Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion

Many of us grew up reading and watching the adventures of Asterix and Obelix, flicking feverishly through the comic book pages as our heroes swung their Gaulian fists at invading Romans and embarked on quests of discovery across the empire. This has been the case in many a child’s bedroom since the first publication of the French comic in 1961, and the franchise has since leapt from strength to strength, with the only slight hiccup being a live-action film or two. Aside from the paperback copies, the beauty of Asterix lies also in its animated series, to which a further feature, titled Asterix: Secret of the Magic Potion, has now been added.

In this particular adventure, the village Druid Getafix suffers a calamitous fall whilst harvesting ingredients in the woodland, resulting in him injuring his foot. Such a mistake in the Druid world symbolises the decline in a professional’s skills and ability, prompting Getafix to instigate the search across Gaul for his new successor and heir to the recipe of his magic potion that has protected the village for so long. With the help of Asterix, Obelix and his talented yet curious student Pectine, Getafix’s quest begins smoothly, but little do they know that the evil wizard Demonix is also seeking to discover the secret to the Druid’s potion, plotting with the Romans to achieve his aim.

The target audiences for these films are of course the younger generations but that certainly doesn’t mean that this movie cannot be relished by one and all. With a wildly entertaining musical opening sequence, you are instantly aware of what can be expected from the ensuing 85 minutes, with jokes constantly coming and delivering alongside an onslaught of digestible action. Notably, despite a soundtrack featuring a number of contemporary songs, the computer animation remains honest to the original cartoon and comic book artwork – something that can be appreciated not only by die-hard fans of the series, but also those witnessing an Asterix story for the first time, thanks to the versatility and hyperbolism of the characters actions and the fluid, charming combination of narrative and action sequences.

Visually, the film is also an aesthetic joy to look at, with really lovely cinematic shots coalescing with electrifyingly abstract environments that engulf and immerse the viewer into the 50BC period. It is pleasing to see the introduction of complex and topical characters into the key premise of the story arc also, with the young Pectine symbolising the understanding and approval of the writers for modern adjustment, and proving an inspirational character for little girls and boys opposite the truly enticing and fear-inducing villain Demonix.

On the whole, Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion is a really engaging playground ride of emotion, action and cinematic excellence, with entertaining characters and a charming plot accumulating in all-round fun for the family and fans alike.

Guy Lambert

Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion is released in select cinemas on 30^th August 2019.

Watch the trailer for Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion here: