I read from right to left that we had been particularly severe towards the new “Asterix” in theaters since last Wednesday. When I say “we”, I am talking about the press in general, and the “Parisien” in particular, who published a review that was mixed to say the least, it’s true. To those who imagine nasty reviews, very happy to find a new bone to gnaw on, I bring this small downside: the bones, we gladly leave them to Dogmatix and we were, I promise you, really inclined to like “Asterix and Obelix : the middle Empire “. The proof, the three of us went there for screenings reserved for the press. And one, and two and three “z’heroes”: we were unanimously disappointed when we saw the new adventures of our favorite Gauls.
A disappointment (measured, the film is not a turnip either) up to the hopes we had placed in this new opus. Asterix is like the French football team: a piece of our common heritage on which everyone has their own opinion, preferably decided and in bad faith, especially when it comes to its cinematographic versions. It must be said that in this respect, the heroes of the comic strips of our childhood have rarely been treated at their fair value in the history of the 7th art, from the franchouillard debut signed Zidi in 1999 to the great Olympic “gloubi-boulga” of the Langmann-Forestier duo in 2008.
Fortunately, there are counter-examples: Alain Chabat’s “Mission Cléopâtre” (2002) is a comic peak, Laurent Tirard’s “Service de sa Majesté” (2012) with Édouard Baer and Fabrice Luchini was in our eyes a nice success (artistic, but not commercial). And Guillaume Canet, who got off to a flying start despite word of mouth that promises to be mixed? Entertaining but bland, lush casting level but not in twists and turns. In a word, disappointing.
To get to the bottom of it, I went back to the theaters on Saturday evening, in a multiplex in the Paris region. In the middle of popcorn, laughter, “real people”. As if we weren’t… Bah, no miracle. The second potion tasted the same as the first: not unpleasant, no, but without much flavor or originality. It lacks a paw, a decided bias, a comic universe assumed from start to finish. And incidentally a scenario.
But, it must be recognized, this second viewing, rid of the great expectation felt before the first, I experienced it with more pleasure. In particular thanks to Gilles Lellouche who, without pun intended, has sufficient thickness to make us forget Gérard Depardieu in the costume of Obélix. No small feat.
There are other aspects that won us laughs or smiles – the comic slaughter of José Garcia, the class of Vincent Cassel, the successful appearance of Orelsan… – but just for the childlike innocence of Gilles Lellouche, this “Middle Empire” does not make us totally regret the purchase of our ticket. Congratulations “Mister” Obelix.