After 23 Years, This Alain Chabat Joke in ‘Asterix & Obelix’ Still Misses Many Fans!

Released on January 30, 2002, “Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra” has become a cult classic filled with references! 23 years after its release, we’re still discovering quirky gems scattered throughout by the maestro Alain Chabat.

An Auditory Gag

This time, the nod we’re discussing isn’t visual but auditory. And to catch it, you’d better have golden ears! If you jump to 34 minutes and 54 seconds into the film, you’ll find this moment. It’s the scene where Itineris (Isabelle Nanty), the construction foreman of the palace ordered by the Queen of Egypt, comes to complain to Getafix and Edifis.

Accompanied by her workers, the union leader demands better working conditions, shouting the famous slogan: “Not happy, not happy!” After listening to her demands, Edifis begins to scold her, only to be interrupted by Getafix. “Enough, Edifis,” the Gaulish druid snaps.

A Legendary Rivalry

“Itineris is right not to back down!”, he declares before leaving. This joke includes a play on words with SFR, the telecommunications operator, and is very much of its time. In the early 2000s, two major companies were battling it out in the mobile phone market: Itineris, the mobile telephony service of France Telecom, and SFR.

Alain Chabat deliberately named Isabelle Nanty’s character Itineris to weave a comedic scene around the micro network interruptions; these were common to mobile phone users at that time. Today, this joke might seem totally dated but still brings joy to those nostalgic for the early 2000s and the era of early mobile phones.

While everyone might get the nod at Itineris, the line “not to back down” from Getafix might have slipped past many fans, even the most ardent. It’s a subtle dig at the war between the two major operators at the time. Eventually, Itineris would become Orange, and other competitors would enter the mobile telephony market like Bouygues and Free.

The Story of the Film

“Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra” is available on Netflix. It follows Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt. To challenge the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar, she decides to build a luxurious palace in the desert in just three months. If she succeeds, he must publicly admit that the Egyptian people are the greatest of all.

To accomplish this, Cleopatra enlists Edifis, an avant-garde architect full of energy. If he succeeds, she will shower him with gold. If he fails, she’ll feed him to the crocodiles. Aware of the challenge, he seeks help from his old friend Getafix.

The druid travels to Egypt with Asterix and Obelix. Meanwhile, Amonbofis, Cleopatra’s official architect, jealous that the queen chose Edifis for the palace, does everything in his power to sabotage his rival.