîneur de gladiateurs  | Gladiator Trainer  | Jacques Hilling  | Sean Barrett
Geôlier  | Jailer  | Lawrence Riesner
Bureaucrate #8  | Bureaucrat #8  | Unknown  | Gennie Nevinson
Bureaucrate #9  | Bureaucrat #9  | Paul Bacon
Kermés  | Verses  | Sean Barrett

### Uncredited

[edit]

* Original Dub: Alice Sapritch (Additional Voices)

## Home media

[edit]

In the United Kingdom, it was watched by 400,000 viewers on television during the first half of 2005, making it the fifth most-watched foreign-language film on UK television during that period.[7]

## Notes

[edit]

* In the opening scene at Caesar's senate Brutus is seen around the table playing with a knife of which Caesar says "Brutus, stop playing about with that knife you'll end up hurting somebody",[8][9] while Brutus is off screen you hear an "ouch" in the background with the next shot of Brutus with a bandage around his finger. This is a reference to Brutus being one of the men who stabbed and killed Caesar.
* The scene with the fight in the Native American village during the second task features a cameo appearance by Oumpah-pah, a character created by Goscinny and Uderzo for a separate comic series.
* Especially in France, Italy and Germany, "The Place that sends you mad" sequence has achieved a strong cult status as a satire of absurd modern-day bureaucracy. In Germany, "Passierschein A38" ("Curfew pass A38") has become a popular slang term for a fictional document to ironically describe absurd bureaucracy.[10][11][12] It was also referenced in the second expansion of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Blood and Wine; there, Geralt has to retrieve Permit A38 from a Touissant office, and face unhelpful clerks and confusing architecture.[13]

## Comic book and story book adaptations

[edit]

* In 1976, Uderzo's brother Marcel created a comic book adaptation of the film. This rare album has been translated in various languages, but is unavailable in the regular series.[4] The English translation, only published as part of the once off comic book annual Asterix Annual 1980,[14] was based on the dialogue of the English version of the film and was titled Asterix Conquers Rome.
* There is also an illustrated book of the film (of the same name) containing the story in text. The story book is more regularly published and more widely translated than the very rare comic book.[15]
* In addition, there are also twelve rare illustrated text story books for young readers, one for each of the twelve tasks.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Douze travaux d'Astérix (1976)". JP's Box-Office. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
2. ^ "René Goscinny". lambiek.net.
3. ^ "Albert Uderzo". lambiek.net.
4. ^ a b "Marcel Uderzo". lambiek.net.
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Les DOUZE TRAVAUX D'ASTÉRIX (1975)". Archived from the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "The The Twelve Tasks of Asterix Cast". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
7. ^ "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.
8. ^ "Animated Asterix Films: 'The Twelve Tasks of Asterix'". h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition. 21 February 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
9. ^ Kuykendall, Jeff. "The Twelve Tasks of Asterix (1976)". Midnight Only. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
10. ^ "Warum das Coronavirus den "Passierschein A38" wiederauferstehen lässt". www.t-online.de (in German). 23 March 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
11. ^ "ZEIT ONLINE | Lesen Sie zeit.de mit Werbung oder im PUR-Abo. Sie haben die Wahl". www.zeit.de. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
12. ^ "Apps statt Ablage - Der lange Weg zur digitalen Verwaltung". Deutschlandfunk Kultur (in German). 27 July 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
13. ^ "The best bit of The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine is a hilarious, throwaway side quest". VG247. 30 June 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
14. ^ "Asterix Conquers Rome (1976) - Read Asterix Comics Online". asterixonline.info.
15. ^ "Chapter 1. The Twelve Tasks of Asterix". asterix.openscroll.org.

## External links

[edit]

Wikiquote has quotations related to The Twelve Tasks of Asterix.

* The Twelve Tasks of Asterix 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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