(courtesy IMDb)
SNAPSHOT
In the midst of the first millennium, Rome is desperate to conquer the last independent village in Gaul — the home of Astérix and Obélix. The secret to the Gauls’ battle superiority is a magic potion, but when the potion master is struck by amnesia, the villagers are left to their own devices against the might of the Romans.The series is adapted from the seventh album in René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo’s iconic French-language comic series. The 1964 book The Battle of the Chieftains (Le Combat des Chefs) sees Astérix and Obélix’s village struggling against the Roman invaders when potion master Getafix loses his memory — and magic potion recipe. (courtesy Netflix Tudum)
I have read and adored Asterix and his adventures since I was a kid.
I still clearly remember borrowing the books from our local library which for a town of just 3000 people at the time had a really diverse array of titles, and how I’d devour every new story from the originating team of Goscinny and Uderzo who were both very funny and hilariously visually inventive.
Those adventures always sprung to vivid life in my mind but I also love the idea of seeing them on the screen too since it’s always interesting to see how well animators capture the characters and the world they inhabit, one in which, for once, the Romans are on the backfoot.
That’s possibly why I like Asterix so much – he represents the fightback against authoritarianism, and yes, even as a kid I understood how important that was; it’s possible too that because Aussies have always loved and championed the underdog that that aspect of the stories appealed to me.
Whatever the attraction, there’s a new adaptation of a 60-year-old adventure on the way and I can’t wait … get the magic potions ready!
Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight debuts on Netflix on 30 April.
The original teaser …