A sweet romantic comedy surrounding the moon landing? Not inspired by actual events, it’s so crazy it might work in Greg Berlanti’s Fly Me to the Moon. Scarlett Johansson plays advertising genius Kelly Jones. It’s the 60s, so she’s marginalized by men but a firecracker when it comes to results. But there is a reason she’s the sales genius that she is. After losing a major account, Jones is approached by U.S. dark agent Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson), who says that the Apollo program is losing interest in the eyes of the public and needs Jones to use her magic to serve as NASA PR and get certain congressmen to vote for continued funding.
Jones’ first hurdle is convincing the stodgy scientists and engineers that her services are necessary. The main person to convince is launch director Cole Davis (Channing Tatum), who is laser-focused on the next flight and the safety of his astronauts. In other words, Jones is a nuisance, but damn…what a nuisance.
Jones resorts to replacing team members with handsome actors since the NASA team is busy and not very charismatic. The comedy of the film comes between Jones and Davis’ will-they-won’t-they vibe. As their relationship heats up, Jones’ past comes back to haunt her, and agent Berkus resorts to drastic measures to ensure the moon landing goes off in the eyes of the world.
“…Jones resorts to replacing team members with handsome actors.”
I’ll just say that Fly Me to the Moon is good and will probably do better on Apple TV+ than it will in theaters. Star power in Johansson and Tatum will earn the film a few extra tickets during its theatrical run. Johansson turns the charm on overdrive, melting the stone heart of Tatum, which is exactly what we want in a romance. Great pacing in the revelation of Jones’ backstory. Setting it during the moon landing also helps attract the nerd audience.
Honestly, there’s really not anything to criticize with Fly Me to the Moon. It’s funny, and the romance works. Though the story doesn’t exactly follow history regarding the backstory of the moon landing, the film takes so much liberty with facts that we buy it as fiction, which was a smart move.
To me, Ray Romano is perfect as director Henry Smalls. His aw-shucks charm goes a long way, and it’s great to see Romano take on a role in which he shines.
Sadly, as much as I liked Fly Me to the Moon, there’s nothing about the film that makes me want to give it an overwhelming recommendation. Nothing to write home about or gush over at the water cooler. It flies at a pleasant cruising altitude and speed, offering us comfort food for films as I continue to mix metaphors. I suppose these days, good is good enough.
A heartwarming and entertaining romantic comedy, Fly Me to the Moon brings a fresh twist to the moon landing era. Strong performances from Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum offer an enjoyable viewing experience. While it may not be groundbreaking, it’s a delightful film that will surely leave you smiling.
"…Johansson turns the charm on overdrive, melting the stone heart of Tatum..."
