
Fly Me to the Moon Synopsis: Marketing maven Kelly Jones wreaks havoc on NASA launch director Cole Davis’s already difficult task. When the White House deems the mission too important to fail, the countdown truly begins.
Directed by: Greg Berlanti
Written by: Rose Gilroy
Released: 07.12.2024
Runtime: 132 minutes
Rated: PG-13
Cole Davis is attempting to get America to the moon before the Soviets, but lack of funding and public interest in NASA threatens to derail the entire project. Enter Kelly Jones, a strong-willed woman with a knack for marketing. Government operative Moe Berkus offers Kelly the high-stakes job. If she manages to pull off the impossibleāgetting man to the moonāshe can have all of her past mistakes – and crimes – completely erased from her history.
While there is a spark between Kelly and Cole, there is also animosity. Cole isn’t a fan of the NASA branding Kelly brings to the program, and Kelly struggles to get Cole on board with the marketing in order to bring in the proper funds. The two clash until a mutual understanding begins to form, and Cole can see Kelly cares about the mission as much as he does.
It’s a shame that Fly Me to the Moon was released in July of this year and didn’t prompt more discussion. While it may have been labeled as a rom-com, it’s also an intriguing look into the space program and the lengths it took to get America to the moon. Granted, this is a Hollywood movie, so I’m certain there were a lot of liberties taken. But Fly Me to the Moon is as much about how the country came together for one monumental moment as it is about the romance between Kelly and Cole.
While this is the third movie starring Scarlett Johannson and Channing Tatum – the other two being Don Jon and Hail, Caesar! – it is the first one in which they act together on screen. Their chemistry is on point and a bit zany, harkening back to the days of Doris Day and Rock Hudson. That’s hard to do these days, and I hope they end up doing another film together sometime in the future.
Woody Harrelson is a delight in just about everything I’ve seen him in, and his performance as Moe Berkus, a secret government operative for President-elect Richard Nixon, gives Fly Me to the Moon an extra oomph of conflict and comedy. Jim Rash supplies the more outlandish comedic relief as the Tab-obsessed director of the faux moon landing. Ray Romano provides the heart as Henry Smalls, a NASA employee who has been pushing toward the moon even longer than Cole.
This is a movie where the entirety of the film isn’t dependent solely on its two main leads but instead showcases the talent of its entire cast, giving even the most minor role some depth. I have to give props to director Greg Berlanti, and writer Rose Gilroy for creating two fully-developed, fascinating characters in Kelly and Cole. It’s a long movie, but I didn’t really mind it so much with Tatum and Johannson at the helm.
Fly Me to the Moon wholly embraces the period in which it takes place, which definitely adds to the charm. It’s colorful and entertaining, and its romance is nestled perfectly against the backdrop of one of the most critical times in American history. This movie is definitely worth a watch for all fans of the genre.
Watched: 11.02.2024
Notable Song: Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words) by Bobby Womack