Fly Me to the Moon is a romantic comedy that has more comedy than romance, but the laughs work, and mostly, so does the premise. Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum make the movie into something that could’ve been a one-note story and turn it into a movie with characters with likable chemistry.
The movie takes place during the 1960s Space Race between the U.S. and the Soviets, as each country tries to be the first to reach the Moon. Johansson stars as Kelly Jones, a marketing con artist who was brought in to help fix NASA’s image. Tatum plays Cole Davis, the director of NASA. When they first meet, it’s not exactly a Meet Cute situation, but there are sparks.
Kelly’s boss, Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson), has brought her in on a risky venture to fake the Moon landing. He wants to make sure it goes off without a hitch.
The movie creates other interesting characters such as Kelly’s friend (Jim Rash) a flamboyant director in charge of the fake landing. He has an insane attention to detail, but the performance is largely effective and flows well with the material.
Fly Me to the Moon doesn’t offer much depth beneath its formulaic plot, but it’s a nice, breezy comedy with a lot of ease. The actors at the center seem to have a good time on screen. The movie is a love letter to its time and NASA.
Johansson and Tatum are both charming and convincing in their roles. She’s a sly, witty marketer who thinks her way out of any jam, and Tatum plays the straight role, but he’s confident enough to loosen up when the situation calls for it.
Even at 132 minutes, the film keeps us invested in its performances when other details try to prevent it from reaching the stratosphere.
Fly Me to the Moon isn’t a completely successful launch, but it’s a pleasantly diverting effort.
Grade: B+
(Rated PG-13 for some strong language and smoking.)
