Fly Me to the Moon, 2024.
Directed by Greg Berlanti.
Starring Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Woody Harrelson, Jim Rash, Ray Romano, Nick Dillenburg, Anna Garcia, Noah Robbins, Colin Woodell, Christian Zuber, Donald Elise Watkins, Peter Jacobson, Kyle S. Brown, Jessie Mueller, Christian Clemenson, Joe Chrest, Art Newkirk, Todd James Jackson, Tim Ware, Todd Allen Durkin, Jeremy Carr, Njema Williams, Kade Pittman, Trevor Morgan, Aidan Patrick Griffin, Gerry Griffin, Daryn Kahn, Ashley Kings, Bill Barrett, Peter Wallack, and Jimmy Willis III.
SYNOPSIS:
Brought in to fix NASA’s public image during the high stakes backdrop of the Apollo 11 moon landing, 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, Jones is directed to stage a fake moon landing as back-up.
Countless conspiracy theories suggest why some people think the 1969 moon landing could have been faked, and director Greg Berlanti is floating into that ring with the charming farcical space race romantic comedy Fly Me to the Moon built around the actual moon landing.
Rather than settle on a one-note joke or rely on the magnetic attraction of Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson (realistically speaking, they are likable but not necessarily the best dramatic actors here), the script by first-time screenwriter Rose Gilroy (based on a story by Keenan Flynn and Bill Kirstein, also newcomers to scribing feature-length films), also takes a humorous approach to exploring the ethics of marketing, government overreach, and the importance of broadcasting that first small step for man. A stray black cat is also running around the NASA site, with some characters buying into the bad luck superstition.
Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) is a marketing guru, primarily because she realizes and is comfortable with the idea that the best advertising comes from manipulating the truth and selling people what they want to hear. As seen in the opening moments, she is also intelligent and cunning, deceptively currying favor with a boardroom of men overseeing automobile designs. Her skills catch the attention of a shadowy government agent going under the alias Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson), who is quick to bring her aboard to perform a 180 on public and political perception regarding the necessity of winning the space race against the Russians.
Despite immediately finding herself swarmed over at a diner by Channing Tatum’s launch director Cole Davis, unaware that Kelly is about to be a co-worker with significant pull in how the team (including the most famous astronauts) carry out their work, potential sparks soon turn toward amusing bickering. Even with restricted access, Kelly cleverly uses impersonators to create a positive image of NASA’s endeavors. Her dedicated efforts go a long way in earning Senators’ approval for government funding (naturally, the war and previous failed launches, one of which resulted in deaths, have soured the public’s opinion on the mission to the moon), whereas Cole has personal reasons for wanting to keep the events more closed off from society.
Where some of the romance fails and isn’t engaging, Fly Me to the Moon overcomes that by being genuinely funny about Kelly’s antics and working as a moral tale about advertising and lying. It searches for the line between deception acceptable just enough to make one’s goal easier and flat-out wrongness. The latter manifests itself when Moe orders Kelly to stage a backup fake moon landing to broadcast on TV, stating that what’s at stake goes beyond astronautical ambition. Kelly’s commercials director friend Lance (Jim Rash) is brought in to helm the top-secret production, generating numerous laughs from his diva behavior and sassy attitude towards his crew.
Elsewhere, noteworthy supporting names such as the perpetually funny Ray Romano and Donald Elise Watkins pop up to either aid in the problem-solving or expand other characters. It’s also worth mentioning that while the period piece details feel meticulously researched, the real fascination comes from watching a fake staging of the moon landing side-by-side with a recreation of what the actual moon landing looked like. For production designers and the special effects department, it’s a daunting task, although they succeed at making each locale appear similar but distinct.
While this betrayal of NASA goes on, Cole and Kelly slowly start to see eye-to-eye on what they both gain from her questionable tactics and begin opening up emotionally to one another. Meanwhile, Cole realizes the moon landing carries a cultural impact that deserves to be part of the entire country. Again, the gravitational pull of the love story isn’t always there, but it is serviceable. There are also some lackluster attempts to create some urgency in the buildup to the real (and fake) launch. With a 2+ hour running time, the middle falls off and drags somewhat, but not before rebounding with a tensely silly third act boasting at least one brilliant payoff and real creativity surrounding the dilemma presented.
More than anything, Fly Me to the Moon is an imaginatively effective delight; it is a rocket-fueled blast toying with history and the double-edged sword of advertising, all wrapped up in space race awe.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
