Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods, also titled Asterix and Obelix: Mansion of the Gods, is a 2014 French-Belgian 3D computer-animated adventure family comedy film written and directed by Alexandre Astier. It is based on the comic book Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods, which was the seventeenth book in the comic book series Asterix by Goscinny and Uderzo. The film sticks to the book's plot very closely while also expanding on it. It was the first Asterix film animated in 3D.
The film was theatrically released on 26 November 2014 by SND Films in France across 696 movie theatres. It received generally favorable reviews and has grossed over $34 million on a €31 million budget. It received a IFMCA Award nomination for Best Original Score for an Animated Feature Film.
Plot
Frustrated with the ongoing rebellion of the Gauls, Julius Caesar devises a new scheme to conquer them: the construction of luxury apartments dubbed “The Mansions Of The Gods” in the forest near the Gauls' village as a means to absorb them into Roman civilisation.
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 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 prepares to attack and demolish the mansions, but discover it to already be populated by Roman civilians. Realising 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 them.
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.
Caesar begins the final part of his plan, razing the village. The legion however refuses to cooperate with Getafix and Obelix still at large. Getafix, Mischiefus and Dogmatix are captured, and held in the Mansions reception. 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 point, while Asterix makes his way to the mansions. Escaping into the apartments, Getafix brews the magic potion from ingredients in each of the rooms. 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.
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 Caeser take the civilians to head back to Rome, finally leading to the demolition of the Mansions of the Gods. In tradition, the Gauls celebrate their victory with a banquet atop the ruins of the mansions. Back in Rome, Anonymus and Mischiefus get revenge on Caesar by throwing one of Getafix's acorns into his podium at the coliseum, leaving him dangling from a tree branch.
Cast
| Character | Original | UK dub | International dub |
|---|---|---|---|
| Astérix (Asterix) | Roger Carel | Jack Whitehall | Ken Kramer |
| Anglaigus (Squareonthehypothenus) | Lorànt Deutsch | Richard Ian Cox | |
| Duplicatha (Flaturtha) | Laurent Lafitte | Donny Lucas | |
| Oursenplus (Centurion Somniferus) | Alexandre Astier | Greg Davies | Jason Simpson |
| Sénateur Prospectus (Senator Prospectus) | Alain Chabat | Colin Murdoch | |
| Cubitus (Marcus Ubiquitus)/Tofungus | Elie Semoun | Samuel Vincent | |
| Dulcia | Géraldine Nakache | Catherine Tate | Tabitha St. Germain |
| Petiminus/Anonymus | Artus de Penguern | Harry Enfield | Alan Marriott |
| Ordralfabétix (Unhygienix) | François Morel | Richard McCourt | Jason Simpson |
| Bonemine (Impedimenta) | Florence Foresti | Elizabeth Bower | Saffron Henderson |
| Panoramix (Getafix) | Bernard Alane | John Innes | |
| Samus/Senator Consensus | Olivier Saladin | Marco Soriano | |
| Cétautomatix (Fulliautomatix) | Lionnel Astier | Dominic Wood | Scott McNeil |
| Obélix (Obelix) | Guillaume Briat | Nick Frost | C. Ernst Harth |
| Abraracourcix (Vitalstatistix) | Serge Papagalli | Matt Berry | Don Brown |
| Agecanonix (Geriatrix) | Laurent Morteau | Ron Halder | |
| Assurancetourix (Cacofonix) | Arnaud Léonard | Alan Marriott | |
| Mrs Fulliautomatix | Unknown | Elizabeth Bower | Unknown |
| Ielosubmarine (Bacteria) | Joëlle Sevilla | Saffron Henderson | |
| Matron | Unknown | ||
| Jules César (Julius Caesar) | Philippe Morier-Genoud | Jim Broadbent | Mark Oliver |
| Sénateur Falérius (Senator Falérius) | Christophe Bourseiller | Andy Toth | |
| Sénateur Pesticius (Senator Pesticius) | Brice Fournier | Ron Halder | |
| Citizen | Marco Soriano | ||
| Roman Brute | Marco Soriano | ||
| Travaillerpluspourgagnerplus/Guiasbonus | Florian Gazan | John Clifford | Scott McNeil |
| Radius (Unscrupulus) | Sébastien Lalanne | Andy Toth | |
| Julius Humérus (Julius Monotonus)/Humerus | Franck Pitiot | Michael Adamthwaite | |
| Médius/Serius | Damien Gillard | Marco Soriano | |
| Roman Brute | Michael Adamthwaite | ||
| Roman | Samuel Vincent | ||
| Apeldjus/Mischiefus | Oscar Pauwels | Hannah Beth Jackson | |
| Doctor | Benjamin Gauthier | John Innes | |
| Guide | Andy Toth | ||
| Roman | Samuel Vincent | ||
| Goth Gladiator | Pascal Demolon | Scott McNeil | |
| Numide Gladiator | Baptiste Lecaplain | Samuel Vincent | |
| Roman Idiot/Cluelus | Louis Clichy | Andy Toth | |
| Roman | Virginia Anderson | Jennifer Cameron | |
| Matron | Unknown | ||
| Roman | Pauline Moingeon | Saffron Henderson | |
| Mosaic Artist | Sébastien Lalanne | Samuel Vincent | |
Additional Voices
- Julien Meunier
- Martial Le Minoux
- Vincent Ropion
- Christian Peythieu
- Jérémy Bardeau
- François Raison
- Matthieu Albertini
- Hervé Grull
- Juan Llorca
- Antoine Lelandais
- Magali Rosenzweig
- Céline Melloul
- Marie-Madeleine Burguet
- Delphine Braillon
- Axelle Bossard
- Brigitte Guedj
- Brigitte Lecordier
Source material
Reception
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.
Home media release
Asterix: The Land of the Gods was released on DVD, VOD and Blu-ray on 9 June 2015 by M6 Vidéo.