New in cinemas: One of the most controversial films of the year, “Fast & Furious 10” and the return of Asterix & Obelix – Kino News

“The Austrian arthouse enfant terrible Ulrich Seidl is also so annoying with his films because he doesn’t seem to like his protagonists at all,” editor-in-chief Christoph Petersen opens the official FILMSTARTS review of “Sparta”. A certain basic mercilessness is attested to Wiener. In his most recent work, however, Seidl now turns the tables, so to speak – and now provokes, of all things, by not exposing his protagonist with the usual bite …

… because the focus is on the Austrian engineer Ewald (Georg Friedrich), who works in a power plant in Romania and actually has a happy relationship with his girlfriend (Florentina Elena Pop). However, while she insists on marriage, the man in his mid-forties decides to risk a new start in the Romanian hinterland. Together with children and young people, he wants to restore an old school, convert it into a fortress and teach judo there. And above all deal with his pedophile tendencies.

“Sparta”: A good film – with a bad aftertaste

If you look at “Sparta” just as a film, the conclusion is that FILMSTARTS review (4 stars) clearly stated: He is “one of the strongest of the ‘Dog Days’ director”. Because even if the drama is quite different from other works by Ulrich Seidl, it is “no less provocative, challenging or lasting”.

The fact that “Sparta” is one of the most controversial films of the year so far is due to the making of the film. Because Seidl made international headlines when serious allegations were made against the director in a Spiegel article. The shooting took place under questionable conditions, from which the young amateur actors in particular suffered, it is said. Seidl, however, rejects any allegations, but still lost the world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in the wake of negative press. The film can now be seen in German cinemas.

By the way, if you have the film on your watch list, you would do well to catch up on “Rimini” if you don’t know it yet. Because it is, so to speak, the supplementary piece to “Sparta”, which is about Ewald’s brother Richie (Michael Thomas).

“Fast X” hits the cinemas

Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his “Family” are back! In fact, they did it yesterday, because, unlike the other restarts of the week, “Fast & Furious 10” started on Wednesday – and the FILMSTARTS review of “Fast X” is of course already there.

In the latest part of the action film series, newcomers such as Jason Momoa (“Aquaman”), Brie Larson (“Captain Marvel”) and Alan Ritchson (“Reacher”) await you in addition to the regular cast. And on top of that comes in the mega-blockbuster, which is one of the most expensive films of all time with skyrocketing production costs of 340 million dollars very special, surprising comeback.

“Asterix & Obelix in the Middle Kingdom”: The Gauls are back!

And fans of the indomitable Gauls also have every reason to be happy, as the first live-action film with Asterix and Obelix since “Asterix & Obelix – On Her Majesty’s Day” starts in German cinemas today – after all, it has been on for more than ten years has the hump. And no expense or effort has been spared for the return:

“Asterix & Obelix in the Middle Kingdom” devoured a whopping 70 million euros, which comes along visually with plenty of show values ​​and with which fans of the previous live-action films should definitely have their fun. Gérard Depardieu fans, on the other hand, might be a bit disappointed. Because for the first time he is not part of the game as Obelix – and he got through Gilles Lellouche replaced.

In their latest adventure, Asterix (Guillaume Canet) and Obelix meet the Chinese princess Fu Yi (Julie Chen), who asks the Gauls for help. And so the unlikely duo makes the long journey to China to save the Chinese empress (Linh-Dan Pham) – but soon attracts the attention of the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar (Vincent Cassel) and the Egyptian regent Cleopatra (Marion cotillard)…