Fly Me to the Moon (2024)

​“Fly Me to the Moon” stars Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Jim Rash, Ray Romano, and Woody Harrelson.  Released on July 12, 2024, the film has a NASA director forming a relationship with a marketing specialist during the 1960s Space Race.

The film was directed by Greg Berlanti, who also directed “The Broken Hearts Club”, “Life as We Know It”, and “Love, Simon”.  Do you remember those scenes where characters visit the cinema, and you see some posters for fake movies in the background?  From the looks of this film, it looks like we might be one step closer to living in that fictional world.  Based on the poster, it definitely resembles a fake film you’d see in specific television shows or movies, but it has plenty of big names attached to it, so I’m not going to complain about it.  This is also the latest attempt from Apple Studios to make it big in the theatrical department outside its streaming service, Apple TV+.  However, its previous ones hadn’t exactly soared as high as a rocket ship, considering that their budgets were so dang massive.  Not to mention, most of them weren’t as well-received as others.  This movie's $100 million budget should soften the blow for the struggling brand, but what really matters is its quality.  Does this romantic comedy prove to be out of this world?  Let’s find out.

The story occurs in the late 1960s when the United States competed in the Space Race against the Soviet Union.  Cole Davis (Tatum) is the director of NASA struggling to put the Apollo 11 launch into effect, putting them in the shadows of their rival.  The government, led by Moe Berkus (Harrelson), brings in Kelly Jones (Johansson), a manipulative marketing specialist, to assist Cole in fixing NASA’s public image.  When the mission is deemed by the White House too important to fail, Kelly and Moe commence “Project Artemis”, which consists of filming a fake moon landing.  As the relationship between Cole and Kelly develops, the latter begins to question her intention, which may or may not further hurt NASA’s reputation. 

I was on and off about watching “Fly Me to the Moon” despite having a cast of familiar faces.  It had a concept that would’ve resembled something out of a comedy, but it also provided some romance elements that we typically see multiple times before.  That is until I realized the movie’s director, Greg Berlanti, was involved.  For those unaware, Berlanti was responsible for directing one of my favorite films of 2018, “Love, Simon,” which successfully combined teen romance with its John Hughes-esque heart and inclusion.  It was enough to see if the filmmaker could go two for two in the romance genre.  Sadly, I was easily fooled by the potential it marketed.  However, it wasn’t without its merits that kept this rocket ship from exploding too early.

Outside his other works that weren’t as well-received as “Love, Simon”, Greg Berlanti is one of the filmmakers who provide audiences with heart and charm into the traditional romance tropes.  They may not work 100% of the time, but they never fail to put a smile on the faces of fans who want a traditional love story.  Berlanti’s approach in “Fly Me to the Moon” offered exactly what its target audience would expect from a period romance drama.  It’s got the charisma, the tenderness, and even the teen-rated intimacy between its protagonists.  Unfortunately, his direction in the film doesn’t quite reach those similar heights as his take on “Love, Simon”.  It may seem like an unfair comparison regarding their distinct concepts, but when it comes to the genre, it’s the tonal balance that makes a difference.  At times, “Fly Me to the Moon” has several sequences that would’ve belonged in a typical romance movie, mainly the relationship between Cole and Kelly.  At other times, it offers scenes that we would’ve seen in regular comedies like Cole surviving an explosion at the beginning of the movie and its scene-stealing cat.  They’re not without their share of amusement and sweetness, especially the cat, but the unevenness in Berlanti’s vibrant direction struggled to stick its perfect landing.

Rose Gilroy’s screenplay provided plenty of traditional romance tropes that may not work as well as others.  However, it deserves some credit for its reflection of the relatable commentary.  “Fly Me to the Moon” is a suitable acknowledgment of truthfulness that brings hope and accomplishment to oneself and the entire nation.  In a decade where media can be manipulated to sell a product, the characters are placed in a scenario where the country does what it takes to accomplish the impossible, even if it means faking the unimaginable.  It’s an inspiring depiction that struggled to reach for the stars regarding its emotional and storytelling grasp, but also thought-provoking in how we view media marketing today.  It’s also plagued by its surprisingly long runtime, which is over two hours long.  Undoubtedly, the charm and its cast did whatever possible to maintain my interest, but they couldn’t hide the truth that this is another movie whose simple concept stretched itself too thin regarding its pacing.  The flawed script could’ve been easily forgivable if the movie was twenty to thirty minutes shorter, but that’s just me.

As mentioned, “Fly Me to the Moon” kept the rocket ship’s mileage going, thanks to its delightful cast.  Scarlett Johansson, who also served as one of the film's producers, continued her booming success with another captivating performance.  Her portrayal of Kelly's persuasive yet determined persona provided a solid amount of charismatic appeal, injecting likability into her easy-to-hate traits.  Considering her time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe ended on a rocky note, this is a well-deserved win for the actress.  Channing Tatum also did very well with his performance as Cole and his charming albeit predictable chemistry with Johansson.  Jim Rash and Ray Romano delivered some decent moments as Lance Vespertine and Henry Smalls, respectively, but the real showstopper regarding the supporting characters was Woody Harrelson.  Harrelson’s attractive performance as Moe was one of the reasons the movie got more mileage, mainly because of how he portrayed the character.  Moe is someone who’s willing to put his need to get America on top of the space game ahead of people’s beliefs, and Harrelson plays that to his strengths.  The result is another entertaining turn from the actor.

Overall, “Fly Me to the Moon” plays among the stars that don’t shine as bright as others despite being carried by its charismatic leads.  It’s a straightforward and harmless date movie that’ll undoubtedly impress its target audience with its charm and lightheartedness, which is expected.  However, as a reflection of truthfulness and media marketing, the movie is a bloated and occasionally uneven trip that struggled to stick the landing in its themes and narrative.  Johansson and Tatum offered plenty of chemistry to carry its weight, and Berlanti’s take on its messages and charm was a joyful treat.  Unfortunately, its runtime, familiar genre tropes, and hit-and-miss tone make this marketing ploy a failed launch.  It’s worth watching if you’re into the genre, but I recommend waiting for it to appear on Apple TV+.  

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