I live. I review.

OK, so, B and I went into Astérix aux Jeux Olympiques expecting a complete, utter, unspeakable disaster (thanks, AlloCine forums!) and got a perfectly okay film.

No, it's not as good or as funny as Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre, hell it's not as funny as it could have been (tip to the director: the more famous actors you have, the bigger whip you need to keep the whole thing coherent because it won't build itself spontaneously) but it's not bad or unfunny either: our theatre - and we with it - frequently laughed out loud, and save some bits o' the plot harvested from comics other than the Olympic-themed one which barely made sense here (I can see why they were used, needed even, but they really weren't integrated well) I had no huge complaints. For a light evening's entertainment, this delivers perfectly.

People. People. Clovis Cornillac totally needs a film where he can actually play Astérix in a leading and not just a supporting role (tip to the director: your viewers may be going to see a film because of the name in the title; plz to be making use of said name); he not only looks the part (besides being too tall, but I can live with that, and being hotter than the wee Gaul was ever supposed to, but I can definitely live with that), he really picked up the character's joie de vivre, simmering mania, smugness, and genuine concern for the wellbeing of his friends. Not easy to show in the screen time and focus he was given so a) kudos, b) Astérix as played by CC2 needs to appear more in his own film.

Obélix got more character in here than he was given in the original books, I felt, which is not a bad thing. Comment from B, who had never read the comics so this film was pretty much her entire canon: "Why is everything called Astérix this, Astérix that, when Obélix is three times the man?" Me: "Because Astérix is the man in the books, but Gérard Depardieu is the man among actors." But then I love Depardieu so no complaints on his enhanced presence & character.

Also, Alain Delon is the man. PHWOOAR, I know he's a hundred years old, but PHWOOAR.
Also, Zinedine Zidane is surprisingly funny.
And Jamel Debbouze is still the funniest thing around.

I would watch this again. (Hell, I will. Screw the naysayers.) OH AND I GOT A HUGE POSTER. B noticed people waving them around just before the film started, so I ran out and demanded mine in French, and I got it. I am HAPPY. Oh and had I known of the existence of the French Institute with its own cinema, I'd have so gone before, so hello Persepolis I'm coming to see you next!

Finally, a sample: