‘Fly Me to the Moon’ – Review
Get ready for love at the end of a rocket because the space race heats up cinemas, and sparks fly in Fly Me to the Moon, in what is a must-watch rom-com of flirty fun!
Brought in to fix NASA’s public image, sparks fly in all directions as marketing maven Kelly Jones (Johansson) wreaks havoc on launch director Cole Davis’s (Tatum) 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 and the countdown truly begins?
July 20, 1969, evokes tremendous nostalgia, pride and feel-good energy as the day when humankind did the impossible and reached the surface of the Moon. It was a moment of discovery and triumph and symbolised the purist pursuit of human excellence. Fly Me to the Moon offers the story of just how the astronauts got there and the fun, funny and sometimes firey moments that culminated in humanity’s greatest-ever achievement. Director Greg Berlanti brings together equal parts science and spin as he matches up two opposite characters: quick-witted marketing maven Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) with by-the-book mission commander Cole Davis (Channing Tatum) for a rambunctious rom-com experience that shows just what can happen when you look to the stars and reach for the Moon.
Standing front and centre in Fly Me to the Moon is celebrated actress Scarlett Johansson as Kelly Jones, a New York advertising executive who’s the best in the business, and she finds an unexpected job offer to put her considerable skills for selling to use. The pitch: sell the moon landing to a now disinterested American populace and help get the astronauts on the Moon. And it’s with this new role that Johansson gets going. She brings an entirely effortless charm and appeal to the quick-witted and take-charge Kelly, and it’s fun to see her in a rom-com experience where she can just let loose and play up her considerable comedic chops. Added to the laughs is a real character journey for Kelly as she seeks to hide an unexpected secret, and along the way, discovers a love affair even she couldn’t have dreamed up, and all of it adds to the fun.
Playing off Johansson, is Channing Tatum as the stoic and direct mission commander Cole Davis. A former fighter pilot who unfortunately never made it to the Astronaut program and is running from tragedy finds a new mission and a new lease on life thanks to Kelly. And there are hijinks to be had. For Tatum, Fly Me to the Moon is a real change of direction. While he has previously flirted with rom-com energy, he gets to go all out in Fly Me to the Moon, and it’s an entirely unexpected experience for audiences that they’ll get a kick out of. He shares excellent chemistry with Johansson, and the two of them together hold the attention of the screen and audience in the most perfect way.
Bringing plenty of scene-stealing energy to the picture is the great Woody Harrelson, and he’s utterly brilliant in Fly Me to the Moon. Cast in the role of Moe Berkus, a shadowy government aid who’s there to ensure Kelly’s brief succeeds, Moe comes to her with an additional assignment: fake the moon landing in case Neil, Buzz and Mike don’t make it. And from there, things get interesting. As he is prone to do, Harrelson steals every scene that he appears in, and the results make for utterly perfect viewing that will get you giddy with excitement as you experience all the giggles.
Fly Me to the Moon perfectly captures the film’s 1960s era, and plenty of swing and fun is present in this picture. Those audience members longing for the romantic-comedy experience that only a cinema screen can give will be greatly rewarded with this picture, which offers a fun time with plenty of laughs and a dash of good old-fashioned romance. The film also has its moments, and not to wander into spoiler territory, but its third act is filled with priceless moments and will have you hanging on for dear life as the race to the Moon, both real and ‘fake’, reaches full speed!
To reach the Moon, you’ve got to shoot for the stars, and that’s exactly what Fly Me to the Moon does with a darling little story, plenty of heartfelt romance and a whole heap of rocket fuel, and this is a picture that will make you smile for all the right reasons.
Image: Sony Pictures
