User reviews

Fun film, but not as good as the others. The story remains funny though and Britannia is a good change of atmosphere for the gang.

Amusing and fun adventure with Asterix and his faithful friend Obelix fighting Romans in Britain. This was the fourth live-action version of the popular Astérix & Obélix comic books . The diminutive Asterix (Edouard Baer who in 'Asterix and Cleopatra' played a role called Otis) and his rather larger companion Obelix (Gerard Depardieu) , warriors of the last village in Gaul still free after the Roman invasion, set out on a mission to deliver a barrel of their druid's famous magic potion to help Asterix's cousin in Britain fight off the invading Roman army . The year is approximately 50 B. C, Britain is entirely occupied by the Romans commanded by Julius Caesar . Well, not entirely..One small village of indomitable Bretons still holds out against the invaders . And the life is not easy for the Roman legionaries who garrison the fortified camps. Similarly happens on Gaul, where a small village located in Armorica live our friends, the intelligent hero Asterix, the menhir delivery and addicted to wild boar Obelix, the venerable Panoramix with his potion which gives the drinker incredible energy, the majestic,hot-tempered, brave chief of the tribe Abraracourcix... There come a Asterix's cousin asking for help against Romans. As always the perilous mission is immediately trusted to shrewd and cunning Asterix . Obelix, ready to drop everything and go off on a new adventure with Asterix and this time accompanied by Goudurix (Vincent Lacoste) and Jolitorax (Guillaume Gallienne de la Comédie Française) . Asterix and Obelix then cross the channel to help second-cousin face down Julius Caesar (Fabrici Luchini) and invading Romans . As they set out to deliver a barrel plenty of powerful potion getting superhuman strength and brewed by druid Panoramix . His mission transport it for the Britons and vanquish the invaders ; fighting , as always, against the stupid Romans , pirates and a mean Julius Caesar .

This is a nice adventure with hilarious moments here and there , and has Asterix and his inseparable friend battling , as usual, against silly Romans . Full of customs critical about actual British way of life and modern anachronisms that's common thing in comic books . The cartoon movie brilliantly captures the outrageous adventures, tongue-in-check, satire , absurd humour from original story with the same title and drawn by Albert Uderzo and writing credits by Rene Goscinny . Based on René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo's "Asterix in Britain" and "Asterix and the Normans", both published in 1966 . As usual, on the finale the village people celebrating a wild party and eating boars in a gargantuan lunch . Being an European co-production there appears several known French actors such as Catherine Deneuve as Reine Cordelia , Charlotte Lebon as Ophélia , Dany Boon as Têtedepiaf , Jean Rochefort as Lucius Fouinus , Gérard Jugnot as Le Capitaine des pirates ; Spanish players such as Tristan Ulloa , Javivi and Italian such as Luca Zingaretti .

Jolly and lively musical score by Klaus Badlet with a catching song on the start and the ending . Colorful cinematography filmed on location in Wicklow Town, County Wicklow, Ireland , England, UK , France , Hungary and Malta . The motion picture was professionally directed by Laurent Tirard . This passable fourth entry shot in live acting was preceded by ¨Asterix vs Caesar¨ directed by Claude Zidi with Christian Clavier , Robert Benigni , Laetitia Casta , Arielle Dombasle , ¨Asterix and Cleopatra¨ by Alain Chabat with Monica Belucci , Jamel Debbouze ,Claude Rich , Marina Fois , Gérard Darmon and ¨Asterix and the Olympic Games¨ by Frederic Forrestier with Clovis Cornillac , Santiago Segura, Monica Cruz , Jean Pierre Castaldia and Janel Debouzze . The film appeal like to Asterix and Obelix fans , it's a funny entertaining for kids and grown-ups and nostalgics

As a movie of its own its watchable and would deserve maybe a 4 out of 10, as an Atstérix movie its horrible and as an adaptation of the legendary "Astérix chez les Bretons" its a revolting abomination.

What made Astérix so good was the subtlety of the humour and yes they made references to modern cultures too but not in such obvious way.

Also the authors had so much talent and such a huge cultural background, comparing their work to this movie make it look like it was written by a bunch of drunk teenagers.

