''Asterix Conquers America'' (in France as ''Astérix et les Indiens''; in Germany as ''Asterix in Amerika'') is a 1994 German
animated film
Animation is a method by which image, still figures are manipulated to appear as Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent cel, celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited ...
, directed by , and co-produced by Hahn and . The film is a loose adaptation of the ''
Asterix
''Asterix'' or ''The Adventures of Asterix'' (french: Astérix or , "Asterix the Gaul") is a ''bande dessinée'' comic book series about a village of indomitable Gaulish warriors who adventure around the world and fight the Roman Republic, wi ...
'' graphic novel, ''
Asterix and the Great Crossing
''Asterix and the Great Crossing'' is the twenty-second volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations).
Plot summary
Unhygienix has run out of fresh fish. Since his stock has to be transpo ...
'', and the second film adaptation to be produced outside
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. It is also the first ''Asterix'' movie to be made in English.
The plot focuses on Asterix and Obelix seeking to rescue Getafix, who is transported to North America by the Romans, before their village runs out of magic potion to defend themselves.
The film was mainly made for the direct-to-video market, and distributed in Germany by
Jugendfilm, with
20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
handling its distribution in France, Spain and the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
.
Plot
After the rebel village of Gauls defeat another Roman army, a humiliated
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...
angrily devises a plan to cut them off from the magic potion that gives them super-human strength. Caesar's most loyal patrician, Lucullus, finds himself instructed to kidnap the druid
Getafix
This is a list of characters in the ''Asterix'' comics.
Main characters
Asterix, Obelix and Dogmatix are the first characters with short descriptions usually listed at the beginning of each of the ''Asterix'' books (after the map of Gaul). They ...
and send him off the
edge of the world. Meanwhile in Gaul, a freak accident during a fight amongst the villagers accidentally spills a cauldron of potion Getafix was making. Although there is a small amount left, Getafix is forced to locate ingredients to make more, with Dogmatix accompanying him. Taking advantage of this, Lucullus pretends to be a druid in order to entrap both. While fishing for fresh fish, Asterix and Obelix spot the pair being taken away across the Atlantic Ocean on a Roman galley, and pursue after them.
Despite losing the galley in a storm, a dolphin helps the pair track it down, after reuniting them with Dogmatix after he was thrown overboard. Upon arriving at the eastern coastline of
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
, which they mistake as the world's edge, the Romans catapult Getafix ashore. Lucullus becomes delighted when Asterix, Obelix and Dogmatix crash on the shoreline, and soon returns home to inform Caesar of the good news. When the pair discover where they are, Asterix and Obelix begin exploring North America, before camping for the night while enjoying meal of the indigenous
turkeys
The turkey is a large bird in the genus ''Meleagris'', native to North America. There are two extant turkey species: the wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo'') of eastern and central North America and the ocellated turkey (''Meleagris ocellat ...
. The following morning, Asterix is captured by a tribe of
Native Americans and taken to their village. He quickly finds himself tied to a pole alongside Getafix, who reveals that the Romans catapulted him onto the hut of the tribe's
medicine man
A medicine man or medicine woman is a traditional healer and spiritual leader who serves a community of Indigenous people of the Americas. Individual cultures have their own names, in their respective languages, for spiritual healers and ceremo ...
, alongside his observation that the world is round rather than flat.
When Obelix, who had gone off hunting, discovers his friend missing, he soon begins searching for him. In the process, he finds himself rescuing Minihooha, the daughter of the tribe's chief, from a stampede of
bison
Bison are large bovines in the genus ''Bison'' (Greek: "wild ox" (bison)) within the tribe Bovini. Two extant and numerous extinct species are recognised.
Of the two surviving species, the American bison, ''B. bison'', found only in North Ame ...
. Brought to her village, Obelix soon impresses the chief with his strength, leading to Asterix and Getafix being freed. That night, the group join in with the tribe's evening customs. Getafix quickly humiliates the medicine man in front of the tribe with his magic, and gives Minihooha some magic potion so she can punish him for getting her wet with a cheap trick. Angered, the medicine man visits the group in their tent on the pretense of offering peace, only to knock them out with hallucinogens in a
pipe
Pipe(s), PIPE(S) or piping may refer to:
Objects
* Pipe (fluid conveyance), a hollow cylinder following certain dimension rules
** Piping, the use of pipes in industry
* Smoking pipe
** Tobacco pipe
* Half-pipe and quarter pipe, semi-circula ...
, kidnapping Getafix. The next day, Obelix awakes in a drug-induced amnesia, leaving Asterix to seek out Getafix on his own. He quickly finds and rescues him from the medicine man, who had tried to force him to give up the magic potion's recipe.
After Minihooha cures Obelix of his condition, the group say farewell to the tribe and make their way back to Gaul. Upon returning home, the group find that the Romans overwhelmed the village, after they ran out of magic potion. Finding all but
Cacofonix
This is a list of characters in the ''Asterix'' comics.
Main characters
Asterix, Obelix and Dogmatix are the first characters with short descriptions usually listed at the beginning of each of the ''Asterix'' books (after the map of Gaul). They ...
were captured and are set to be taken to Rome by Caesar and Lucullus, Getafix brews the magic potion, and gives Asterix and Obelix two phials for the villagers. Sneaking into a Roman camp disguised as Roman soldiers, the pair supply their fellow Gauls with the potion, whereupon they proceed to trash the camp. Lucullus is eaten by Caesar's pet panther, while Caesar himself discreetly escapes and returns home. As the villagers hold a celebratory feast, the group listen to Obelix tell them of his new adventure, before teaching them the song that the Native American tribe sung during their stay.
Cast
References
External links
*
{{20th Century Studios theatrical animated features
1994 films
1994 animated films
1990s French animated films
Asterix films
Films set in pre-Columbian America
French animated films
German animated films
French children's films
German children's films
Animated films based on comics
Films scored by Harold Faltermeyer
20th Century Fox films
20th Century Fox animated films
1990s children's animated films
Films with screenplays by Pierre Tchernia
1990s American films
1990s French films
1990s German films