Scale it down, Wes. I’ve been a fan of everything he’s done since _Fantastic Mr. Fox_, and this is the first one in a long time that doesn’t sit well with me. It’s easily his loosest film since _The Darjeerling Limited_, and as a result he kinda lost sight of a coherent narrative here. It simply has too many characters, and while they’re all decently interesting, none of the arcs are developed to a point where I felt an emotional pay-off. The postmodern/meta stuff tanks the pacing and adds little to the overall narrative. There’s an attempt to use that layer to give the film a deeper meaning in the third act, but it feels like an anticlimax. The deeper meaning is that [spoiler] there is no deeper meaning, we’re just putting on a show [/spoiler]. Ok? Did Rian Johnson have input on this script? Is this Wes trolling the people who claim that he’s style over substance? Add to that that this is one of his films that relies the least on comedy, and I can only conclude that this might just be his weakest screenplay. The reason why I still like it, however, is mostly because of the technical aspects. The cinematography, set design, editing and music are all fantastic and I’m continuously amazed by how this man is able to build a complete, original world for every new film. There’s always enough quirk and detail in the frame to keep the movie alive. The acting’s also really solid, I don’t quite get the complaint from some people that it’s emotionless. While the delivery is as deadpan as ever, the actors add plenty of emotion though the tone and cadence of their voice. Overall, I think he really needs to stop worrying about topping the scale of his last film, because it’s making him lose focus as a director and writer. It’s enjoyable, but for me it’s his worst next to _The Life Aquatic_.

6/10

Writer-director Wes Anderson has lost his way, and this film proves it. I realize that the auteur’s signature style of filmmaking is an acquired taste, and, to his credit, he’s made some fine pictures over the years. But this one is not among them. In fact, contrary to many of the inexplicable claims that this is his finest release, I’d contend just the opposite. It’s arguably his worst, a meandering, cryptic, unfocused piece that’s so muddled you’ll need the assistance of a search party to find your way out of it (that is, if you even care by the time the end of this overlong mess rolls around). The director appears to have become so enamored with his own eccentricity that it doesn’t even seem to matter to him whether or not viewers are on the same page as he is. Admittedly, this offering once again captures Anderson’s singularly stylish look with a stunning production design and gorgeous cinematography. But that’s all it has going for it, and that’s unfortunate given the phenomenal cast he has available to him. What’s more, despite his proficiency in creating superb visual style, he’s forgotten about pairing it with meaningful (or even interesting) substance. Its incomprehensibility and inclusion of bits that are there just for the sake of their own whimsy seriously undercut any effort to make this an intelligible work. In short, “Asteroid City” is yet another major disappointment in what is turning out to be a dreadfully dismal summer movie season. It’s likely to appeal only to diehard fans of the director (and maybe not even a lot of them this time out). If you’re on the fence about this one, consider the following two telling tipoffs: (1) when no one in the theater is laughing at what’s been billed as a comedy, that should speak volumes about it (as happened at the screening I attended); and (2) when you consider how aggressively and ubiquitously the distributors have been promoting this film in ads on TV and the internet, it’s obvious they’re trying awfully hard to peddle shabby, substandard merchandise. This is a huge waste of time and money; don’t squander yours.

Well Wes Anderson has certainly assembled a formidable cast here, but I'm afraid I found the whole thing very much a case of style over substance. It all happens in an one-horse town in Nevada where a meteorite crashed aeons ago. Every year the town awards those youngsters who have achieved something especial in the field of science, so they - and their families - gather together for the awards ceremony presided over by "Gen. Gibson" (Jeffrey Wright). The "Steenbeck" family are prominent with father and acclaimed photographer "Augie" (Jason Schwartzman) and his geeky son "Woodrow" (Jake Ryan) suffering the terminal breakdown of their car that necessitates the arrival of the boy's grandfather "Stanley" (Tom Hanks) who arrives in his Cadillac to witness this gathering of enigmatic characters staying in tiny chalets in what looked very much like one of the demonstration villages built near nuclear testing sites. "Augie" takes a shine to the glamorous actress neighbour "Midge" (Scarlett Johansson) and his son to her daughter "Dinah" (Grace Edwards) and whilst these romances build in the quirkiest of fashions, we are introduced to some of the other quaint characters who inhabit the place - leaving me, unfortunately with a sort of bemused who cares sentiment. The photography is intense, intimate, intrusive almost and features more than it's share of whip pans and rolling panoramas and the dialogue is not without some pith - but I couldn't help but leave the cinema after the second viewing of this not such masterpiece cinema wondering if it were all just a case of emperor's new clothes. It wasn't that I felt that I missed something, it was that I felt that there was nothing to miss. The story - insofar as there actually was one - could hardly have been more incidental to this whimsy of a film that I would certainly agree looks great, but whose sum of the parts did not add up to much of an whole. I readily acknowledge that I don't do surreal particularly well, but for me this didn't amount to anything at all worth writing, let alone raving, about. Sorry - unremarkable.

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://insessionfilm.com/movie-review-asteroid-city/

"For fans of Wes Anderson, Asteroid City doesn’t disappoint, offering exactly what was expected from it. For viewers who don’t exactly appreciate the filmmaker’s style, I don’t think this film will convert you.

Personally, it’s nowhere near the level of The Grand Budapest Hotel, but it’s a considerable improvement over The French Dispatch."

Rating: B-

Even though the film has a fair share of chuckle worthy moments, _Asteroid City_ shamelessly rolls around in its eccentricities and unapologetic blundering demeanor with no real depth or character development whatsoever. The gathering of extraordinary talent draws you in yet _Asteroid City_ doesn’t deliver a story that’s fully worth telling.

**Full review:** https://boundingintocomics.com/2023/06/24/asteroid-city-review-wes-andersons-charmless-comedic-drama/