On the good side the guy playing Jolitorax was funny even tho he looked nothing like the original character.

In my opinion Edouard Baer is always funny but except for the costume he was just himself and nothing like Astérix, same with Cesar except Fabrice Luchini isn't so funny.

Depardieu did what he could with the lines he had, nothing special or memorable.

I was surprised by the Normand, they were like in the cartoons for once but one was named "Yadutaf" ... I wont write what I think about that cause they don't allow vulgarity on this website.

I don't get why they removed many good characters and moments to replace them by very bad ones... The worst was Gaulix, they just replaced him by a lame English character with no lines or personality. Maybe its just me but he was one of my favorite Astérix character. I had such hopes for this character and they just removed him ... I mean whats wrong with Gaulix ? Was he too "french" for an audience that is brainwashed into hating their identity.

Even tho the title was repulsive and the movie bound to be awful, I watched it out of nostalgia and ended up frustrated. If like me the original is one of your best childhood memories, do yourself a favour and keep these memories intact by not watching this pathetic "adaptation".

This movie is a good example of the decline of french culture and society, France really needs an intervention like they do with people who fall from grace although the same could be said about most occidental countries...

Yeah yeah I know, I'm done ranting.

This is a very cute adaptation (with updates) of the classic Asterix comics. The version I had only had French audio with subtitles available in English. This wasn't a problem, as one of the running gags of the film is that French actors playing English characters (most notably the impossibly elegant Catherine Deneuve) speak with their French with horrible English accents. The prize for best/worst Frenglish goes to Charlotte Le Bon, who sounds like she's flunking her first semester of French. The jokes are generally cute-but-harmless, notably the 5:00 hot water break that defines life in England at the time of Caesar. There are references to Star Wars and A Clockwork Orange that don't appear in the 1966 source material, and an Indian character who might strike a contemporary audience as uncomfortable. Still, of all the live-action Asterix films, this one seems to best capture the spirit and absurdity of the comics. Very sweet, very fun, and well worth catching on video.

They've got an amazing cast: Deneuve, Lucchini, Rochefort, Depardieu, Galienne... all famous excellent actors. So where is the weakness but in the script and dialogs? I hate it when you spoil good materials.

OK, it's difficult to be compared to the most excellent Asterix and Cleopatre! And at the same time it's difficult to compare: Chabat also included scenes totally unrelated to the comic (like the kung-fu fight between the two architects), but at least it was funny!

But this one was (to be honest)... boring. I quit in the middle, when Asterix started hitting heavily on women. French humour? Lame. I expect much more from Asterix : Le domaine des Dieux!

Comedy. The film adaptation of children's comics by Rene Gosinni and Albert Uderzo and at the same time two cartoons "Asterix in Britain" (one of the best in the entire series) and "Asterix and the Vikings". Well, fellow viewers, here we have reached the fourth part of the famous series about the adventures of the indomitable Gauls. For the first time I watched this creation in the year of its release - and I didn't like it terribly, and now, reviewing it for this review, I realized why I specifically didn't like it then. It's just milking the series and just plain mediocrity. And here's my brief opinion - Going down to the bottom. There were both advantages (surprisingly) and disadvantages (of which, of course, there are more) in this film collection. And with that, I want to finish the introduction as soon as possible, and move on to the analysis of this film plot.

So, the advantages: 1. Graphinosto - in terms of special effects, this part has become much better than Asterix at the Olympic Games. It is clear that even more money was spent on the technical component. Moreover, all these effects look very harmonious here (and not blindly, as before). They are certainly not top class for 2012, but they are well done for their budget.

2. Costumes and decorations - and they were spent on them, and they spent quite a lot. The scenery is reminiscent of ancient Britain (although it is mixed with a modern touch), the costumes - well, it's just madness and a riot of colors. Some Britons with flags of modern Britain are worth something. More or less, only the Roman legions look good here.

That's all with the advantages.

