The Apollo 11 mission to the moon is arguably the greatest achievement by mankind, right up there with sliced bread. And while the comparisons aren’t in the same galaxy, it’s pretty damn hard to make a really good rom-com nowadays. The formula is almost never quite right, the mission often misguided, and those steering the ship out of their depth. And that makes the exuberant, wildly enjoyable Fly Me to the Moon all the more exceptional for making our hearts race both with the rush of new love and the thrill of history-making accomplishment.
Did I mention that Fly Me to the Moon is fronted by two gorgeous celebs, Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, in what feels like a classic star-driven Hollywood movie. Tatum has always been funny and graced with movie star good looks, but it’s not often that he gets to be this poised, cool, and charming. Johansson is light on her feet in a role that calls for her to be a bit shady, persuasive, pushy, vulnerable, and the kind of person who lights up any room.
Penned by Rose Gilroy (the daughter of screenwriter Dan Gilroy) and directed by Greg Berlanti, Fly Me to the Moon stars Johansson as Kelly Jones, a Manhattan ad exec in the Mad Men era of the 1960s. But this lady has the boys’ club beat; she can convince anyone to buy anything, and can charm the pants off of whoever she wants to. Those kinds of skills attract the attention of bullying (but still somehow likable, a credit to Woody Harrelson) Moe Berkus, who recruits/blackmails Kelly into changing the public’s opinion of NASA. See, the world is in the middle of the Space Race and the Russians are winning. This is deemed unacceptable by the President of the United States, but with the Vietnam War raging, the American people are more focused on domestic matters than lunar ones.
This puts her in instant conflict with NASA launch director Cole Davis, played by Tatum. A straight-laced dude whose sole focus is the mission, he nevertheless falls head-over-heels with Kelly from their chance first encounter. But then he didn’t know who she was. It’s not until she shows up at headquarters, with her assistant (Anna Garcia) in tow and a gleam in her eye, that he realizes what’s really going on. Kelly is there to pump up NASA’s image by any means necessary, even if she has to lie, cheat, and steal to do it. It’s those skills that attracted Berkus to her in the first place, but they don’t exactly gel with Cole’s, who is trying to stick to the plan and keep it as Top Secret as possible.
So how is that going to work when Kelly starts hiring actors to portray the real-life NASA crew, because the brilliant eggheads (Ray Romano, Donald Elise Watkins, Noah Robbins) aren’t exactly camera ready. She wants to parade the trio of astronauts in front of as many cameras as possible, making them celebrities and bringing them into America’s homes. If nothing else, the more popular NASA gets, the easier it is to get funding from penny-pinching politicians. Cole hates all of this.
Of course, sparks fly between Kelly and Cole, but Fly Me to the Moon is far from frivolous and lightweight. The film deftly considers the mood of the country and the stakes involved. While NASA is reaching for the moon, here on Earth people are seeing their young men killed in a far-away land. At the same time, the government can’t afford to let Russia win on such a global scale, as it would bolster the growing threat of communism.
There’s also a surprising amount of depth and backstory to its central romantic duo. Kelly is able to be blackmailed by Moe because of a troubled past that she has been running away from. Cole, the Navy’s top pilot and a Korean War veteran, had his shot at leading the Apollo 11 mission taken from him. But there’s also the specter of the failed Apollo 1 mission, and the tragedy that Cole shoulders a lot of guilt over.
In the midst of all of this, you have the larger story of America’s journey into the stars in the hope of building a better future. Fly Me to the Moon juggles all of these narratives with humor and considerable heart, shot in colorful tones that bring a smile to your face.
Promos have pushed to the forefront a subplot about the shooting of a fake moon landing, and while this has undoubtedly excited the tinfoil hat crowd, it’s thankfully not a huge part of the movie. While still entertaining due to the presence of Jim Rash as flamboyant commercial director Lance Vespertine, it doesn’t hold a candle to the high-wire sprint to get the rocket completed, in the sky, and broadcast into literally hundreds of millions of homes. While a bit corny at times, and hokey at others (the presence of an unlucky black cat is a silly recurring gag), Fly Me to the Moon is a hopeful delight that is out of this world.
While largely known as the guy who created the Arrowverse, it’s time that Greg Berlanti starts getting his proper due as a filmmaker of high-quality romantic comedies. With the underrated Life As We Know It under his belt, the groundbreaking Love, Simon, and now Fly Me to the Moon, Berlanti has found a way to make this most artificial of movie genres feel genuine. Mission accomplished.
Sony Pictures releases Fly Me to the Moon in theaters on July 12th, with an Apple TV+ release at a later date.
