ASTERIX: THE SECRET OF THE MAGIC POTION. Should Fully Satisfy

The actual review begins with the fifth paragraph, so if you have no desire to read about my experiences with previous installments of the adventures of Asterix and Obelix, simply skip the first four segments of the text.

“It is the year 50 B.C. All of Gaul is occupied by the Romans… All? No! One small village of indomitable Gauls still holds out against the invaders and continues to infuriate the Roman legions stationed in the camps of Totorum, Aquarium, Laudanum and Compendium.”

With these words began the very first comic by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo devoted to the adventures of Asterix and Obelix. Since its debut, the two endearing Gauls have enjoyed tremendous popularity in our country. I first came across them, if memory serves, in primary school, where I was able to borrow a few of the comics from the library. Naturally, I eagerly took advantage of that opportunity, spending probably more time with these two charming heroes than with my math or science textbooks back in second grade.

After the comics came the films. From time to time, I would catch on TV some of the classic French animated features co-created by the comic’s original authors. I’m sure I watched a few of them in full, though I remember little from that period of my life beyond the titles of computer games to which I devoted far too much attention. Much more vivid in my memory are the two live-action films made around the turn of the century—Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar (1999), and, of course, Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (2002). I can still quote some of that second film’s most iconic lines (including the famous scribe monologue) to this day.

The two most recent productions devoted to the Gauls’ adventures were created as computer-animated features. The live-action formula had clearly run its course after the underwhelming Asterix at the Olympic Games (2008) and Asterix & Obelix: God Save Britannia (2012). I sincerely doubt the series will ever return to that format. A breath of fresh air came with the quite solid Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods—the first fully 3D-animated film about the comic’s heroes. The newest installment of Asterix’s adventures, and the main subject of this review—Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion—was made in exactly the same style.

Louis Clichy and Alexandre Astier’s film opens with a sequence in which Getafix ventures into the forest. The gray-haired druid moves through the treetops more nimbly than a squirrel, leaping from one thin branch to another while gathering ingredients needed for his magic potion. Unfortunately, he slips at one point and falls from a significant height straight to the ground. Realizing this is a sign of his worsening physical condition, he decides it is time to find a worthy successor—someone to whom he can safely entrust the secret potion recipe. Asterix and Obelix join him on this quest.

The excellently edited, dynamic opening sequence is a good omen for the rest of the film—and it’s not just smoke and mirrors. The Secret of the Magic Potion maintains the high standard the creators set from the outset. Much of this is thanks to the humor that dominates virtually every scene. One particularly hilarious moment is the montage sequence in which we see, on a map of Gaul, the various candidates Getafix rejects. Among the inept contenders for druidic succession are gems such as Selfix, Fantasticfornix, and… Netflix.

If I had to look for any socio-political themes in Clichy and Astier’s animation, which has become rather fashionable lately, I would point to a subtly embedded feminist undertone in some of the storylines. This is hardly surprising—female characters in the world of Asterix have always been strong and independent. A perfect example of this is Impedimenta, the wife of the village chief Vitalstatistix. She has never had the slightest trouble keeping her bumbling husband in line, easily manipulating him and effectively making decisions in his stead.

In The Secret of the Magic Potion, it is Impedimenta who effectively governs the village after nearly all the men temporarily leave. She pays no attention to the opinion of the not-very-charismatic Cacofonix, whom Vitalstatistix appointed as “acting chief,” and leads the remaining women into battle against the Roman legionaries.

Another important female character in the film is the little Pectine. When Getafix sets out with Asterix and Obelix to the sacred Forest of the Carnutes to convene a grand council of druids and choose his successor, the girl hides in their travel cauldron and accompanies them. Pectine’s storyline allows the creators to poke fun at the hidebound, tradition-obsessed druidic elders. The girl has to disguise herself as a boy to enter the sacred forest because females are not allowed.

The priests not only fall for her rather unconvincing disguise but also turn out to be little more than a bunch of slightly deranged old men whose main pastime is downing one goblet of wine after another. It’s also worth noting that over the course of the film Pectine is juxtaposed with the young, ambitious druid Getafix chooses as his potential successor. At a key moment, the two face an extremely difficult choice—and only one of them makes the right decision.

The Secret of the Magic Potion should fully satisfy both die-hard fans of the series and younger viewers discovering Asterix for the first time. Veterans will find hidden references and enjoy seeing many familiar characters from their school days (even the unlucky pirates and Julius Caesar get their moment in the spotlight). Children, meanwhile, are sure to laugh heartily and—so I hope—perhaps one day reach for one of the earlier installments of Asterix and Obelix’s adventures.