Asterix at the Olympic Games

Directors: Frédéric Forestier, Thomas Langmann
Cast: Clovis Cornillac, Gérard Depardieu, Alain Delon, Benoît Poelvoorde

There’s no better comic than Asterix, but it seems it’s almost impossible to translate to the big screen. Despite an impressive cast (and list of cameos!), this is weaker than the last couple of outings.

Asterix has always been what the French call ‘second-degree humour’, that is, amusing social criticism and self-assessment masquerading as buffoonery or pitch-black pathos. Regrettably, the criticism here is less than mordant, and the comedy often less than funny.

There are some classic moments (not least Delon doing some lovely self-parody), but such isolated moments make for a rather long two hours. Moreover, despite the fact that it’s the most expensive French film ever made, it’s often hard to see where the money went: the effects are frequently flat or outright dodgy.

One for completists only!