Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight

Depending on your age or where you're from, Asterix & Obelix will have had a varying impact on your life. For myself, this loveable duo have always been on the outskirts of my interests, simply because they aren't as big in the UK as they are in say France, and also since they haven't really been a major talking point for years. There have been few new projects of varying scale over the last decade or so featuring the duo, but aside from 2023's The Middle Kingdom, the last truly big Asterix & Obelix film or TV project was 2002's Mission Cleopatra. That's an important thing to know and remember as that live-action film was created by Alain Chabat, who is now back in control of the indomitable Gauls for the Netflix limited-series Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight.

This show adapts The Battle of Chieftains story, which in the books is regarded as the seventh album. It tells of how the town's intellectual druid Getafix loses his memory on the eve of a great invasion by the forces of Julius Caesar's Roman Empire, and how without the druid's knowledge the town is left defenceless and lacking its signature magic potion, ultimately requiring heroes Asterix and Obelix to come up with a solution and to save their skins against innumerable odds. The interesting part of the adaptation of this story is that Chabat and co-director Fabrice Joubert have used it as a way to both welcome new fans into the world of Asterix & Obelix, while also ensuring more experienced folk are treated to story that reflects the signature charm and humour of the brand.

On this front, The Big Fight completes its task with flying colours. The narrative is well-paced and structured, constantly delivering surprising twists and all while without overstaying its welcome. It's a limited series, meaning there are only five episodes each of which are around 35 minutes in duration, so the whole story equates to around the same duration as a long film, except designed to be consumed in more digestible bites. The story and dialogue that Chabat has prepared has all the charisma and charm you would expect from the franchise while being applicable to younger folk with silly and light physical humour and jokes. But it's also chock-full of references and gags that only older fans will notice, be it satirical political jabs or more witty one-liners, or even nods to famous pop-cultural works.

The animation is a delightful choice as well. It's perhaps a bit typical of the modern Illumination-like style we see used in many places, but you can't deny that it doesn't have character and plenty of colour, which makes it absolutely perfect for younger audiences and older fans that are looking for a more casual watch.

Looking at the performances, as The Big Fight is widely localised across Netflix you can experience it in its native French - with Chabat lending his voice to Asterix - with subtitles or in a dubbed local language, and whichever you choose you'll be impressed and entertained by the voice work.

As far as a show for families and younger audiences goes, there's not a lot that Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight does wrong. It's humorous and sweet, emotional and lovingly animated, well-paced and action-packed, and even has an excellent and sneaky post-credits addition after the final episode that will make you grin from ear-to-ear. Hopefully this won't be the last we see of the indomitable Gauls in an animated format in the near future.