Funny how I've always thought that "Asterix in Britain" was made before "Asterix vs. Caesar", not just because I watched it first, but because I believed "Caesar" was just trying to have a more ambitious narrative without quite succeeding.
But the hell with these comparisons, I just loved "Britain" because the film was hilarious by sticking to the book. Like "Cleopatra", the second Asterix film, it seemed like a wise choice from the animators to take a story with promising material and simply making a great film out of it. It sounds simple but it works. The film opens with a new take on "Caesar"'s theme, with English lyrics, and the sound gives it a sort of Beatles-like melodic appeal, the title is "The Look Out is Out" and just listen to it on Youtube, it's irresistibly catchy.
But the reasons the film works is because it also gives more screen-time to secondary characters like the Pirates and Romans. It's odd how the Gauls don't appear after almost 15 minute and it doesn't even affect the enjoyment. The conquest of Britain is wonderfully handled, confronting the majestic glory of the Roman Army and the Britons' iconic phlegm. In-between, the Roman fleet in its way to Britain run over the Pirate Ship, an an obligatory running-gag, even more effective with more inexperienced one's comment: "at least, it wasn't Gauls". The chief, holding on the same board, can only retort with a grunt.
On the imperial vessel, Cesar's general, named Motus, tells the Emperor that he'll conquer pretty fast this "little Britain", this "Great Britain" insists Cesar, embracing the glory of his D-Day. The film is full of clever winks to remaining stereotypes about the British people. Romans fight Britons but they're immediately interrupted at five o'clock, the time to drink hot water. Well, wouldn't you know tea wasn't exported yet? Romans learn to deal with Britons' peculiar idiosyncrasies such as the 'end of the week', a dilemma soon to be solved by Cesar who decides to attack them only at the end of the week and each day after five o'clock.
Cesar's genius pays off and the Roman flag can grandly throne over a newly occupied Britain. Well, not all Britain, one small village bearing strange resemblances with the Gaulish version (you might notice the guards wearing some long black hats) still resists. The chief (fittingly named 'Zebigbos') shares his hopelessness with Jolithorax, Asterix's cousin. Jolithorax decides to seek help from the Gauls to get some 'magic potion'. Now, just follow me, in the French version, it's called 'potion magique' but Jolithorax calls it "Magique Potion" by changing the words' positions. The way English dialogues are anglicized is one of the film's greatest delights.
Another example comes up when Jolithorax asks Obelix to shake hands (using the word 'shake' in French), naturally Obelix takes him literally reducing his help to flabby stuff. That's hilarious and I guess, I'm only unveiling the film's one flaw: some gags might get lost in translation. But that doesn't matter, as long as the adventure progresses. Getafix makes a barrel full of 'magic potion' so our heroes can bring it to Jolithorax' village. While crossing the English Channel, they rescue a group of Phenicians freighters from the Pirates (no need to tell where they finished) and fight Romans.
With these two naval encounters, the story kicks-off, the Romans know there is magic potion going to Britain and will pull every effort to get it, and Asterix is thanked by the Phenician with one mysterious bag full of oriental herbs, wait before you think it's a small price for saving a vessel. The barrel-adventure goes on, and the barrel got mixed up with a whole other stock full of wine, which puts Romans in a tricky situation, since the magic potion looks exactly like wine. This coincidence contribute to one of the greatest moments, when Romans start to check each barrel in order and disciple, piercing, plunging and drinking the outcome of that moment is a real slap on Roman's legendary organization. Naturally, General Motus is there to berate them the day after and make their hangover even more unbearable.
Asterix and Obelix' quest for the right barrel provides a nice touristic trip in Britain proving that things haven't changed much, Big Ben, the Tower of London ...and naturally, English great food world widely envied. Obelix, tired after crossing the Channel (and wondering if they shouldn't think about digging a tunnel under) is starving. His wish for the Channel is fulfilled a few centuries after, as for the food well, they get in an inn named the 'laughing boar'. But after discover the boiled recipe, mint sauce and warm beer, he wonders what's so funny about it; The food issues worsens his sensitiveness, he has to kick anyone who calls him 'fat', as he says 'there's no fat one, there's one and he's not fat' one of the greatest lines of all the Asterix films.
The quest finally ends to a rugby match where their discovery of the magic potion provokes a hilarious intrusion, only ruined by the arrival of the Romans, who simply destroy their boat, and the potion in the process. They can invade the village, having destroyed the main Allies, and as Motus harangued his soldiers : "To win without risk is to avoid troubles". And this is when the mysterious tea bag works plays its role as the film's Checkov gun. Asterix put the herbs on hot water make British (and later, the Romans) believe that it's magic potion. Now, with that mindset in both sides, the fight can only lead to a victory.
British thought they had the magic potion and according to Zebigbos, that's the definition of courage. Now, that I spoiled the whole story, I guess it don't matter if I reveal what was exactly in that Phoenician little bag Zebigbos wanted to make a national drink of?