So, the disadvantages: 1. The script - the very idea of mixing two cartoons into one work is no longer the best. And if the main scenario line about the adventures of Asterix and Obelix, who brought a barrel of magic drink to Britain in order to help their British relatives is even more or less normal, then the rest is already a fierce failure. There are no catchy characters, interesting dialogues either, acting is the level of the modern Russian acting school of pig and pebble (and I wasn't joking right now).

2. Logic - so what's going on with the audit from the Senate of Caesar's accounting? What's with the romance of Asterix and Obelix? Why didn't they reveal the topic of the wagon thief (although in the cartoon "Asterix in Britain" they coped with this). Why didn't they take Idefix with them (although he was present in the cartoon). Why can't the Romans take the queen's village in any way, because there are only wooden walls for defense? Did the Romans become stupid too? And there are a lot of questions that no one will give us an answer to. Logic! Ow! Where are you?

3. Caesar - and here the creators should be ashamed of such a Caesar, because Fabrice Luchini certainly does not fit this role. He looks appropriate in the role of kind uncles, to whom they leave their offspring for the weekend, but not Caesar - one of the greatest historical figures, and in this series - the cunning conqueror of Gaul and Britain. When watching it, you experience a real "Spanish shame".

4. Asterix - this role was played by Otis from the second part (who became famous as a very boring character), and here he played no better. His Asterix is a battered veteran of many battles who has been asking for retirement for a long time, but they do not give it to him. Compared to Clovis or Christian Clavier, Asterix here looks like a pale shadow of himself.

5. Humor - yes, there are hints of it here (after all, the whole series is a comedy), but everything is bad here. There were only two almost funny moments in the whole picture, and that's it. Moreover, the level of jokes here is clearly designed for preschool children. There is no irony, no sarcasm (except for one of his attempts), no playing up to modernity (almost none). There's not even anything to remember.

Of course, this work failed miserably both at home and at the global box office. But this did not stop the money-hungry producers, and in 2023 they decided to try themselves with the Chinese market, because the new part was called "Asterix and Obelix: Celestial Empire", and we will find out what happened there next time.

My rating is 4 out of 10, and I do not recommend this movie for viewing!

This is not the best of the Asterix series (my favourite is still Asterix & Cleopatra) but it is still quite good and certainly deserves more than an average of 5.3...

Perhaps many viewers failed to see the humour in laughing at themselves.

I thought the film was great fun and so full of funny details that it merits a second viewing to catch all the quick jokes in the background, the signs, etc.

It's certainly much better than the latest Hollywood "comedy" productions that resort to gross depictions of bodily fluids as an inept attempt at humour.

My only reason for not giving this 10 stars is that I don't like the actor portraying Asterix as much as the one who did the first films in the series; I don't find him as entertaining as the original. Still, that didn't stop me from laughing out loud many times through the story.

There's no point in watching this movie with subtitles. If you don't speak French, you'll miss most of the humor, which consists of bringing together most of the big names in contemporary French cinema and having them speak French with excruciating English accents. The movie is a send-up of the English and their culture, as the French see it - in caricature form.

Other than that, there are a few endearing moments, such as when Obelix falls in love with Miss MacIntosh.

Fabrice Luchini is good as a spiteful Julius Caesar. Depardieu makes Obelix charming, as always.

It's interesting to compare Deneuve's caricature of Queen Elizabeth II here with the somewhat more nuanced one in Palais Royal.

Unexceptional, but pleasant.

Asterix and Obelix: God Save Britannia is an absolutely superfluous film, it parasitizes the history of the franchise. The story is even more stupid than in the last part. Of course, there are a couple of good jokes about the British lifestyle. A typical comedy, you can watch 1 time, but no more.

This movie is a decent addition to all the fans of that comics. It's a movie adaptation mix between two classic animations: Asterix in Britain and Asterix and the vikings. I wouldn't call it a masterpiece by any means, even moreover some of the better parts of classic Britain story did not end up in the movie, yet still it's very enjoyable to all comics fans. Suitable for all ages and better than s... that comes out today from "politically correct" studios. If modern movies aren't any good, revert to other cultures snd older movies find your escape from reality. Enjoy.

Loved every minute of it, but then again I have loved the comic books since a young boy. Those sneaky Romans only fighting after 5 o clock.

