Asterix at the Olympic Games
2008 · Directed by Frédéric Forestier, Thomas Langmann
Original language: French
- fantasy
- adventure
- comedy
- family
The story
Astérix and Obélix have to win the Olympic Games in order to help their friend Alafolix marry Princess Irina. Brutus uses every trick in the book to have his own team win the game, and get rid of his father Julius Caesar in the process.
What it’s like
Bright, saturated Mediterranean daylight and cartoon-broad colour: sun-bleached Greek hillsides, ochre temples, sea-blue skies and the riotous reds and yellows of Roman togas, all rendered in a crisp, glossy live-action style with heavy prosthetic and set-piece exaggeration. The camera stays fairly conventional and busy, with wide establishing shots of stadiums and crowds and quick cuts through sports montages, while the score is bouncy, brass-led and playful, leaning into fanfare and comic stings. The vibe is cheerful, boisterous and warm, with slapstick energy and an easy, lightly absurd humour that suits a family afternoon, a silly weekend watch or background fun on a lazy evening. Pacing is brisk and episodic, built around competitive set pieces and running gags, and the emotional register stays light: a loyal friendship and a young man's romantic quest drive the affection, with a bumbling imperial rival providing the mischief. Violence is cartoonish and slapstick, with punches, pratfalls, wild boar chases and mild peril, and nothing graphic or frightening. Sexual content is absent. It is made for families and for anyone who wants gentle, goofy adventure with little tension.
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