Film Review: Fly Me to the Moon

4 Stars

By Joseph Beyer | July 27, 2024

With almost as many stars as the Milky Way, the stylish new dramedy Fly Me to the Moon is a romantic romp almost as complicated as the 1969 Apollo 11 moon mission it uses as the background for the story.

Sold in advance as a period comedy with a sexy modern edge (most notably Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum in the lead roles), Fly Me to the Moon does in fact deliver onscreen chemistry as promised. It also switches gears and tones into life-and-death seriousness that often throws water on all the entertaining fire.

Using both historical reality and high parody at the same time, the truthful side of the narrative is that after a series of accidents, tragedies, and failures, America’s space program was struggling after 15 years of attempting to go to the moon. Funding, public support, and momentum for NASA was almost frozen by the time the Apollo 11 mission was ready to go.

The fictional part of the narrative begins when saucy New York advertising executive Kelly Jones (Johansson) is tapped by the secret red right hand of the government to reboot NASA’s image and re-charge moon fever using her unique marketing and social skills to create the biggest hype the world has ever seen.

The only thing standing in her way is the hunky and scientific stubbornness of NASA mission director Cole Davis (Tatum), an ex-pilot with a past. Davis finds himself distracted by the effervescence of this outsider who takes control before asking for it, sells endorsement deals for his astronauts, and threatens the integrity of the mission. Of course, the tension also becomes personal, as the dynamic and adept ad-woman wins everyone over but Davis.

As the frenzy builds to launch day, Jones is directed to protect America against Russia by helping to fake the moon landing, “just in case things don’t go as planned.” In exchange, the government will erase a pesky criminal past she has fought to keep secret. Jones takes on the project behind the scenes, thus putting her on a collision course with Davis and her conscience. And the shenanigans evolve.

With stints by actors Woody Harrelson as the government puppet master who pulls the strings, Jim Rash as the flamboyant Hollywood director tapped to fake the landing, and Ray Romano as the hapless space executive always suffering from a visual acid reflux, much of the purely comedic ensemble is truly fun and full of life.

So too is Johansson in a lead performance that blends and utilizes her many talents beautifully. She masters the character’s wit, flirtatious charms, and flair for confidence while protecting an inner vulnerability. She lights up the screen and keeps a romantic edge for Davis burning in every scene. Johansson is reminiscent here of legends Jean Harlow, Barbara Stanwyck, and Katherine Hepburn, and she alone is worth the watch.

Tatum’s performance as Davis is also infectious when in repartee with Jones, but falls flat when he’s left onscreen alone to try and sell a serious backstory (most of which you would never miss had it been left out of the 2 hour 12 minute film). He, more than most of the ensemble, is forced to perform in two films that seem diametrically opposed to each other in style and tone. It’s a tough assignment he handles with grace and an array of tight-knit sweaters that would make William Shatner proud.

Produced by Apple Studios and released theatrically in PG-13 partnership with Sony Pictures before it streams for audiences at home, Fly Me to the Moon is written by Rose Gilroy from a story by Keenan Flynn and Bill Kirstein and directed with a steady hand by Greg Berlanti.

There’s lots to love for fans of horn-rimmed glasses, breathtaking kisses and romantic night flights, fabulous costume design, Apollo b-roll, and curses involving black cats. I really enjoyed most of the Fly Me to the Moon ride—there were just a few bumps along the way.