Well, perhaps Wes Anderson was overdue for a flop. The writer/director known for quirky visuals and charmingly self-conscious whimsy has had a long run of movies that were enchanting (“Fantastic Mr. Fox”), adventurous (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”), moving (“Moonrise Kingdom”) or just plain perfect (“Rushmore,” which I have revisited way more times than I will admit). But here we are with “The Phoenician Scheme,” which on the surface looked like another winner: a strong ensemble cast led by Benicio del Toro; a potentially intriguing story involving the world’s richest man (played by Del Toro, and sporting the impressive name of Anatole “Zsa-Zsa” Korda) and his elaborate plans to a) avoid assassination and b) fix the infrastructure of the fictional country of Phoenicia, with a scheme involving shoe boxes; and the usual beautifully faded colors of Anderson’s world, which always has the nostalgic shading of a not-quite-forgotten dream.

But “The Phoenician Scheme” is, alas, too precious for its own good; this one won’t be gaining Anderson any new fans, and may tax the patience of those who already exist, myself included. It feels less like a well-thought-out story than a series of unrelated vignettes, shoehorning in some great actors for a minute or two (though I will say that a brief appearance by a “Rushmore” star is a sly treat) in the service of a plot that seems unnecessarily convoluted. That description might well apply to other Anderson movies, but this one mostly lacks his trademark charm — which makes the actors’ deadpan intonations less funny and more tedious. It’s the kind of movie that seems like it was a lot of fun to make, with its elaborately designed sets and theatrical/silly performances, but is rather less so to watch.

There’s pleasure to be had here, as there always is with Anderson. Mia Threapleton is a delight as Korda’s daughter Liesl, a young nun whom her father wants to anoint as his successor; she has a dusky voice (like that of Threapleton’s real-life mother, Kate Winslet), a determined posture and a lovely, funny stillness. And there’s a dream of a scene in which Del Toro, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston and Riz Ahmed play a round of pickup hoops; honestly, I think I’ve been waiting my entire life to see Wes Anderson direct four great actors in making dignified but goofy basketball shots. But mostly you watch “The Phoenician Scheme” trying to keep track of all the characters (which eventually seems futile) and thinking of other, better Anderson movies. It’s not terrible, but it’s an elegantly filmed stumble.

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'THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME'

2 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: PG-13 (for violent content, bloody images, some sexual material, nude images, and smoking throughout)

Running time: 1:45

How to watch: Now in theaters

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