“The Phoenician Scheme” follows wealthy businessman Zsa-Zsa Korda, who becomes the target of tycoons, foreign terrorists and assassins while embarking on a new enterprise.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed many of Wes Anderson’s most recent works, including “Isle of Dogs,” “The French Dispatch” and “Asteroid City.” While “The Phoenician Scheme” shines at times, it ultimately feels much more lifeless than his previous movies.

“The Phoenician Scheme” flourishes in its small moments. The film takes many breaks to interject quirky comedy that lands. It’s in these sequences that the characters come through, more so than the film as a whole.

As “The Phoenician Scheme” pauses at each stop, it begins to get repetitive. Part of this is due to the nature of the story itself, while also resulting from the stacked cast.

There are many great performances in “The Phoenician Scheme,” but most of them aren’t necessary. At a certain point, it truly feels like the film is pausing to show off its next talented cast member. It’s phenomenal to see so many exceptional actors, but it stains the film as a whole when their presence doesn’t feel natural.

“The Phoenician Scheme” stops to highlight Tom Hanks and Bryan Cranston. Then it moves on to Jeffrey Wright. Then Scarlett Johansson… and so on. This alone drastically impacts the movie’s pacing, making it feel much longer than the 101-minute runtime.

Despite this, Benicio Del Toro as Zsa-Zsa Korda, Mia Threapleton as Sister Liesl and Michael Cera as Bjørn Lund all shine. Cera is the highlight of the flick, having the most comedic success while portraying a wildly over-the-top character. 

Del Toro and Threapleton account for the film’s emotional center. While the story itself doesn’t completely stick the landing, their chemistry is what keeps the film’s core somewhat intact.

There are many basic themes explored in “The Phoenician Scheme,” including religion, narcissism, greed and capitalism. At its center, however, is a redemption story. Much of the film’s exploration of these topics feels messy. All of them are featured, but none ultimately strike a chord.

Unlike Anderson’s most recent works, “The Phoenician Scheme” also attempts to have life-and-death stakes. And this is one of my biggest issues with it. Anderson’s filmmaking techniques are enthralling, providing a fully immersive experience through unique stylistic choices. The symmetrical shots and camera movements combined with the unique color grading bring his films into a class of their own.

But… this tone doesn’t necessarily work for “The Phoenician Scheme.” In the film’s dramatic moments, I found this style to be much less effective.

“The Phoenician Scheme” attempts to tackle many topics but reigns hollow in the end. Limited character development, fabricated stakes and constant pausing make the film a challenging one to connect to. It still features all of Anderson’s charm, but the shtick doesn’t quite work this time around.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5