Asterix & Obelix: By Order of Her Majesty - Blu-Ray

Movie: They're nuts again, the Gauls. But this time Asterix (Edouard Baer), Obelix (Gérard Depardieu) and the other inhabitants of the little village are stealing the Romans' thunder not in Gaul, but in Britain. There, Julius Caesar (Fabrice Luchini) hopes for a glorious conquest. And indeed it seems that the Britons cannot withstand the enemy siege much longer. But then the queen (Catherine Deneuve) sends her advisor Teefax (Guillaume Gallienne) to Gaul to ask for support in the fabled village, which supposedly possesses a powerful magic potion. And the Gauls, of course, don't take long. After all, beating up fresh Romans is their speciality. So Asterix and Obelix have to accompany Teefax to faraway Britain to supply the population there with a barrel of magic potion. However, on the journey they also have to take care of their chief's annoying nephew, the city boy Justforkix (Vincent Lacoste). And as if that wasn't enough, Caesar has also secured the help of the fearless Normans, who hope to finally get to the bottom of the mystery of fear, which is supposed to give them wings, in Britain. And so Asterix and Obelix find themselves once again in a crazy adventure, which becomes even more turbulent when they also lose the barrel of magic potion...

For Asterix & Obelix: By Order of Her Majesty, the latest live-action adaptation of the popular comic series, the two volumes Asterix with the Britons and Asterix and the Normans have been combined into one colourful adventure. While Gerard Depardieu was once again cast in the role of Obelix, which was made for him, the Asterix actor was once again replaced. Now Edouard Baer (Chicken with Plums) is allowed to put on the helmet of the clever Gaul for the first time. Even though the cast has been tweaked a bit - there is also a new Caesar in Fabrice Luchini (Personnel Only) - everything else remains the same. The humor is comically overdone, the actors act good-humored, but completely overdone and the gags move throughout on child-friendly humor.

While director Laurent Tirard, who could previously convince with his amusing adaptation of Little Nick, still manages here and there to mix a little cleverer humor into the colorful goings-on, making his contribution to the better live-action adaptations of the series. The guest appearance of Dany Boon (Welcome to the Sh`tis), for example, who is taught British manners as a wild Norman, provides some good laughs. And the completely exaggerated British clichés, which were processed in the character drawing, but also in the equipment, has high entertainment potential.

But otherwise this film adaptation again lacks that charm, which made the comic books so successful and popular. You can tell the film was trying hard to live up to the spirit of the original. Nevertheless, Asterix & Obelix: On a Mission from Her Majesty is first and foremost silly and colourful and not clever and charming. If you liked the previous live-action adaptations, however, you'll be thrilled again here, as this adventure in particular is far superior to its predecessor. Therefore: for fans of the comics again in most moments a disappointment, for fans of the films but absolutely worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: The Blu-Ray offers the film in very good picture and sound quality. The visuals are particularly pleasing with their rich colors and high detail sharpness, which allows even small contours to be seen, especially in bright scenes. The sound not only lets the dialogues sound clear from the speakers, but also ensures a decent use of the surround channels with well-implemented sound effects again and again. For a comic adaptation a more than adequate implementation.

Extras: When it comes to bonus material, the Blu-Ray can really score. It starts with a very entertaining and informative Making of, which is also pleasantly extensive with a running time of 54 minutes. A really worth seeing documentary, which is clearly above the level of usual advertising making ofs.

Further it goes with a quite amusing fake documentary about the life of Grautvornix in Lutetia (approx. 17 min.), as well as an interview with Asterix himself (approx. 3Min.). Afterwards, the makers let some children tell what they know about Asterix and his friends in the best whatsit manner (approx. 5 min.). And if you want to know how to make a woman melt, you'll get seduction tips from Teefax and Hirnisnichflaf (approx. 2 min.). Furthermore, there are six deleted scenes (approx. 8 min.), as well as a look at the CGI effects (approx. 15 min.) and a film storyboard comparison.) and a film storyboard comparison of the rugby scene (approx. 4 min.).

This is not all, the Blu-Ray has to offer another documentary about the filming, which also runs for almost an hour and goes into more detail about the director's work. It's an excellent documentary that comes along absolutely commercial-free and offers a good insight into the making of a major production like this Asterix film. Anyone interested in filmmaking should definitely check this out, even if they didn't like the film itself.

The trailer for the film, as well as other programming tips from the provider, round out this great bonus offering. Very good!

Conclusion: Asterix & Obelix: On a Mission from Her Majesty may not have the charm of the comic book originals, instead relying more on over-the-top humor, but it definitely ranks as one of the better live-action adaptations of the popular comics. The Blu-ray allows the film to shine in very good picture and sound quality and also offers a whole host of extras, which include two excellent documentaries about the filming. The film may not be entirely convincing, but the bonus material makes this disc absolutely recommendable, at least for viewers interested in the making of films!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp