On September 12th, 1962, President John F. Kennedy delivered a speech at Rice University stressing the necessity of the U.S. going to the Moon. “We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things not because they are easy but because they are hard,” stated President Kennedy. The speech rallied the nation behind the mission and put NASA on alert that they now had a deadline to put a man on the moon before the decade was over.
That now iconic speech is the inspiration for Sony Pictures and Apple Original Films’ romantic comedy Fly Me to the Moon. Scarlett Johansson plays Kelly Jones, a marketing whiz who gets hired by Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson) after a fallout with FORD Motor Company. Moe is a shady government operative who wants Kelly to boost NASA’s public image in 1969, years after public interest in putting a man on the Moon has faded.
Kelly believes she’s up to the task and heads down to Cape Canaveral, Florida. While having a drink at a restaurant, she notices a handsome stranger staring at her. He tosses out the pickup line, “You’re on fire,” instantly turning her off. Kelly’s ready to shoot him down when he explains, “No, miss, your book is on fire.” The stranger proves he’s a gentleman by putting out the fire using his own jacket. Kelly tries to buy him a drink as a thanks, but he takes off saying he’s got no time.
The following day, Kelly reports to Cape Kennedy and who does it turn out is the launch control director for Apollo 11? The handsome – and helpful – stranger, Cole Davis (Channing Tatum).
”What are you doing here?” he asks. “I thought we had a connection, so I tracked you down,” replies Kelly with a smile. She adds, “I’m kidding. I work here.” And so, after a fiery meet-cute, sparks fly between the Marketing Queen, who will do whatever she has to do to sell going to the moon to the American public, and the serious, no-nonsense launch director, who she drives up the wall.
It’s not long before the Apollo 11 crew and Cole’s staff warm up to Kelly and enjoy working with her on ad campaigns to promote NASA”s image. Kelly’s work on selling the magic and wonder of going to the moon, and her embrace by NASA personnel, makes it impossible for Cole to ignore the attraction he feels for her, and a romance begins.
However, as NASA moves closer to the launch date, Moe Berkus reappears on the scene. It seems Kelly’s marketing campaigns have worked and now Moe doesn’t want to take a chance on disappointing the public. Moe acknowledges the mission’s importance and proposes filming a fake landing and Moon walk as a backup plan. That backup film will be broadcast, if necessary, but NASA and Cole will need to be kept in the dark.
Charming, slick, and lighthearted, Fly Me to the Moon is a romantic comedy in the style of the rom-coms of the 1960s. Scarlett Johansson sparkles as Kelly Jones, a lovely marketing maven who knows how to manipulate and sweet-talk her clients and the public. It’s another wonderful performance by Johansson, one of the best actresses of her generation.
Channing Tatum delivers a solid performance as Cole Davis, the launch director who is determined to get his astronauts on the Moon and remains haunted by the loss of the astronauts in the Apollo 1 fire. Tatum and Johansson have terrific chemistry in the first half of the film, as she’s getting under his skin with her intrusive marketing ideas. Sadly, that spark disappears in the second half when the two finally engage in a romance. They’ve got more of a friendship vibe, and there isn’t any real sizzle once they move into a romantic relationship.
Woody Harrelson is perfectly cast as Moe Berkus, the shady government operative determined America will put a man on the Moon before Russia does. Even if they have to fake it. Harrelson and Johansson scenes together are some of the best in the movie.
Fly Me to the Moon suffers from an uneven tone, fluctuating between being a sly and engaging comedy to a serious and heartfelt romance. The movie is at its strongest as a light rom-com. That said, with another wonderful performance by Scarlet Johansson and plenty of laughs, Fly Me to the Moon is an enjoyable comedy that takes audiences back to the early years of the space race.
GRADE: B
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some strong language and smoking
Running Time: 2 hours 12 minutes
Release Date: July 12, 2024
Directed By: Greg Berlanti
The post ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ Review appeared first on ShowbizJunkies.
0 Comments