A rather odd choice for an Asterix adaptation - instead of one of his journeys to a colourful location it's a satire of property development. But the filmmakers have completely captured the spirit of the best of the books - this is a fast paced, lively, funny, even exciting adventure.
It improves on the books because the magic potion is removed for the bulk of the climax - most of the villagers turn into Romans, Getafix gets captured, the Roman family forced to take an apartment are under threat.
Maybe I'm over praising it with four stars. There is a wonky subplot involving slaves - blacks with big lips, which is true to the book. It just felt yuck especially as these are the only coloured characters in the film.
But the tone of the rest of it is right. The gags are funny. The animation and acting is excellent. (I'm going off the French language version). Asterix is actually brave here instead of being a cheater. The depiction of village life (markets, boar hunting, banquets) is spot on. Some genuinely rousing moments like little potion free Asterix up against it and the boy saying goodbye.
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