acromegalix

Alain Chabat has done it again! Le combat des chefs is one of my favorite Asterix albums, and it's not only been perfectly adapted but also wonderfully enhanced for animation. The contemporary additions are perfectly in keeping with the original spirit, with subtle references to current events (Caesar could hardly look more like Putin). For me, it's a complete success, including in the animation of the characters, who seem to have stepped straight out of the comic-book panels. A superb piece of work, sublimated by the 5-star cast and remarkable graphics. Thank you for this moment of rediscovered childhood.

An uncompromising portrait of a violent tyrant with a thirst for power, who will stop at nothing to remove anything that stands in his way. Shot like a Mafia movie, we see this psychopath advance step by step to absolute power through betrayal, murder and manipulation. Even if half the events are real (and the film seems well documented), they would be enough to send him to prison for the rest of his life in any democracy... but this is Russia. The film may not be worth a 10, but it balances out a bit with the many 1 votes sent in by "people" who have never commented on any other film before this one.

While it has undeniable qualities, it has the same shortcomings as Flannagan's other series: verbose and lacking in any kind of second degree.

On the positive side, the overall story is well-crafted and the acting is generally convincing. Unfortunately, all this is drowned out by interminable chatter and cheesy monologues that are supposed to add depth, but to my taste are insipid and pompous. The last three episodes are rich in events, but even in the midst of the action the protagonists feel obliged to recount their lives like old junkies, and everything stops to listen to their kitschy speeches, particularly about religion.