Some films are just fun to watch. Fly Me to the Moon (2024) a tale of selling the space race to the American people in the early ’60’s is one such film. Great cast, great story and great dynamics, Fly Me to the Moon deserves the Rotten Tomato audience score of 90% easily.
This film is essentially a love story. And despite the “space age” setting, it is an old fashioned love story. It would have to be, actually, as the setting is an almost unbelievable half a century ago. *57 years at least.*
Is there any truth in this tale of love amongst the missiles at Cape Canaveral? Sure, this is about the space race instigated by the Russians getting into space first way back in 1957. It is also, peripherally about conspiracy theories and a certain amount of fantasy. The love story itself is also based upon truth.
As Hollywood presents it.
The Main Cast
Scarlett Johansson is Kelly Jones. Sales woman extraoirdinaire, con artist and object of passion.
Channing Tatum is Cole Davis. Pedantic director of the space program and guilt ridden individual.
Woody Harrelson is Moe Berkus. The president’s shadow man in charge of getting NASA to the forefront of the news.
Ray Romano is Henry Smalls.
*Kudos to Jim Rash as the mercurial and temperamental director Lance Vespertine. He kills it here.*
Cameos Count
Gene Jones is Senator Hopp.
Colin Jost is Senator Cook.
Behind the cameras
Greg Berlanti directs Fly Me to the Moon with a light touch. He blends the comedy with the frantic pathos connected to the NASA race. Berlanti also eases in the romance almost imperceptibly.
Daniel Pemberton gives us a score that transports (Me at least.) right back to the 1960’s. Songs that literally put me right back into my 11 year old shoes.
Dariusz Wolski; as cinematographer, presents each frame with care. Giving us a touch of reality that almost hurts with its familiarity to the time. The partnership of filming expertise with Production Designer Shane Valentino is the perfect marriage.
Rose Gilroy produces a screenplay that focuses on magic. The magic of a blooming love affair and the magic of space travel pre Space Shuttle flights. Back when it was slightly unbelievable that man was slipping the bonds of earth.
It works
Embracing the old conspiracy theory that the moon landing was faked is perfect for this story. The casting of Johansson and Tatum as the main protagonists was sheer genius. The two actors mix so well that we feel their truth, as actors, and they make this oil and water couple work perfectly.
The sideline of “faking the landing” segways into the overall arc of these star crossed lovers. Everything here works; Rotten Tomatoe critics be damned.
The Verdict
Fly Me to the Moon is 5 stars of blissful entertainment. It fires on all rockets for love of romance, space and country. Tatum and Johansson spark as the unlikely couple and Harrelson has never been so good as the important “also ran.” This is streaming on Apple TV plus right now.
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