I loved the ribbing the Gauls and British give each other and the tongue in cheek jokes highlighting the differences (well before Allo Allo did them).

This is live action and not a cartoon. The only downside is that there is only English subtitles, which vexes me sorely ! The first few Asterix live action ones were dubbed in English, so why not the one about England for us English fans?

No pun intended - did you read the comic books (and I think you can call them that - they were not graphic novels ... unless the term changes over time again)? If you did ... well the beginning will feel refreshing in a sense! The Asterix movies were successful I suppose ... since there are quite a few of them. They vary in quality and in what they translate from the comics.

In this case we start with the pirates ... the pirates that are quite unsuccessful ... to say the least! Or are just bad out of luck (that is the saying right?). And the movie shows us exactly why ... they never seem to be at the right place at the right time ... and they are no John McLane (those who know ... know).

The rest has some interesting choices - especially with the special effects! People being thrown all over the place ... like in the comics. You will either love this or find it annoying ... I thought it was done decently. Not sure if Catherine Deneuve got anything more out of this than a paycheck though ... the humor is borderline ... love or hate it kind of way. So my rating will either be too high for some or too low for others ... which I would argue is me being exactly right (I am half kidding here of course - using the humor of the movie)

The fourth film adaptation of the famous Asterix comic books is the best one so far. Entertaining and even witty at points, instead of boring and crude like the previous films, the movie is based (quite faithfully) on the 1966 album Asterix in Britain (one of the best of the series), with some bits from Asterix and the Normans. Asterix and Obelix help the Britons resist a Roman invasion by Julius Caesar (in the real history, Julius Caesar made a punitive expedition to Britain in 55 BC; Britain would only fall under Roman rule in 43 AD under emperor Claudius). A lot of the comic situations are based (like in the original albums) on national stereotypes, on how the French and the Englishmen see each other. There is also some mildly risqué humor here (with a Briton initially believing Asterix and Obelix to be a gay couple). Edouard Baer is Asterix. Gerard Depardieu is Obelix (he's fine, and by now, it's difficult to think any other actor playing that role).The veteran Catherine Deneuve has a cameo as the queen of the Britons. Fabrice Luchini is Julius Caesar. Production values are acceptable.

I have not much to say but this film is horribly under-rated. It has no dark undercurrent, no social engineering (a rarity these days), it is just light, laugh out loud funny, with good acting, cast, sets and story.

I have not watched something this fun and innocent for a long time. This is far cleaner and leaves you feeling better than any Disney or animated film i can remember.

Also there is none of that horrible Hollywood overtone where everything is over done & there is no subtlety because the audience is assumed to be morons.

People claiming this film promotes homosexuality (an agenda in society i am very aware of and personally protest) have no idea what they're talking about. The English dignitary was just inferring that Asterix and Obelix are homosexual because they live together, as a jibe. Nothing more.

Go watch it, have fun, feel good.

I hope they make another.

I was so shocked by the negative reviews of this film on IMDb that I signed up specially to praise it. I'm British, and I absolutely loved all the jokes about my home country, including the music, which is sometimes authentic and sometimes a sort of satire on British patriotic tunes. I don't read strip cartoons, so I don't know how close to the original it is, but it's excellent in its own right. The script is very good - there's all the legionnaires' comments on illegal immigrants (and the satirised illegal immigrant himself is a joy),not to mention Caesar's claptrap about civilising the barbarians. All utterly authentic ... And then there's the dreadful teenager Goudurix, who says everything dreadful British (and I suppose French) teenagers say and do. Does it really matter if he hints Astérix and Obélix might be gay? the film itself makes it clear they aren't, and anyway, gays are good. And there are all the little details, like the 'Godax' - 'Dogax' posters at the rugby match, and the fish and chip shop in Londinium, and the in-jokes about how the British and French see each other. I only gave the film 9 because I personally don't like Depardieu, but he does his job well - oh, and the opening titles are awful and totally unsuited to the film. But in general it's a joy, and it's a real pity most Brits will miss out on it because they wouldn't be able to understand it.

