Asteroid City Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Asteroid City Blu-ray Movie Review

Anderson actors... assemble! *Avengers theme plays on a harpsichord*

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown August 17, 2023

A word of warning, one I wished someone had shared with me prior to my first viewing of Wes Anderson's Asteroid City: this is not the film its trailers suggest. Well, not quite. 70% of it is exactly what you'd expect. The other 30%, though, is a black-and-white head scratcher that will engage the director's more cerebral super-fans while alienating more casual moviegoers. The bulk of the film is Anderson at his most Anderson-y, dragging every actor in Hollywood into the desert for a dryly funny, endearingly stoic misadventure filled with eccentric misanthropes; quaint, out-of-this-world bemusement; sharply penned, perfectly timed banter; and a downbeat storybook thriller(?) akin to Moonlight Kingdom. The smaller, unadvertised portion of the film, however, involves another stable of actors... playing actors... playing other parts, in a play called Asteroid City... in this movie, called... Asteroid City. Like the mildly received French Dispatch, it's multiple projects crammed under one roof. To the more intellectual Anderson-heads it will be an artisan-prepared meal of tasty genius-ry. To others it will be a bit of a frustrating endeavor, disjointed and erratic, unclear as to how it's all meant to weave together. Or strike "how" and add "why"? That said, multiple viewings are key to your enjoyment -- perhaps even crucial -- so prepare to invest additional time if you want to get the most out of Anderson's imagination and intentions.

Asteroid City tells the story of a fictional American desert town circa 1955, host to a Junior Stargazer convention which brings together brilliant students and parents from across the country for scholarly competition and a demonstration of cutting edge inventions. Matters grow increasingly complicated, though, when an alien spacecraft appears and steals an old space rock, forcing the military to spring into action and quarantine the town's residents and tourists until the purpose behind the ship's appearance can be determined. But that's not all. Romance blooms, fists are thrown, mysteries unlocked and coups staged, all leading to a battle of wits and wills that will prove which Junior Stargazer has the know-how to solve the riddle of the aliens' visit.

Anderson's latest cast du jour includes Jason Schwartzman as widower and wartime photographer Augie Steenbeck (as well as the actor playing Steenbeck, Jonas Hall), Scarlett Johansson as famed actress Midge Campbell (and stage actress Mercedes Ford), Tom Hanks as Augie's father-in-law Stanley, Jeffrey Wright as U.S. General Gibson, Tony Revolori as his aide-de-camp, Tilda Swinton as local scientist Dr. Hickenlooper, Liev Schreiber as one of the Junior Stargazer's no-nonsense father J.J. Kellogg, Hope Davis as one of the Junior Stargazer's mother Sandy Borden, Sophia Lillis as one of the Stargazer finalists, Jeff Goldblum as a stop-motion alien, Rupert Friend as singing cowboy Montana, Maya Hawke as local educator June Douglas, Steve Carell as a roadside motel manager, Matt Dillon as the town mechanic, Edward Norton as legendary playwright and Asteroid City author Conrad Earp, Adrien Brody as director Schubert Green, Willem Dafoe as acting teacher Saltzburg Keitel, Margot Robbie as Steenbeck's wife, Bryan Cranston as the host of a television series documenting the production of the play and, honestly, so, so many more. The film never ceases to lure in actor after actor.

Divided into three parts, each one conveniently (some might say pretentiously) labeled, the film is comprised of three continually interchanging layers: a television broadcast that goes behind the scenes of the Asteroid City stage play, the behind-the-scenes drama enveloping the stage production's cast and crew, and finally the play itself, presented in glorious technicolor wonder for all to savor. The result would have been much more accessible and crowd-pleasing had Anderson simply told the story of quaint townsfolk encountering aliens, but he has much more on his mind, examining the separate and difficult arts of storytelling, acting and producing. It's a filmmaker's film, a meditation on the process of conceiving and executing smart entertainment for the masses, or rather those who can crack the code of a writer's inner workings.

