The Plot: It’s the 1960s and the Space Race between the Americans and Russians has reached a critical point. Putting a man in space and bringing him home safely is one thing, but landing on the moon and proving it to not only the Russians but the rest of the world is another thing entirely. This is where marketing guru Kelly (Scarlett Johansson) comes in. Hired by secretive US Government agent Moe (Woody Harrelson) to spruce up NASA’s public relations campaign, she sets about like a busy bee observing all that goes on at Kennedy Space Centre. She comes to the attention of launch director Cole (Channing Tatum), who finds her a necessary irritation. With so much at stake though, leaving it to the Apollo 11 astronauts to get it right the first time might not be enough…
The Verdict: Fifty five years after the moon landing, there are still some who believe that it didn’t actually happen. It was apparently faked in a studio, like in the conspiratorial events of 1977 thriller Capricorn One. There are even those who believe that one Stanley Kubrick was involved, through apparent hidden messages in The Shining. In a cheeky nod to this theory, he gets namechecked twice in Fly Me To The Moon. Though, this new film that documents the moon landing is an altogether lighter and frothier affair with an emphasis on humour, along with a dash of romcom magic and a sprinkling of Hollywood insider jokes about lying in front of the camera for a living. It also aims for something approaching actual respect for the landmark events and people involved that it attempts to deconstruct, shooting at the Kennedy Space Center for some degree of authenticity including an actual launch.
The script by Keenan Flynn, Rose Gilroy and Bill Kirstein is heavily weighted on the characters of Kelly and Cole to anchor the story and then play out the potential scenarios that unfold. They come from very different worlds but have to put their heads together to ensure that the launch and moon landing are successful and portrayed as such in the media. Workplace rivalry eventually melts into some sort of tentative romance. Unknown to Cole though, Kelly is drafted into staging a fake moon broadcast in the event of technical issues. The Russians are watching and there’s too much at stake to lose. There are shortcomings in the script in that the remaining characters are more like props that are moved in front of the camera at the appropriate moment. Woody Harrelson’s Moe for example flits in and out of the film like a vaguely threatening ping pong ball. There could have been a bit more of Jim Rash’s flamboyant film director Lance. He comfortably steals the film as he directs the moon landing from a soundstage as if he was aiming for a lifetime achievement Oscar.
Thank the stars for, well, the stars who lift the film up where it belongs with their booster rockets. This is one of those films which requires the lead actors to fill in for the script’s blanks and carry it over the line with charisma and style. Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum have old-school rocket science chemistry here, with no failure to launch apparent even early on. In particular, Johansson is delightful as Kelly sets about her job with boundless enthusiasm and optimism. Her verbal sparring with Tatum is engaging to watch as they spark off each other under giant rockets while the real mission is about to get underway. Director Greg Berlanti (Love, Simon) maintains a similar level of optimistic hope running throughout the film. Even though the outcome is well known, he still wrings some tension out of the moon landing and brings the film home with a pleasant afterglow.
It’s not too hard to posit Fly Me To The Moon as the polar opposite of First Man. Whereas that was a singular and intense depiction of the moon landing from Neil Armstrong’s perspective, this film is a warmly fuzzy and nostalgic look back at what might have happened on that fateful day. It doesn’t take itself seriously and therefore comes across as ideal summer fare. It’s bright, breezy and undemanding in an agreeable and attractive package. It fires on several cylinders, achieves launch and takes flight with a mission to entertain and that it does.
Rating: 3 / 5
Review by Gareth O’Connor
In short: Takes flight
Directed by Greg Berlanti.
Starring Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Woody Harrelson, Ray Romano, Jim Rash.