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Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods

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Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods
Theatrical release poster
Directed byLouis Clichy
Written byAlexandre Astier
Based onThe Mansions of the Gods
by René Goscinny
Albert Uderzo
Produced by
Starring
Edited bySoline Guyonneau
Music byPhilippe Rombi
Production
companies
Distributed bySND Groupe M6
Release date
  • November 26, 2014 (2014-11-26)
Running time
85 minutes
CountriesFrance
Belgium
LanguageFrench
Budget€31 million[1]
Box office$51.3 million[2]

Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods (French: Astérix – Le Domaine des Dieux), also titled Asterix and Obelix: Mansion of the Gods, is a 2014 French animated adventure family comedy film directed by Louis Clichy with a story written and co-directed by Alexandre Astier.The film features the voices of Roger Carel, Guillaume Briat [fr], Lionnel Astier [fr], Serge Papagalli [fr], and Florence Foresti. The film was Carel's last film before his retirement and later death.[3] It was the first Asterix film animated in 3D.[4]

The film was theatrically released on 26 November 2014 by SND Films in France across 696 movie theatres. It received generally favourable reviews and has grossed over $51 million on a €31 million budget.[2] It received an IFMCA Award nomination for Best Original Score for an Animated Feature Film. Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods was released on DVD, VOD and Blu-ray on 9 June 2015, by M6 Vidéo.

Plot

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Frustrated with the ongoing rebellion of the Gauls, Julius Caesar devises a new scheme to conquer them: the construction of a city of luxury apartments dubbed “The Mansions Of The Gods” in the forest near the Gauls' village as a means to absorb them into Roman civilization.

During a boar hunt, Asterix and Obelix discover the Mansions’ construction site. Project leader and architect Squaronthehypotenus and the Roman legion commanded by Centurion Somniferus order slaves to deforest the surrounding area. Asterix and Obelix attempt to counteract the Romans’ efforts using magic acorns from Getafix the druid, which instantly sprout into full trees upon planting.

Upon hearing the frustrated Squaronthehypotunus threatening to work the slaves to death, Asterix and Obelix invade the Roman camp to free the slaves and provide them with the Gauls' magic potion as a means to escape. This backfires however when the slaves instead use it to rapidly advance construction, as well as barter for the same pay as the legionaries, along with their freedom and apartments for each of them upon completion. The legionaries also go on strike for similar reasons upon hearing about it.

The Gauls prepare to attack and demolish the Mansions, but discover it to already be populated by Roman civilians. Realizing that they cannot harm the civilians, they return to the village to plan how to make them leave. Meanwhile, Anonymus, Dulcia and Mischiefus, a family from Rome, are denied their apartments given to them in a lottery due to lacking documents. Upon encountering and befriending Obelix and Dogmatix in the forest, the Gauls reluctantly agree to temporarily accommodate the Roman family, while Obelix and Mischiefus become friends.

Asterix, Obelix and Getafix try numerous methods to make the civilians leave, from causing heavy rain and noise pollution, to trying to create a noxious stench, only for these to backfire by the civilians embracing these as a natural part of life in Brittany. The Roman civilians also begin shopping in the village, causing an escalating price war over fish and 'antique' weaponry. Asterix, appalled with what the village has become, leaves with Obelix, Getafix, Dogmatix and Cacofonix to get their own apartment at the Mansions. While Squaronthehypotenus is reluctant to allow their stay, Senator Prospectus allows them to stay as part of Caesar's plan.

Caesar then enacts the next phase of the plan by offering free apartments to the Gauls. In another attempt to make the Roman civilians leave, Asterix has Cacofonix to sing deafeningly loud outside the mansions. This almost works until the rest of the Gauls shows up to silence Cacofonix and move into their new apartments. With the village abandoned, Caesar enacts the final stage of his plan, ordering the village's destruction. The legion, however refuses to cooperate with Getafix and Obelix still at large. Getafix, Mischiefus and Dogmatix are captured and held in the Mansions' lobby, while Obelix faints from hunger next to the Roman legion while searching for the three, and is thrown into a chamber beneath the Mansions.

Asterix awakens the next day to find the village being besieged, and the Gauls are brought along to watch the village's destruction. The Gauls keep the Romans at bay by pretending to still possess the magic potion, while Asterix makes his way to the Mansions. Meeting with Anonymus and Dulcia, they free Getafix, Dogmatix, and Mischiefus and escape into the apartments, to start brewing the magic potion. The Gauls chase the Romans back to the Mansions, only to be captured once the Romans realise their deception. Asterix attempts to rescue them, but ends up in a poor condition from consuming an incomplete magic potion.

