Every generation has its own master impersonator. Following in the footsteps of Andy Kaufman and nearly equaled by his contemporary Dana Carvey, comedic actor and filmmaker Christopher Guest has demonstrated his tremendous versatility multiple times in the last two decades. Guest’s precursor — the comedic genius Peter Sellers — similarly possessed the chameleon-like ability to “hide” under the guise of many different roles.

The latest — and most subtle — example of Guest’s range is the new release “A Mighty Wind,” a satire of folk music starring a team of equally talented actors. In addition to playing a soft-spoken, Kermit-voiced musician named Alan Barrows, Guest co-wrote the film with actor Eugene Levy. Like Guest’s previous films, though, most of the dialogue is improvised.

“A Mighty Wind” has a complex ensemble and a simple premise. Three folk groups — the Main Street Singers, the Folksmen and Mitch & Mickey — prepare for a reunion concert that will air on public television, though several obstacles arise. “A Mighty Wind” progresses quickly and, remarkably, fleshes out each of its major characters thoroughly by the denouement.

The American “mockumentary” began with Woody Allen, though the genre was most heavily popularized by Rob Reiner’s milestone “This is Spinal Tap” (1984), which put actor/composers Michael McKean, Harry Shearer and Guest on the map. Guest subsequently directed his own mockumentaries: the 1997 masterpiece “Waiting for Guffman,” the hilarious “Best in Show” (2000), and now “A Mighty Wind.”

With 1992’s “Bob Roberts,” Tim Robbins utilized the genre for the purposes of political satire. Although “A Mighty Wind” maintains the same mocking wit that made “Bob Roberts” so clever, the film, like most of Guest’s work, is more gentle and loving towards its characters. In fact, Guest rejects the use of the term “mockumentary.”

Each member of the ensemble is capable of laughing at the characters they portray, but embodying the character for a 22-day shoot fosters sympathy as well. That affinity allows audiences to embrace Guest’s regular team of actors over and over again.

Music, inevitably, is an essential facet in the mockumentaries of Christopher Guest. The unforgettable hard rock of “Spinal Tap,” the sad and sweet musical numbers composed for the climax of “Guffman,” and the plethora of wonderful folk pieces laced throughout “A Mighty Wind” (once again composed by McKean, Shearer and Guest) make the films infinitely more lovable.

It should be mentioned that “A Mighty Wind” is more ambitious in varying its tone than any of Guest’s previous films. It is able to run the gamut from comedy to a surprisingly large chunk of drama. The film is, at times, sad and serious, but the contrast does not diminish its entertainment value. Just to appreciate the talent of the actors alone is to recognize the brilliance of Guest, Levy and their “mockumentary” team.