Playwright Conrad Earp (Edward Norton) is putting his newest play, "Asteroid City," on Broadway. In the play, a photographer (Jason Schwartzman) is escorting his four children to the tiny town of Asteroid City so his son (Jake Ryan) can participate in a Junior Stargazer event with other genius kids. Also in town are a famous actress (Scarlett Johansson), her daughter (Grace Edwards), traveling musician cowboys, a busload of schoolchildren with their teacher (Maya Hawke), scientists, and military. All are intent on the proceedings until they are interrupted by an actual alien (Jeff Goldblum).
The story-within-a-story is in the brightest Looney-Tunes-background colors while the framing device is black-and-white narrated by Bryan Cranston. The surreality of the experience is heightened by the breaks in character as the set pieces blend into one another.
It is aggressively whimsical, as the name Wes Anderson has come to signify. I don't know that it totally works. This felt less like it had something to say and more just wanted to see how many Named Actors it could fit into one runtime. It comes off almost like extended cameos rather than characters with depth and motivation. People come on, say their 3-5 lines, and then leave, never to be seen again.
It's definitely not my favorite of the director's. It's nowhere near his worst, though, so if you like pastels, stilted dialogue, and vaguely sci-fi 50s nostalgia, it's there. Currently in theaters or for VOD rental for $20. Give it a couple more weeks and it'll be somewhere more cost-effective.
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