With Asterix incapacitated and the Gauls cornered, Caesar and Prospectus arrive to declare victory over the Gauls, until Obelix rises from underground, revived after consuming food from an arrival banquet disposed into his chamber. The Gauls get their magic potion and defeat the Romans in battle, and demand Caesar take the civilians back to Rome, finally leading to the demolition of the Mansions of the Gods. The Gauls celebrate their victory with their traditional banquet atop the ruins of the mansions. Back in Rome, Anonymus and Mischiefus humiliate Caesar by throwing one of Getafix's instant growth acorns into his podium at the Colosseum, leaving him dangling from a tree branch.

Cast

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Character Original Dub Canadian Version
(2015)
U.K. Version
(2016)
Asterix Roger Carel Ken Kramer Jack Whitehall
Dogmatix Roger Carel
Obelix Guillaume Briat C. Ernst Harth Nick Frost
Centurion Somniferus Alexandre Astier Jason Simpson Greg Davies
Vitalstatistix Serge Papagalli Don Brown Matt Berry
Dulcia Géraldine Nakache Tabitha St. Germain Catherine Tate
Anonymus Artus de Penguern Alan Marriott Harry Enfield
Unhygienix François Morel Jason Simpson Richard McCourt
Fulliautomatix Lionnel Astier Scott McNeil Dominic Wood
Julius Caesar Philippe Morier-Genoud Mark Oliver Jim Broadbent
Squaronthehypotenus Lorànt Deutsch Richard Ian Cox
Flaturtha Laurent Lafitte Donny Lucas
Senator Prospectus Alain Chabat Colin Murdock
Tofungus Elie Semoun Sam Vincent
Getafix Bernard Alane John Innes
Givusabonus Florian Gazan Scott McNeil Jon Clifford
Impedimenta Florence Foresti Saffron Henderson Elizabeth Bower
Cacofonix Arnaud Leonard Alan Marriott
Mischiefus Oscar Pauwels Unknown Hannah Beth Jackson
Bacteria Joëlle Sevilla Saffron Henderson Elizabeth Bower
Geriatrix Laurent Morteau Ron Halder
Senator Pestiferus Brice Fournier
Senator Fastidius Christophe Bourseiller Andrew Toth
Senator Consensus Olivier Saladin Marco Soriano
Humerus Franck Pitiot Michael Adamthwaite
Radius Sébastien Lalanne Andrew Toth
Doctor Benjamin Gauthier John Innes
Goth Gladiator Pascal Demolon Scott McNeil
Numidian Gladiator Baptiste Lecaplain Sam Vincent
Roman Ladies Virginia Anderson Jennifer Cameron
Pauline Moingeon-Vallès Saffron Henderson
Serius Damien Gillard Marco Soriano
Mosaic Artist Sébastien Lalanne Sam Vincent
Guide Benjamin Gauthier Andrew Toth
Cluelus Louis Clichy
Roman Brutes Damien Gillard Marco Soriano
Brice Fournier Michael Adamthwaite
Roman Damien Gillard Sam Vincent
Civilian Brice Fournier Marco Soriano

Critical response and box office

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Laurent Lafitte, Lorànt Deutsch and Alain Chabat were praised by critics for their performances.

The film was released on 26 November 2014 in France across 696 theatres and earned $7.64 million on its opening week from nearly 780,000 admissions placing at No. 1 at the box office ahead of Hollywood blockbuster films The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 and Interstellar which were in their second and fourth weeks respectively. The film's opening weekend is also the third highest of 2014 in France. Its opening weekend outperformed other animated movies' openings of Frozen, Tangled, Monsters, Inc., Cars and The Lego Movie.[5] Jordan Mintzer of The Hollywood Reporter said, "Astier and Clichy manage to make the material at once enjoyable and meaningful, while also providing a series of slick, streamlined visuals that never overstuff the screens."[6]

Awards and nominations

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Award Category Nominee Result
IFMCA Award Best Original Score for an Animated Feature Film Philippe Rombi Nominated

Home media release

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Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods was released on DVD, VOD and Blu-ray on 9 June 2015 by M6 Vidéo.[citation needed]

Sequel

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In 2018, a sequel was released titled Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion.

References

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  1. ^ "Astérix: Le domaine des dieux (2014)". Nash Information Services.
  2. ^ a b "Astérix: Le domaine des dieux (2014) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  3. ^ "Astérix – Le Domaine des Dieux". AlloCiné (in French). Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  4. ^ Beck, Jerry (26 May 2015). "TRAILER: "Asterix: The Mansions Of The Gods"". Indiewire. Archived from the original on 30 May 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  5. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (3 December 2014). "'Asterix: Mansions Of The Gods' Animates French Box Office In Big Bow (Video)". Deadline.com. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  6. ^ Mintzer, Jordan (21 November 2014). "Asterix: The Land of the Gods". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
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