It seems unnecessary, but for some reason I begin every Wes Anderson movie review with a PSA. That’s because after eleven feature films to his credit, one thing is for sure – Anderson has a profoundly unique style all his own. It’s unmistakably his and he has stuck with that style throughout his career. It’s equally evident that his same strikingly unique style isn’t for everyone. And if you’ve seen any of Wes Anderson’s movies you should have a good idea of what to expect whenever a new one comes around.

The newest comes in the form of “Asteroid City”, another star-studded comedy full of Anderson faithfuls and a few new names hopping into the filmmaker’s sphere for the first time. Old reliables like Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Edward Norton, and Willem Dafoe (among others) pop up throughout his latest yarn. And then newcomers like Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Margot Robbie, Maya Hawke, and Steve Carell take swings at Anderson’s specific brand of humor. It’s a robust cast who really help bring this wacky world and even wackier story to life.

Throughout his career Anderson has used quirk like a French impressionist used oil paints. In “Asteroid City” it colors nearly every inch of his cinematic canvas. If you’ve watched any of the trailers it’s obviously seen in the film’s peculiar yet eye-popping visual style. But true to Anderson’s other work, it’s also seen in the gaggle of eccentric (and routinely funny) characters. And of course there’s the story itself which has quirk sewn into its very fabric.

In “Asteroid City” we’re treated to a light and playful yet warmhearted and philosophical Wes Anderson. He bounces back-and-forth between two connected stories, each brimming with scenes that are unapologetically silly but often laced with a surprising amount of heartbreak.

This is also one of Anderson’s most visually arresting films, with his deliberately crafted artificiality and meticulous attention to detail resulting in one coffee-table art book-quality shot after another. It’s a stunning movie to simply look at and absorb. And just as much humor is conveyed through the compositions and framing as through anything in Anderson’s script.

The movie opens up like a 1950s television special – one with an unnamed host played by a fantastic Bryan Cranston. The show chronicles the creation, development, and premiere performance of Asteroid City, a stage production from acclaimed playwright Conrad Earp (Norton). Anderson shoots these scenes in crisp black-and-white and the boxy Academy ratio which is in sharp contrast to the bright dreamlike glow of the reenactment scenes. More on them in a second.

Earp connects with a stage actor named Jones Hall (Schwartzman) who serves as inspiration for his play’s lead character, Augie Steenbeck. Earp reaches out to an teacher at a local acting school named Saltzburg Keitel (Dafoe) to help finish his script and recruit a reliable cast. Then there is the play’s director, Schubert Green (a scene-stealing Brody). He’s a bit of a slime, strangely likable yet oblivious to his own womanizing.

Then the you have the reenactment of the play itself with its vivid sun-baked colors and shot in gorgeous widescreen. In these scenes we’re transported to Asteroid City, a small desert town with a population of 87 people and one curious roadrunner. The ‘pay attention or you’ll miss it” community is built next to a crater created by a meteorite years earlier. Asteroid City is set to host their annual Junior Stargazer convention hosted by General Grif Gibson (Jeffrey Wright) and astronomer Dr. Hickenlooper (Swinton). That’s where a select group of young students will share their space-inspired inventions for a chance to win a $5,000 fellowship award.

War photographer and recently widowed Augie (Schwartzman again) arrives at Asteroid City early with his son Woodrow (Jake Ryan) and three younger daughters. After his car breaks down Augie calls his father-in-law Stanley (Hanks) to drive out and help with the girls. In the meantime, disenchanted television actress Midge Campbell (Johansson) arrives with her daughter Dinah (Grace Edwards) as does a busload of elementary school children and their teacher June (Hawke) and a group of singing cowboys led by their lead singer Montana (Rupert Friend). Meanwhile they’re all being secretly monitored by a team of hysterically not-so-covert government agents.

The two-sided story mostly comes together as Anderson’s inherently goofy dialogue and equally goofy characters combine to deliver one smile-inducing comic bit after another. Most of Anderson’s choices gel much better this time around than in his last film, 2021’s “The French Dispatch” although a few feel arbitrary and out-of-the-blue (such as one seemingly pointless flash of nudity that serves no other purpose than cementing an R rating).

While Anderson’s unique style and perspective takes center stage, his carefully chosen and top-to-bottom great ensemble are essential. With a couple of exceptions most have small roles and intermittently pop up at different times throughout the film. It’s such a good recipe and everyone operates on the same wacky wavelength. They’re key in making “Asteroid City” a truly delightful entry into the Anderson oeuvre. Not quite in the upper echelon, but pretty much exactly what this Wes Anderson fan was hoping for. “Asteroid City” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 4 STARS