Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom

7/10

Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom (original French title: Asterix & Obelix: L'Empire du Milieu), now on Netflix, is the fifth of the live-action films based on the popular and long-running Asterix the Gaul comics (known for their combination of slapstick and satirical humor) and the first of said films (not counting the animated ones) not based on one of the original stories. This stars Gauls (the ancestors of the French and Belgians) Asterix (played by Guillaume Canet) and his friend Obelix (Gilles Lellouche) who live in the only village that hasn't been occupied by the Roman Empire thanks to a magical potion the druid Getafix (English)/Panoramix (French) (Pierre Richard) brews that gives people super strength. In this installment, the friends travel to China in order to help Princess Fu Yi (Julie Chen) regain control of China from the forces of the prince Deng Tsin Qin (Bun Hay Mean) and Julius Cesar (Vincent Cassel).

It's nice to finally get an Asterix movie on Netflix in America, and one which is prominently displayed no less. There's a ton of these films but since Asterix isn't big the way he is in France and other countries he doesn't get much love stateside. Some of the movies are completely unavailable and the others often require Internet research to determine the various streaming platforms they're all on. 

'Course there's ultimately the question of whether this movie's good or not regardless of the fact that America's finally giving the franchise a chance. The Asterix films can be inconsistent. I've seen the first 3 live-action ones and the first is okay, the second is pretty good, and the third was a disappointment. My final verdict on this one: It's not perfect, but it's funny.

There are jokes in this that either don't work (there's a weird visual gag involving a box that the writers had an undeserved confidence in) or the French sensibility or topical humor doesn't cross the cultural divide, but a lot of the jokes do land, including one laugh-out-loud moment for me. A lot of the stuff in this film that works is based on the fact that it's an adaptation of a children's humorous comic. The whole thing is just plain silly humor and a lot of jokes juxtaposing modern cultural references with ancient times, and it sounds like the latter could get old but it never really does.

What helps make the comedy work is that the entire cast knows what kind of movie they're making and go all in on the silliness. The guys playing the villains especially seem to be having fun mugging for the camera. There's like six of them and yet their scenes never feel overstuffed, and each one has a distinct personality.

Surprisingly, one of the weaker parts of this are the two leads. The writing for Asterix and Obelix feels a little off. Asterix especially doesn't feel quite like himself. He's always been a a positive fellow who likes his lot in life. Here he comes off a little selfish and is questioning stuff that has been staples of his characters. The first ten minutes of the film don't make a great impression due to his personality alone. (The movie does take a little time to really get going. If you watch, I suggest you give this at least 30-45 min. before you decide to give up.)

The sets are all really nice and colorful. The movie's filmed in France, but the production crew seemed to be doing their best to make the setting is somewhere else.

Since this is French, expect this movie to be a bit more liberal with content. Parents should understand that though this is considered a family film, there are sexual references including a brief usage of the word "orgies." I can't quite put a finger on anything specific, but anyone who's actually Chinese or of Chinese ancestry may not be thrilled with how fast and loose the movie makers play with Chinese culture.

This is one of those movies that are hard to recommend or not. Some will find this definitely funny and a nice lighthearted affair. Others may be frustrated with the parts that don't work or just don't get the film as a whole. This is probably a better recommendation for kids (provided their parents are okay with the content) as I think they'll probably be less picky and like the goofiness of it all. If you're curious about the Asterix franchise, I don't know if I can say this is the perfect entry point. I'd recommend either Asterix and the Vikings, if it ever comes back to streaming in the U.S., which is the one that feels the most like a traditional American kids' film, and the animation is pretty good, too, or The Twelve Tasks of Asterix, the best in my opinion and currently for rent on a few streaming platforms, helmed by the original creators, and has this unique feel to it you could only get in the 70's. (Admittedly, there is one brief scene in the movie that is unarguably racist.)