To the rescue of the Middle Kingdom, or a review of “Asterix and Obelix: Empire of the Dragon”

A new legend is born in pain

For many months, fans of the comic books by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo and its subsequent film adaptations have been flooded with leaks regarding the new film Asterix and Obelix: Empire of the Dragon. Cinema fans were first familiarized with the fact that the new production would not be based on the drawings of the first creators, but on the script by Guillaume Canet and Julien Hervé. The next blow was met by fans of Gérard Depardieu. It turned out that time has taken its toll and for reasons of age and health, the popular Frenchman will not play Obelix this time. The role was played by Gilles Lellouche, accompanied for the first time in the role of Asterix by director Guillaume Canet. At this point, I would like to say with all firmness: the changes are practically imperceptible, and the actors have reached the heights of their skills. As for the idea of ​​sending the main characters to distant China, it was an absolute bull’s-eye of the creators.

A great journey to the end of the world

The year is 50 BC The Empress of China (Linh Dan Pham) is kidnapped and enslaved by the treacherous prince Deng Tsin Qin (Bun-hay Mean) in a coup d’état. The warlord’s goal is to take over the territories belonging to the kingdoms of the Middle Kingdom by force and establish himself as the new emperor. The prince wants to involve the Roman emperor Julius Caesar (Vincent Cassel) in the plot. The daughter of the kidnapped ruler – Princess Fu Yi (Julie Chen), accompanied by a Phoenician merchant Graindemaïs (Jonathan Cohen) and a personal servant named Fan Ga (Leanna Chea), sets off to distant Gaul to seek help for her country.

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the Roman Empire, one and only settlement, inhabited by relentless Gauls, still resists the invaders. After the arrival of the princess with her companions, the brave warriors Asterix and Obelix and their dog Idefiks decide to go to the relief of the empress. Meanwhile, in Rome, Caesar falls into a love conflict with Cleopatra (Marion Cotillard), who decides to leave him for the Greek masseur Tabascosa (played by Olympic swimming champion Florent Manaudou). Fueling the emperor’s fury is the news from envoy Deng Tsin Qin that no one in China has heard of him. The emperor, assisted by eighty thousand legionnaires under the command of Antivirus (played by the brilliant football player Zlatan Ibrahimovic), decides to invade the Middle Kingdom and establish an empire there subject to the power of Rome.

Adventure with a huge dose of humor

The movie is full of gags. The creators in a neat way included modern problems in the realities of antiquity. The action of strong women is clearly outlined in the village of Gauls, in Rome, but also in the Empire of the Dragon, where the personal servant of the imperial crown is a master of kung-fu. In addition, throughout the film, it is hard not to laugh at the relationship of Asterix and Obelix, who point out each other’s culinary and love preferences. The flavor is added by hilarious Phoenician merchants and sloppy soldiers of the empires of both Rome and China. In addition, the Polish dubbing is a huge plus, and Robert Makłowicz’s narration is the absolute icing on the cake during this nearly two-hour delicious cinema feast spent with friends from a Gallic village.