Common Sense Media Review
By Tom Cassidy
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Historical fantasy adventure has violence, discrimination.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom
What's the Story?
In ASTERIX & OBELIX: THE MIDDLE KINGDOM, Asterix (Guillaume Canet) and Obelix (Gilles Lellouche) travel from France to China to help Princess Sa See (Julie Chen) reclaim her rightful kingdom. Meanwhile in Rome, Julius Caesar (Vincent Cassel) is looking for action and tries to help an ally seize the Chinese kingdom.
Is It Any Good?
Based on a popular French comic book series, this live-action adventure-comedy has high production values and stars French acting royalty (Cassel and Marion Cotillard as Julius Caesar and Cleopatra). When Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom is being gleefully silly, it comes close to Monty Python and the Holy Grail levels of absurdity. That silliness can be enjoyed by all ages but the frequent punches -- that each have real impact -- negates this wider appeal. Even more disappointing are the tired prejudices throughout. Despite its diverse cast, jokes aimed at Chinese people and Asian culture feel like tired relics from the 20th century. Sports fans might enjoy the hero worship scenes that feature soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the champion gladiator, Antivirus. While die-hard Asterix fans might cherish a new outing for their favorite duo from Gaul. But for the casual viewer, this movie might need too many compromises to warrant a watch.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom. Did it feel excessive? Did you notice a difference between the fantasy fighting after Asterix had his potion and the more realistic violence? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
How were Chinese people portrayed in the movie? Did you find it problematic -- why/why not? Why representation matters in kids' media.
Do you enjoy historical adventures? When real-life figures from history like Julius Caesar are put into fictional stories, does it help you understand history better?
Have you encountered Asterix before? If so, how did this movie compare to the original comic books or other Asterix movies you've seen?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : May 19, 2023
- Cast : Guillaume Canet , Gilles Lellouche , Jonathan Cohen
- Director : Guillaume Canet
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Book Characters , History
- Run time : 112 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate