‘Fly Me to the Moon’ is a comedy that questions the validity of the Moon landing, while following a gratuitous romance.
With all the privately funded space tourism, the government’s refreshed commitment to exploration, astonishing images from throughout the galaxy and the popularity of Neil DeGrasse Tyson, the general population has a renewed interest in space and its vast possibilities. But people are fickle, so their interest is not always consistent, making it occasionally necessary to regain their attention and win back their favour. In hard times, that task can be even more difficult as other issues vie for attention or when the perception is already damaged. In Fly Me to the Moon, a PR wizard is recruited to repair NASA’s reputation, while its head engineer tries to ensure they make it the moon.
Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) is the best public relations person currently in the field, using a variety of underhanded (or creative) tactics to secure high-profile clients and ensure their satisfaction with her work. As increased spending and the prolonging of the Vietnam War discourage people from supporting the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at a critical time, she is recruited by an agent (Woody Harrelson) of Nixon’s government to help the people fall in love again. Meanwhile, Cole Davis (Channing Tatum) is trying to work around budget cuts and an approaching deadline to get Apollo 11 to the Moon and ensure its astronauts safe return home. In spite of a shared goal, the pair frequently clash, forcing Kelly to work in secret on a contingency plan in case the moon mission doesn’t go as planned.
The cleverly comedic script finds a fun way to capitalize on a long-held conspiracy that the 1969 Moon landing was actually filmed on a secret sound stage. Watching the small, hand-picked crew clandestinely replicate the Apollo equipment and Moon’s environment so meticulously, while also trying to mimic decreased gravity for a live broadcast, is amusing and thought-provoking — some viewers may even find themselves questioning the validity of the actual events, if they hadn’t already before seeing the film. It’s not entirely clear on which side of the debate the filmmakers stand, though they make good arguments for both. But, regardless of the truth, Harrelson once again steals the show, in spite of playing a supporting character.
Conversely, the picture’s downfall is the opposites attract love story that anyone can see coming before Cole and Kelly even share the screen. They’re constantly butting heads, while simultaneously flirting until they inevitably share a kiss. In some ways, it’s a throwback to romance movies of the time with its playful banter and quick deliveries, but it’s also superfluous to the narrative, which could have worked just as well if the pair had remained friends. Similarly, a black cat gag is threaded throughout the movie, but as cute as Mischief is, it would have worked without the ominous feline too.
In the end, the film is a rollercoaster of enjoyable and middling scenes that could have been improved by focusing on the Moon landing and leaving the rest to float away, untethered.
Director: Greg Berlanti
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum and Woody Harrelson
