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This film is radically better than Asterix
the Gaul, mostly due to the watchful eyes of Uderzo and
Goscinny.
The movie follows the same plot as Asterix
and Cleopatra the
book, but has its own humorous additions and changes of
its own, while staying true to the spirit of the book.
You'll notice the pirates in the film are
different (bad decision) and the spy is much more sinister
and has the ability to blend into ANY background (good decision)!
The added character of Cleopatra's lion is
a nice addition, he's very amusing as he dances with Cleopatra's
maids and sings with Cleopatra herself.
A unique aspect of the film is the use of
songs, turning into a borderline musical, something none of
the other Asterix films have. There aren't many songs - just
three, and they don't do much to advance the story, but it
does give an excuse for some great gags they are rather catchy.
Cleopatra sings in the bath, Obelix laments the lack of food
and Artifis cooks up a poisonous cake filled with such things
as arsenic and opium!
The english voice actors are generally okay,
with Jean Fontaine making a very good dramatic Cleopatra.
Lee Payant (the Co-director of the film) doesn't work at all.
Its very nasal and snappy, making Asterix seem like a bossy
character, which he isn't.
The humour in this is excellent, with great
satire on the building industry among other things. The animation
format also allows some nice visual gags which aren't possible
in the book.
I'd recommend all Asterix fans try and get
their hands on a copy of this, its one of the best!
If you have seen the movie and would like
to add your thoughts, drop
me a line.
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