But the hell with these comparisons, I just loved "Britain" because the film was hilarious by sticking to the book. Like "Cleopatra", the second Asterix film, it seemed like a wise choice from the animators to take a story with promising material and simply making a great film out of it. It sounds simple but it works. The film opens with a new take on "Caesar"'s theme, with English lyrics, and the sound gives it a sort of Beatles-like melodic appeal, the title is "The Look Out is Out" and just listen to it on Youtube, it's irresistibly catchy.
But the reasons the film works is because it also gives more screen-time to secondary characters like the Pirates and Romans. It's odd how the Gauls don't appear after almost 15 minute and it doesn't even affect the enjoyment. The conquest of Britain is wonderfully handled, confronting the majestic glory of the Roman Army and the Britons' iconic phlegm. In-between, the Roman fleet in its way to Britain run over the Pirate Ship, an an obligatory running-gag, even more effective with more inexperienced one's comment: "at least, it wasn't Gauls". The chief, holding on the same board, can only retort with a grunt.
On the imperial vessel, Cesar's general, named Motus, tells the Emperor that he'll conquer pretty fast this "little Britain", this "Great Britain" insists Cesar, embracing the glory of his D-Day. The film is full of clever winks to remaining stereotypes about the British people. Romans fight Britons but they're immediately interrupted at five o'clock, the time to drink hot water. Well, wouldn't you know tea wasn't exported yet? Romans learn to deal with Britons' peculiar idiosyncrasies such as the 'end of the week', a dilemma soon to be solved by Cesar who decides to attack them only at the end of the week and each day after five o'clock.
Cesar's genius pays off and the Roman flag can grandly throne over a newly occupied Britain. Well, not all Britain, one small village bearing strange resemblances with the Gaulish version (you might notice the guards wearing some long black hats) still resists. The chief (fittingly named 'Zebigbos') shares his hopelessness with Jolithorax, Asterix's cousin. Jolithorax decides to seek help from the Gauls to get some 'magic potion'. Now, just follow me, in the French version, it's called 'potion magique' but Jolithorax calls it "Magique Potion" by changing the words' positions. The way English dialogues are anglicized is one of the film's greatest delights.
Another example comes up when Jolithorax asks Obelix to shake hands (using the word 'shake' in French), naturally Obelix takes him literally reducing his help to flabby stuff. That's hilarious and I guess, I'm only unveiling the film's one flaw: some gags might get lost in translation. But that doesn't matter, as long as the adventure progresses. Getafix makes a barrel full of 'magic potion' so our heroes can bring it to Jolithorax' village. While crossing the English Channel, they rescue a group of Phenicians freighters from the Pirates (no need to tell where they finished) and fight Romans.
With these two naval encounters, the story kicks-off, the Romans know there is magic potion going to Britain and will pull every effort to get it, and Asterix is thanked by the Phenician with one mysterious bag full of oriental herbs, wait before you think it's a small price for saving a vessel. The barrel-adventure goes on, and the barrel got mixed up with a whole other stock full of wine, which puts Romans in a tricky situation, since the magic potion looks exactly like wine. This coincidence contribute to one of the greatest moments, when Romans start to check each barrel in order and disciple, piercing, plunging and drinking the outcome of that moment is a real slap on Roman's legendary organization. Naturally, General Motus is there to berate them the day after and make their hangover even more unbearable.
Asterix and Obelix' quest for the right barrel provides a nice touristic trip in Britain proving that things haven't changed much, Big Ben, the Tower of London ...and naturally, English great food world widely envied. Obelix, tired after crossing the Channel (and wondering if they shouldn't think about digging a tunnel under) is starving. His wish for the Channel is fulfilled a few centuries after, as for the food well, they get in an inn named the 'laughing boar'. But after discover the boiled recipe, mint sauce and warm beer, he wonders what's so funny about it; The food issues worsens his sensitiveness, he has to kick anyone who calls him 'fat', as he says 'there's no fat one, there's one and he's not fat' one of the greatest lines of all the Asterix films.
The quest finally ends to a rugby match where their discovery of the magic potion provokes a hilarious intrusion, only ruined by the arrival of the Romans, who simply destroy their boat, and the potion in the process. They can invade the village, having destroyed the main Allies, and as Motus harangued his soldiers : "To win without risk is to avoid troubles". And this is when the mysterious tea bag works plays its role as the film's Checkov gun. Asterix put the herbs on hot water make British (and later, the Romans) believe that it's magic potion. Now, with that mindset in both sides, the fight can only lead to a victory.
British thought they had the magic potion and according to Zebigbos, that's the definition of courage. Now, that I spoiled the whole story, I guess it don't matter if I reveal what was exactly in that Phoenician little bag Zebigbos wanted to make a national drink of?