Have you heard the conspiracy theory that, back in 1969, the United States really didn't land on the moon, and the whole event was faked on a secret soundstage? Well, some believe it and books have been written about how it was done, the "proof" that it wasn't real and debunked by using scientific fact. This theory even inspired the movie Fly Me to the Moon.
What would happen if writers Keenan Flynn (Radio Killer), Bill Kirstein (The Followers), and Rose Gilroy (The Pack) got together and wrote a screenplay for a rom/com about the Apollo 11 launch and the supposed " fake Moon landing"? We would get the latest theatrical release from Apple Studios, Fly Me to the Moon. Starring Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) and Channing Tatum (The Magic Mike franchise), the story, which may or may not be true (wink, wink), explores the conspiracy theory within a backdrop of love and humor.
Kelly Jones (Johansson) is a hot shot marketing ad executive in New York City who is approached by Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson; Natural Born Killers) to come work for NASA and President Nixon and, based on her less than stellar past, she is obligated to oblige. Cole Davis (Tatum) is the launch director for both the Apollo 10 and Apollo 11 launches and, after first seeing Kelly in Wolfie's Restaurant, is smitten with her. However, the next day when he finds out she is the "New York hotshot" sent to "sell" NASA to the American Public, his attitude towards her immediately changes.
Over time Kelly wears Cole down and vice versa and the two become cautious friends until the night they kiss. Even though Cole still doesn't like Kelly's dishonesty while promoting NASA, he turns a blind eye since she is getting the funding NASA desperately needs. However, when she suggests bringing a camera into space to capture the moon landing, she creates a whole new world of problems, mostly for herself. When she decides to come clean the day before the launch, Cole agrees to help her undo her mess but ends their relationship. Ultimately, neither knows if the live feed America watches is real or her creation in an isolated hangar on Earth.
Johansson is well cast as Kelly, the con artist but that isn't to say we haven't seen her "play a role" before as Natasha Romanoff in the Avengers series of films. I'm still on the fence as to whether or not Tatum is right for the role and I guess that is part of the problem. Maybe it is simply that the two actors don't have the greatest chemistry so it is hard to see them as romantically involved. They do their best to "sell" the romance and there is some flicker of there but there must have been other actors who have better chemistry. Harrelson and Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond) are good with the latter providing some comic relief. However, some of the funniest on-screen moments are provided by Jim Rash (Community) playing the temperamental Director shooting the production of the fake moon landing.
The costumes and set designs are incredible and Mary Zophres (Babylon) and Shelley Zortman (Pain Hustlers) did a terrific job recreating the late 1960s. The only distraction is one small piece of Tatum's hair on the right side of his face. I kept wanting to take scissors and cut it myself because it was just so annoying.
Director Greg Berlanti (Love, Simon) does a good job balancing the humor with the romance and the serious story of the Apollo 11 rocket launch moments. He even handles the somber moments well and keeps the pacing of the story moving along for the most part. The 2-hour and 12-minute run time only needed minor edits but generally runs smoothly.
Fly Me to the Moon has good moments and bad ones in equal measure but if you go into it with the expectation that, for the most part, it is a rom/com, you will come out feeling as if you got your money's worth.
Grade: C+
