There have been plenty of films about the various Apollo missions that eventually allowed the United States to be the first country in the world to land someone on the moon. Fly Me to the Moon, the latest film from DC television alum, Greg Berlanti, offers up a romantic comedy with a backdrop of the Apollo 11 mission that faithfully landed Neil Armstrong, and Buzz Aldrin on the moon.
The film focuses on seasoned marketing veteran, Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson), and her budding, but difficult romance with Apollo 11 flight director, Cole Davis (Channing Tatum). As a romantic comedy that offers some real science, and a moderate amount of drama, it has a little something for everyone.
Fly Me to the Moon is based around real events that happened in the 1960s. While much of the film is dramatized, and only loosely sticks to the facts, it’s actually one of the more scientifically faithful movies. The special effects aren’t the focus of the film, but they look real, and bring the launch of Apollo 11 into modern times with one of the most detailed recreations of the event to grace a movie screen.
Science aside, Scarlett Johansson is the real star of Fly Me to the Moon. She plays a multifaceted character in Kelly Jones, walking a thin line between over the top, and just charming enough to care about what happens to the character. Channing Tatum isn’t quite as charming, and his chemistry with Johansson is just barely passable, but he does well in his role as flight director for the Apollo 11 mission (when Johansson isn’t around).
The supporting cast of Woody Harrelson, Ray Romano, Anna Garcia, Donald Elise Watkins, and Noah Robbins all add to the wholesomeness of the film. They do well to keep Fly Me to the Moon from being a run of the mill romcom, with Harrelson chewing up the scenery as secretive liaison to the President, Moe Berkus. Romano adds heart as Cole Davis’ right-hand man, Henry Smalls, and both Watkins and Robbins are endearing as the young and innocent scientists, Stu Bryce and Don Harper, respectively.
Fly Me to the Moon has wide appeal, offering aspects of science, drama, and romantic comedy. While not a must-see in theaters, the Apollo 11 launch scene is impressive on the big screen. You’d be hard pressed not to laugh at least a few times, and while Tatum and Johansson don’t have amazing chemistry, there’s enough there to make it somewhat believable. At the very least, it’s a step up for Sony, and considerably better than any of the studio’s recent superhero films (aside from Tom Holland Spider-Man movies).
About Fly Me to the Moon
Synopsis: Marketing maven Kelly Jones wreaks havoc on launch director Cole Davis’s already difficult task. When the White House deems the mission too important to fail, the countdown truly begins.
Director: Greg Berlanti
Writers: Keenan Flynn, Bill Kirstein, Rose Gilroy
Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Woody Harrelson, Donald Elise Watkins, Anna Garcia
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 2 Hours, 12 Minutes
Bryan Dawson has been writing professionally since the age of 13. He started his career as a video game writer and has since worked for Random House, Prima Games, DirecTV, IGN, AOL, the British Government, and various other organizations. For GNN, Bryan taps into his passion for movies.
