Asterix: The Secret Of The Magic Potion sacrificed its bite for crowd-pleasing slapstick comedy
GOING on the state of play in the cinematic world at the moment, you could be forgiven for thinking that Marvel had the comic-book scene sewn up.
But soaring ahead of Ironman and Hulk by a (Gallic) country mile is the vertically challenged and magnificently moustached Asterix and his villagers.
That this particular literary success has not yet boiled over on to the big screen is surprising — and while The Secret Of The Magic Potion is a fun distraction for the last week of the holidays, it is sadly let down by a lazy plot.
If you don’t know, Asterix lives in a small village in Gaul, where — thanks to a magic potion — the inhabitants are able to fend off the pesky Romans, intent on invasion.
Elderly druid Getafix, the source of said potion, suffers a fall and comes to the decision that he needs to find a successor — someone worthy of learning the recipe for the potion.
As Asterix, Obelix and a crew head off to look for a suitable recruit in neighbouring villages, evil druid Sulphurix attempts to get the recipe for himself.
Asterix’s charm (and huge success) is largely down to its comment on modern living and flag-waving patriotism (its cinematic predecessor focused on gentrification for instance) —
But this is left lacking in this thin story line which offers little in the way of surprise.
It has sacrificed its bite for crowd-pleasing slapstick, which left me wanting.
It was still fun, still vibrant and will undoubtedly keep smaller kids busy for 90 minutes — but manage your expectations.
Also out this week
Inna De Yard (12A, 99 minutes): A brilliant documentary about the musical pioneers of Jamaican reggae.
The Informer (15, 113 minutes): Rosamund Pike and Clive Owen star in a thriller about an ex-con working for the FBI, who goes undercover in a jail.
Killers Anonymous (15, 95 minutes): Gary Oldman and Jessica Alba star in this thriller about a support group for killers. Available On Demand.
Bait (15, 89 minutes): Something different for you – an original, funny and quirky British film about a Cornish village under threat of gentrification.
