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Film1976

The Twelve Tasks of Asterix

Directed by René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo

  • family
  • animation
  • comedy
  • adventure

The story

Asterix and Obelix depart on an adventure to complete twelve impossible tasks to prove to Caesar that they are as strong as the Gods. You'll roar with laughter as they outwit, outrun, and generally outrage the very people who are trying to prove them "only human".

What it’s like

Hand-drawn in bright, flat primary colours, this 1976 animated feature has the slightly wobbly, storybook line of French bande dessinée: sunlit Gaulish forests, whitewashed Roman camps, and crowded Mediterranean harbours rendered with simple washes and bold outlines. The sound is busy and cheerful, with a jaunty orchestral score and rapid-fire slapstick punctuated by clonking fists and comic sound effects. Its pace is brisk and episodic, a chain of short set-pieces, each a self-contained gag built around Roman pomposity and the rough-and-ready friendship of two village men. The vibe is light, sunny and mischievous, a comfort watch for a lazy afternoon or a family evening rather than anything tense. The violence is cartoonish and constant but bloodless: punches, tumbles and bruised dignity, with no gore and no real menace. Its emotional register is warm and broadly comic, with a gentle loyalty between the two leads at its heart. It suits families with children, fans of old-school European animation, and anyone who wants a good-natured satire of empire and ego.

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