Astérix' adaptation are less a matter of animation or live-action than hit or miss. Some convince you that it's time to end the franchise, other that the little Gaul had good days still. I'm glad that the last two opus, the animated "Mansion of the Gods" and the live-action "Asterix and Obelix: God Save Britannia" belong to the more optimism- inducing category.

And by all the Roman and Gallic Gods of animation, it better had to, after that dreadful "Astérix at the Olympic Games", a blockbuster endorsed by Thomas Langmann (Claude Berri's son) with expensive budget, expensive effects and expensive stars to make up for the script's poverty. Yet this piece of business-ridden mediocrity managed to grab six million viewers in 2008 despite the worst critics of the series. And its effect on the fourth was inevitable: "Britannia" had the lowest box office result despite some mixed to positive critics.

I wasn't in a urge to watch the film either, nothing that could convince me that it was going to be better than "Olympic Games". Stellar cast? I'm tired of playing another 'spot-the-star' game… and Deneuve as the Queen, had the same atrocious vibes than Delon as Caesar, not to mention the anachronism. Uderzo's endorsement? Well he supported "Olympic" as well, before changing sides and wishing his Gallic warriors had bigger roles, and who can trust the judgment of someone who despised Alain Chabat's "Mission Cleopatra".

Speaking of Chabat, was the director as much a fan of Astérix? Well, Laurent Tirard directed the "Little Nicholas" movies, also adapted from Goscinny's stories… so there was a connection. Besides, "Asterix in Britain" is one of the most entertaining book, and inspired one of the best animated adaptations, so it could join "Cleopatra" as the only adventure to be adapted in the three formats. Besides, the film couldn't be worse than the previous, well, Tirard not only made a more watchable film, but a more rewatchable one too.

And if the CGI aren't less overused, the're less irritating because you finally have something to distract you from then, starting right at the opening scene, with the pirates' boat mercilessly sunk by the Roman fleet. First surprise: the ill-fated red- bearded Captain is played by Gérard Jugnot. I don't know if it's a nod to the fact that he first wanted to direct the third live-adaptation (a project whose refusal lead to the 2008 disaster) but his presence is a way to come full circle with these bad memories. And the good omen is immediately confirmed by another reassuring presence: Fabrice Luchini as Julius Caesar.

Luchini is known as an intellectual actor whose trademark is to embark viewers into delirious monologues with deliberately histrionic gestures and over-the-top deliveries. He's so unlike Caesar, and the genuinely pedantic Delon, that the gag works by a simple contrast effect. Then the film goes faster with the conquest of Britannia (owing to the exploitation of their peculiar time schedules) and the story takes off when Jolithorax is assigned a mission to bring the magic potion to the last British village resisting the invaders. At that point, I was thinking that if the film maintained itself to this level, it would be all right, but then one sight made me 'uh-oh!' the Chief's Lutetian nephew, cocky as cowardly, Justfokix. Didn't he have his shining moment in the "Vikings" animated film already? What was he doing here?

Apparently, the screenwriters decided to inject the Vikings story as a subplot, and much to my surprise, not only it didn't distract from the British story line, but it kind of redeemed a few aspects I criticized from the "Vikings" animated film. I wish it could show Obelix throwing Justforkix off the bed, and that we could have the (in the book, magnificently drawn) scene where the poor frightened kid, laying on the ground, is surrounded by towering Vikings and their Chief solemnly asks him to scare them. I got these two parts and it felt like another loop-closing moment, the subplot perfectly grafted to the main story-line, almost improving what it could have been had it stuck on the comic-book material.

By the way, "Asterix in Britain" is a peculiar story, I just read the book and I realized that the animated film improved many parts of it, including the… McGuffin, just like the Vikings, when the director takes liberties with the story or insert characters, it's always for good pay-offs. There's an Indian migrant played by Atmen Kelif, Ophelia, Jolithorax' love interest played by a magnificent Charlotte Lebon, and the rigid and straight-laced Miss MacIntosh played by Valérie Lemercier. These additional characters, unlike the previous film, are integral to the story's appeal, because "God Save Britannia" is also a movie that deals with relationships, maybe more than any other Astérix adaptation.

