Scarlett Johansson makes it two in a row with space-themed films, following up her appearance in 2023’s “Asteroid City” with this summer’s “Fly Me to the Moon.”
This time around, Johansson plays an advertising ace named Kelly. Because of her record of success in marketing, Kelly is recruited by a mysterious government agent named Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson) to bolster the public’s perception of NASA.
It comes at a time when NASA is looking to forge ahead on its Moon mission, despite losing the loss of public interest. Kelly starts turning that around, much to the chagrin of by-the-books launch director Cole (Channing Tatum). However, Kelly starts winning him over, too.
Earlier this year, “The Fall Guy” came out and it felt like a throwback to the types of action comedies that you’d see in summer during the 90s or 2000s. “Fly Me to the Moon” somewhat feels like that, but for romcoms, as it uses a fairly typical genre formula for a traditional love story.
Of course, it’s differentiated somewhat by what’s at play. Not only is a budding relationship set at the Kennedy Space Center as the Apollo 11 mission is prepared, there’s also the subject of Kelly being tasked with staging a version of the Moon Landing on a set in case things go wrong in space.
However, even though it’s a film that goes out of this world. “Fly Me to the Moon” largely feels by-the-books. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, there are plenty of enjoyable moments and overall it’s a breezy romantic comedy, but because that’s all it is, the film isn’t exactly memorable either.
The movie has a fascinating concept at its core, but its exploration of the subject matter, whether it’s the government conspiracy or the public’s perception of NASA, feels thin. It’s not that this movie needed to swerve into political conspiracy territory, but the film is almost begging for something more complex.
It’s not entirely surprising, though, when one looks at the creative team, which doesn’t have a huge amount of experience. The screenplay is by Rose Gilroy, while the film’s story was done by Bill Kirstein and Keenan Flynn. For all three, this is their first feature film project. It’s also just the fourth film for director Greg Berlanti, and his first in six years.
It’s not impossible for inexperienced writers or directors to knock it out of the park. But so much of the film comes across as something that a more experienced person at the helm could get a lot more out of.
The movie at least has star power, with Tatum and Johansson giving the screen some glamor. Johansson especially looks like she’s having a blast as the sharp advertising expert who can sell anything. Tatum is a bit miscast, though, as a tightly focused NASA director who has to loosen up.
It somewhat restricts the natural charm and humor Tatum can often bring to the screen. His performance isn’t poor, the character just could have been a bit reworked. Tatum and Johansson do have a nice chemistry overall, though, and the romantic scenes work. Harrelson is also a welcome addition, as is Ray Romano who portrays a NASA official.
Also enjoyable are the sequences of NASA operations, from the construction of the Apollo to the Moon Landing. Even though it’s been shown plenty of times, there’s something magical about watching the Apollo take off on film. The sequences where the Moon landing is faked offer some fun, too.
As a romcom should, “Fly Me to the Moon” provides some laughs and a fair share of cute moments, plus the cast is mostly enjoyable. However, there’s also a major paint-by-numbers feel to the whole flick, and it doesn’t help that the movie goes past the two-hour mark when it wasn’t necessary. It’s a passible matinee flick, but not much more. 3.25 out of 5.
Matthew Liedke on Film 
Fine little movie that works because it has charm. Nice review.
LikeLike