More than two decades after Mission Cleopatra, Alain Chabat returns to the indomitable Gauls. This time, the director and screenwriter is turning his hand to animation in collaboration with the Toulouse studio TAT. On Netflix, the creator of Didier and RRRrrrr!!! will adapt The Battle of the Chiefs and tell the story of how the lives of Asterix and Obelix are turned upside down when the druid Getafix descends into madness and loses his memory. He no longer has the recipe for the magic potion, and Julius Caesar hopes to take advantage of this vulnerability to seize the only village still resisting the invader. With its reputation in France and Netflix's global reach, it could well have concocted a television phenomenon for children of all ages.
This weekend in Lille, the first three episodes were shown to the public. During the Séries Mania festival, the red N brought together fans and novices around the legendary duo and their friends. The press was also there, taking the opportunity to give their first impressions of the series, which is due to be released in the Netflix catalog on April 30th. For those who couldn't make it to the event, this is the perfect opportunity to take the temperature.
“Chabat has found his magic formula again”
In short memory, Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra is the best adaptation of Uderzo and Goscinny's comics, at least in live action. The outcry from The Middle Kingdom won't make us disagree. When Chabat was announced as directing a new project surrounding Asterix and Obelix, it's fair to say that enthusiasm was high. When the animated series format was confirmed, we couldn't wait. Years later, Chabat has rediscovered the winning formula according to Le Point POP.
According to the media, the series oscillates between “spectacular visual effects and biting humor”. The series benefits from a balance between “technical modernity and fidelity to the original work”. The spirit of the first cartoons is there, but reinvents itself with a more contemporary and ambitious. Critic Olivier Ubertalli does not hesitate to compare the Netflix production to another animation success: Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse.
A sentiment shared by Allociné, which applauds the “well-aimed jokes and its frenetic pace”. Journalist Lucie Reeb evokes a “return to childhood” for both the viewers and the characters. Without giving too much away, the series should lift the veil on a significant event in mythology on paper and in cinema.
For Première, the series is simply “fantastix”. Pierre Lunn emphasizes that the series is “full of delightful discoveries”, particularly in the way it uses the graphic elements of comics to bring them to life and accompany the heroes in their adventures. This bias was already at the epicenter of the trailer, where we could see onomatopoeia crossing the screen from one side to the other.
Excellent casting?
Another point of interest in this new Asterix production is the people who portray the characters. Chabat has landed himself one of the lead roles, lending his voice to Asterix. Gilles Lellouche returns to Obelix after Guillaume Canet's film. French critics agree that the cast is top-notch. The latter is simply “hilarious” according to Le Point POP. The same goes for Chabat, who according to Numerama, uses his “unique timbre” to bring the hero to life. This is obvious to journalist Salammbô Marie, so much so that “we really wonder why he didn’t play him earlier”. Le Point adds that Laurent Lafitte also stands out, that he plays a “very funny” Julius Caesar.
It remains to be seen whether Netflix subscribers will be as receptive, whether this praise will allow the production to be invited to the ranking of the most watched series in France… and in the rest of the world who knows. Answer next April 30 on Netflix.
0 Comments