Viewed on Real D 3D with a decent audience that seemed to comprise (mostly) fans of both the genre and the original comics.
Usually, I prefer not to watched dubbed fare, other than for fare where bad dubbing doesn't matter much. Cases in point: the badly dubbed (in English) Indonesian fare like the Raid movies and Gareth Evan's first movie, Jackie Chan Cantonese fare, Tony Jaa Thai fare and District B 13. All of those belong to the same genre - leaveyourmindsathome martial arts action fare. Who cares about lines? To be fair, 'The Raid 2; Berandal' is like the 'Godfather' in this genre, but more on that in a separate post.
Now, most of the movies based on these beloved characters have come from France, and this one has to be the best of the lot, and hopefully acts as a precursor for better things to come.
The screenplay takes plenty of liberties with the work its based upon, but the great thing about that is that it makes the whole thing more cinematic than any other adaptation that came before, and funny to boot.
There are hilarious montages that tie back together, like the one with the main characters and boars in the forest, the ones with a Roman family being asked to come back with more and more documentation to move into the 'Mansions of the Gods' and so forth. One of the most confident screenplays I've seen in play for a long, long time.
The animation, while staying true to the aesthetic introduced and followed by the comics, also ensures that it does not get 'fixed' or 'static' and acts the way a large screen movie should. The 3D is also not utilized just for show, the way it was with 'The Peanut movie' recently (Snoopy and Charlie Brown), but allows the frames to live and breathe, all the way, consistently.
My only disappointment was the short shrift accorded to the character of Geriatrix's young wife, a favorite from the comics, that was missed out completely, and I wish there was more of Impedimenta, though I am thankful there were a few frames devoted to her shenanigans with Vitalstatistix.
In conclusion, I am looking forward to a repeat viewing this weekend. And hopeful for 'Asterix in Corsica'.
Usually, I prefer not to watched dubbed fare, other than for fare where bad dubbing doesn't matter much. Cases in point: the badly dubbed (in English) Indonesian fare like the Raid movies and Gareth Evan's first movie, Jackie Chan Cantonese fare, Tony Jaa Thai fare and District B 13. All of those belong to the same genre - leaveyourmindsathome martial arts action fare. Who cares about lines? To be fair, 'The Raid 2; Berandal' is like the 'Godfather' in this genre, but more on that in a separate post.
Now, most of the movies based on these beloved characters have come from France, and this one has to be the best of the lot, and hopefully acts as a precursor for better things to come.
The screenplay takes plenty of liberties with the work its based upon, but the great thing about that is that it makes the whole thing more cinematic than any other adaptation that came before, and funny to boot.
There are hilarious montages that tie back together, like the one with the main characters and boars in the forest, the ones with a Roman family being asked to come back with more and more documentation to move into the 'Mansions of the Gods' and so forth. One of the most confident screenplays I've seen in play for a long, long time.
The animation, while staying true to the aesthetic introduced and followed by the comics, also ensures that it does not get 'fixed' or 'static' and acts the way a large screen movie should. The 3D is also not utilized just for show, the way it was with 'The Peanut movie' recently (Snoopy and Charlie Brown), but allows the frames to live and breathe, all the way, consistently.
My only disappointment was the short shrift accorded to the character of Geriatrix's young wife, a favorite from the comics, that was missed out completely, and I wish there was more of Impedimenta, though I am thankful there were a few frames devoted to her shenanigans with Vitalstatistix.
In conclusion, I am looking forward to a repeat viewing this weekend. And hopeful for 'Asterix in Corsica'.