The film questions the Gallic manners with women, the rivalry with Britons, and takes an iconoclast turn when Asterix realizes that his friendship with Obélix prevent him from enjoying his freedom or looking for a life partner of feminine persuasion. Edouard Baer, who was in Chabat's film, is an unforgettable Astérix and his chemistry with Obélix (Depardieu, who else?) leaves no doubt. Meanwhile, Justforkix has to prove his value as a man while Jolithorax, tries to overcome his "gentlemanly" rigidity, and Ophélia plays a central role in their 'evolution'. The film has the merit to play with things that the fans take for granted, and this is what we expect from an adaptation, to explore new dimensions.

The film was criticized for not taking too much risks, well, it did take a few gutsy moves with the characters, even making them more important than the plot itself and maybe it had good reasons to keep a low-profile, given how atrociously flashy was the predecessor, and for such a disastrous story. And maybe this is the greatest lesson the French can learn from the British, to learn to let some things 'understated'...

Good fun! Watch it as its really hillarious ;) not over and has hilalrious steorotyping jokes.

I gotta say the 5.3 on imdb is terribly unfortunate. Maybe I just have an infantile sense of humor, but I giggled and chuckled my waythrough the movie. The cast was very likeable as well. Add to that the little anachronistic characterisation of Britain and its whimsical inhabitants, a fairly uplifting kind of romping soundtrack, and you got yourself a solid kids' movie that can be enjoyed by adults as well. Little side note regarding the humor: It is all over the place and silly as can be. Not everything that's shot at you sticks, but when it does, it really does ! I laughed out loud at least thrice (and I use the word "thrice"!) which is rare for me in these days. I just feel like I've seen it all when it comes to comedy, which may be why the very different style at display here just got to me. What can I say, it was a benign, jolly, and really quite fun experience that lifted my spirits in that wanting- to -skip- down- the- stairs- whistling kind of way.

I have to admit that I was quite critically biased before watching this film. This was partly because characters like Asterix or Caesar didn't appear in the cast that I preferred for nostalgic reasons. So I thought in advance that the journey I was about to embark on wouldn't come close to the original for a number of reasons...

The beginning of this adventure started quite humorously and amusingly. My prejudices drifted a little further, but were not completely washed away. The film began and Asterix entered the picture shortly afterwards. My previous concerns tried to remain stubborn, but in the meantime I noticed that this version of the Gaul wasn't staged all that badly. After a while, Caesar finally came into the picture and I couldn't get used to this portrayal of the ruler at first, as it had little to do with how I had always perceived him, largely through the older live-action films. But this previously remaining prejudice was quickly dispelled because I realized that this may not be the best, but it is a really interesting interpretation of Julius Caesar's personality. His dark side also appears towards the end and thus marks a newer and more amusing depiction of evil. Visually speaking, I'm not really a fan of the new actor, but he still plays the role deeply convincingly.

It's amazing what brilliant dialogues and fantastic storylines hide behind the facade of this work, which is aimed more at children. The story is incredibly well written and at the same time incredibly well executed. Most of the scenes are outstanding, some are towards the standard and others have the potential to be more than solid if, for example, they were given a better plot. So far so good, but one thing makes it difficult to get the most out of the experience and that is the extremely exaggerated dialect of the British. At first, I have to admit, this making fun of the language always made me smile, but after repeating it over and over again throughout the entire film, it quickly lost its humor and in the next step it just felt completely worn out. Some frequencies are absolutely unrealistic even for this series. But I don't want to be so petty about this, as a certain exaggeration is perhaps even necessary for film adaptations of this kind. There are tons of allusions created, something like that is of course something nice and shows once again what good work has been done. The film contains fascinating quotes that really pack a punch and convey profound messages. I'm happy with the ending. It is somewhere between a cheerful children's film and softened seriousness.

There are brilliant, sometimes profound and mostly amusing moments that are fun to watch and also make adults laugh or at least smile. "Asterix and Obelix: On Her Majesty's Order" has something special and I recommend it to anyone who is ready to embark on an exciting journey and is not put off by having a hearty laugh and perhaps even reinterpreting a part of their childhood. To inquire again.

C'est Bon!