REVIEW: ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ Succeeds on the Comedy Portion of Its Rom-Com Flight

Directed by Greg Berlanti, Fly Me to the Moon takes the audience back to the 1960s Space Race. The United States is in a race against Russia to be the first country to land a man on the moon. Tasked with this almost impossible feat, NASA Launch Director Cole Davis (Channing Taturm) is doing everything in his power to make sure the Apollo 11 mission is a success. With little to no funding and a war ranging on in Vietnam, the United States brings in ad shark, Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) to bring America’s attention back to Space. As Cole and Kelly get closer to launch day, tensions mount and the secrets they have been keeping from each other threaten to ruin everything they have worked for.

The only part of the story that didn’t work was Woody Harrelson’s Moe Berkus. His character was meant to cause obstacles for Tatum and Johansson, but the obstacles didn’t fit the storyline. Instead of focusing on him, the writing team should have focused on developing the romantic chemistry between Tatum and Johansson. Their characters worked well as colleagues, but there wasn’t enough build up to solidify their romantic relationship. The costumes were also hard to take in certain scenes. I understand the creative team wanted Tatum’s Davis to stand out when he is in the launch command center, but it didn’t really fit. The same for Johansson’s outfits. Some were great, but others were ill-fitting. Also, the hair styles were extremely distracting. I typically don’t have an issue with the costumes and the hair, but these looks didn’t fit the narrative.

Tatum is pure perfection as Davis, regardless of his outfits. He brings the comedy when he needs to bring the comedy and he brings the drama when he needs to bring the drama. His performance in this movie will remind fans why he is so good in the romantic comedy genre. Johansson is good when she is portraying the professional side of Kelly. Her ability to change her character for whatever the scene needs is so much fun to watch. But, when it came to her more dramatic scenes, the flair wasn’t there. Harrelson did well with what he was given, but again, his character was not necessary.

Fly Me to the Moon is a fun story if you are solely focusing on Cole and Kelly’s race to launch day. The storyline featuring Harrelson and the romantic storyline lack the development needed to make this a great ride from start to finish.

Grade: B-