All well and good, except Asteroid City is far better when it sticks to the desert and the skies. The moment it lumbers from its small quarantined town to its chaotic theatre stage it loses momentum and focus. The multi-tiered concept is fascinating enough but the central story and its quirky band of characters are far more absorbing and amusing than the film's at-times tedious black-and-white framing device, which involves far too many musings on artistry and the tortured nature of true artists to pack as much punch as Anderson intends.

Second and third viewings at least clarify what the director is up to. Asteroid City is far more than a wooden-sets alien invasion dramedy. It's a reflection on everything from art imitating life to our desires to infuse even the most surreal stories with the truth of the human condition. (There's a touch of fun satirical commentary on the ego and self-seriousness of actors and filmmakers as well.) Still, the fun to be had is in the desert, following the unlikely but budding romance between Schwartzman's Steenbeck and Johansson's Midge, the good-natured '80s-esque teen rebellion against authority, the comings and goings of the townsfolk, Steenbeck's run-ins with his straight-laced father-in-law, and the military's futile attempts to quash eyewitness accounts of an alien sighting. There are laughs aplenty, although there's a drier tone to the proceedings than most Anderson outings. You could even go so far as to accuse the film of being joyless, as some have, but true as it may feel, there's a sadness in the adventure that, more than anything, helps unite the disparate pieces of the story.

All told, Asteroid City is a much more divisive film than it might first appear. It will annoy as many as it satisfies, and it will confound as many as it will draw in. There's beauty in the madness but it takes a keen eye to decipher and an even keener sense of humor to go along with the overly refined deadpan humor. It doesn't stand among Anderson's best, falling somewhere just above his lesser works. There it sits, in the middle, too far below the filmmaker's best and brightest, never quite lifting far enough off the ground to soar.

Asteroid City Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Universal's 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer is near perfect, beautifully and accurately capturing the pleasant, turquoise-tinted technicolor hues of cinematographer Robert Yeoman's dusty desert vistas. Bold blue skies, splashes of pastel pinks and yellow, and even overheated, sunstruck faces are quite lovely and suit Anderson's intentions nicely. Skintones are warm (sometimes overly so) but natural on the whole, primaries are subdued but striking, and contrast is slightly washed out but intentionally so. Black levels are satisfying all the same, particularly when the 2.39:1 color portions of the film switch to the 1.37:1 black and white stage production scenes. Gradients and sepia- kissed grays are free of banding in these moments as well, without any distractions or unsightly issues to report. Detail is excellent throughout; notably crisper whenever the film flips to the stage play but by no means disappointing when the story returns to the white-hot sunlight of the desert. While not razor sharp at all times, edges are often crisp and clean (barring some occasional softness inherent to the source), fine textures are convincing and often exacting, and I didn't detect any artifacting or other such anomalies. Asteroid City looks great. Fans will be most pleased.

Asteroid City Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There's nothing wrong with Asteroid City's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track. The bump from 5.1 to 7.1 is certainly appreciated and leads to a more immersive and believable soundfield, with pinpointed directional effects and silky smooth channel pans. However, the film is largely a chatty, front-heavy affair, with only a few standout moments that take advantage of the equally restrained original sound design. (The train ride into town at the beginning comes immediately to mind, as to the visits from Goldblum's stop-motion alien.) Not that I'm complaining. Dialogue is clear, neatly prioritized and grounded in the mix, without ever falling beneath louder elements when they arrive. Music is surprisingly quiet and sparse for an Anderson film, which typically revels in bombastic and playful bursts of score, but what little there is to find is handled with ease. Rarely as engaging as you'd expect, it's nevertheless a capable and competent track that pairs nicely with the video presentation.

Asteroid City Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The only special feature included is a short four-part EPK (HD, 7 minutes) that covers the "Desert Town", "Doomsday Carnival", "Montana and the Ranch Hands", and "The Players". There isn't much insight to be garnered here, unfortunately, leaving fans out in the cold.

Asteroid City Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Asteroid City isn't the next Grand Budapest, nor does it rise to the heights of Anderson's best. It's a solid little film, though, despite its split personalities, and it has enough to offer fans of the director's work to carve out a spot on many a shelf. Universal's AV presentation is strong, even if its lossless audio track is a rather quiet, front-heavy mix by design. The biggest downside is a near-barebones supplemental package that will leave anyone other than Anderson apologists disappointed.