Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom (4 Stars)

This is the fifth live action film based on the Asterix & Obelix books. In addition, ten animated films have been made. The first four live action films, made from 1999 to 2012, featured the same actors in the lead roles. The new film has a completely new cast, but I have to praise the directors for making an attempt to find new actors who look as similar as possible to the old actors.

The year is 50 BC. Asterix and Obelix are warriors who live in a small village called Indomitable in northern Gaul. It's the only village that the Romans have been unable to conquer, mostly because of a magic drink that temporarily gives the Gauls superhuman strength. Obelix alone is always powerful, because he fell into a vat of the magic potion as a child.

China is divided into six kingdoms. The evil warlord Deng Tsin Qin captures Empress Linh Dan Pham of the middle kingdom, but her daughter Fu Yi flees to Indomitable to ask for help. That's a long way, more than 9500 miles. Couldn't she have found help from a closer ally? It was a good choice. Asterix, Obelix and a small group of warriors accompany her to China.

What complicates matters is that Deng Tsin Qin allies himself with Julius Caesar to conquer all six Chinese kingdoms. Asterix and Obelix have to battle Roman legions in order to free the Empress.

It's a beautiful film full of hilarious anachronisms. The cinema was completely sold out. I was late buying my ticket, so I had to sit on the far right seat of the front row. Sitting so close to the screen was tolerable, but being at a sharp angle was unpleasant. The audience was a mix of adults and children. There was loud laughter throughout the film. I've seen several animated Asterix films, but this is the first live action film I've seen. Fortunately, the others are all available in Netflix.