What a fun movie! They really don't make cartoons like this anymore.
I watching many of these Asterix animated movies on TV as a kid (way before I was even aware of the original comic books), but I wasn't sure I'd seen this one so I found it on youtube (with glorious Brazilian Portuguese dubbing) and gave it a go. Now all I want to do is watch all the movies and dig into those childhood memories.
I love the way the Asterix universe plays around with History, sometimes with a huge dose of Monty-Pythonesque, nonsensical humor (and even sex jokes!), how it dwells in that same basic plotline but manages to get the greatest stories out of it.
There is some great comedy here (even if it gets a bit tiresome after we lose track of how many tasks are still on). The naivety of Asterix and Obelix when they face the weirdest, most dangerous foes, and all they can think of is how the birds flying low is a sign of oncoming rain! Or that hilarious critique on bureocracy! Or Asterix against the hypnotist! And the commercial on top of the mount!
The psychedelic-hippie-samba-like Isle of Pleasures is pure gold for animation, really.
That's why I feel the Depardieu live action movies always lose in comparison. These stories were always meant to be hand-drawn.