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 backup.
Director Greg Berlanti’s “Fly Me to the Moon” is the type of movie that attempts to juggle quite a bit. On the one hand, it’s a gung-ho NASA propaganda flick. On the other hand, it is a romantic dramedy with a more significant emphasis on comedy (with most of it coming across as unnatural and forced). The film, which will do nothing to help prevent conspiracy theories about the 1969 moon landing footage, plays itself out as a breezy battle of wits with the cast, especially Scarlett Johansson’s Kelly Jones, throwing out an onslaught of quippy lines in a never-ending attempt to elicit laughs from the audience.
Starting with a “literal” bang, the movie opens with NASA launch director Cole Davis (Channing Tatum, who isn’t entirely believable in this role) evacuating workers from where a gas leak has been detected. Shortly after, he accidentally blows himself up, the film downplaying the event for some laughs and setting a lighthearted tone before making a beeline for New York City to introduce Johansson’s Kelly Jones.
Kelly is a marketing expert. She’s introduced coercing a group of hot-shot muscle car executives into giving her an advertising account. A smooth talker unfazed by anything, Kelly is at the top of her game, putting on quite the show for the executives, with Johansson playing the part marvelously. Her show works. That is until her talents catch the eye of government man Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson).
Berkus wants Kelly to hightail it with her assistant (played by Anna Garcia) to Florida to work her charms on NASA’s failing image. The government agency needs funds and backing to complete its race with the Soviets to be the first on the moon’s surface. The best part of “Fly Me to the Moon” features Kelly working to win over her targets. She does her job a bit too well because, before she knows it, Berkus (taking a somewhat villainous turn) is asking her to stage and film a backup moon landing in case things don’t go as planned.
Of course, there is a burgeoning romance between Kelly and Cole (this is most definitely Johansson’s movie over Tatum). Their meet-cute, which takes place in a diner when Kelly sets her book on fire, is charming but spoiled by the film’s trailer. Although Tatum doesn’t exactly fit the part, the chemistry between the two stars is effective, with the pair creating a believable attraction. However, it’s easy to predict where things are going to end up.
The film does an excellent job of establishing a mood. Its photography and lighting are pleasant, and, for the most part, the pacing is decent. Things start to feel stretched out toward the end, causing a bit of restlessness. Overall, the film plays out as harmless fun. Its antics didn’t win me over, but I can see audiences warming up to this movie. This movie’s trailer is a pretty good indication of what you’re in for. If it looks like your cup of tea, you’ll probably enjoy it.
In Theaters Friday, July 12th
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