Fly Me to the Moon (United States, 2024)

Throughout the course of its bloated (132 minutes, sheesh) length, Greg Berlanti’s Fly Me to the Moon never figures out what it wants to be. Is it a rom-com? A screwball comedy? A parody of conspiracy theorists and their crackpot hypotheses? A venture into historical fiction? A nostalgia-baked look at a time when something aspirational like the Moon landing distracted us from the ugliness of Vietnam? All of those things can be found (to one degree or another) in this movie but none are well-done. Fly Me to the Moon comes across as a collage of ideas and plot points that are constantly competing for screen time. Although individual moments shine, the dialogue is corny, the romantic chemistry between lead actors Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum is D.O.A., and the third act could charitably be called “weak.”

After an introductory primer that attempts to introduce the space race and explain the urgency experienced by NASA to put a man on the Moon (and return him safely to Earth) before December 31, 1969, Fly Me to the Moon takes viewers to a creditable recreation of Cape Kennedy in the late 1960s, when preparations for the Apollo 11 landing are in high gear. Kelly Jones (Johansson) is a New York advertising whiz who is recruited (using somewhat nefarious means) by one of Nixon’s top aides, Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson), to publicize and market NASA in general and the mission in particular. The President’s goals have less to do with science than ensuring the world believes the U.S. has won the space race. Kelly’s job brings her into conflict with flight director Cole Davis (Tatum), who is in favor of transparency and against distractions.

The concept of faking the Moon landing (filming it on a soundstage dressed up as a mock lunar surface) is introduced during the film’s second half. Moe decides that an “alternative” is necessary in case the real thing doesn’t go off as expected and, at a later stage, he determines that, no matter what really happens with Apollo 11’s journey, viewers should only be exposed to the more polished fake footage. He recruits Kelly to spearhead this effort, offering her the carrot of a new identity that will wipe clean her checkered past. But Kelly is conflicted because she knows her participation will be seen as a betrayal by Cole.

Although the film’s light tone and attempts at humor mark it as a comedy, its strongest moments lean toward drama. Reminders of the 1967 Apollo 1 tragedy (in which three astronauts – Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee – were killed in a fire that consumed the command module during a launch rehearsal) are treated with respect and solemnity, especially with how they inform Cole’s attitude toward his job and his responsibilities to the astronauts. He is seen on several occasions tending to a small garden alongside the Launch Complex 34 memorial. There are instances when the monumental nature of NASA’s undertaking becomes apparent to the viewer and one gets a sense of what it must have been like to work on the program.

Although the film’s star power is provided by Johansson and Tatum, one secondary character leaves an impression: deputy flight director Henry Smalls, a generic engineer-type played by Ray Romano. Henry is an average guy with big dreams who juggles his day job with his role as a husband and father. The understated manner in which Romano presents him makes Henry more likable and relatable than almost anyone else in the film.

The most obvious strand of Fly Me to the Moon’s DNA is the rom-com element but the movie fails to fully deliver on the central pairing. Johansson is a fun, lively presence on her own but Tatum is too reserved and taciturn. Their initial meeting is promising and makes the viewer eager to see things progress, but the rest of the relationship sputters badly. (And how the filmmakers missed doing something cheeky with a rocket ship blasting off is beyond me…)

The final 30-40 minutes are something of a mess, including various jarring shenanigans that would seem to belong in a different movie. The moon landing hoax subplot feels shoehorned in with little purpose beyond dragging out the running time and providing complications in Cole and Kelly’s burgeoning relationship. Fly Me to the Moon isn’t a complete failure to launch (thanks primarily to the not-inconsiderable charisma and energy Johansson brings to the production) but neither does it have the thrust to make it into orbit.

Fly Me to the Moon (United States, 2024)