- FLY ME TO THE MOON
- Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum and Woody Harrelson
- Directed by: Greg Berlanti
- Rated: PG 13
- Running time 2 hr 12 mins
- Apple +
July 20, 1969. A day of some significant events. “Lost” actor Josh Holloway was born. The number one song in the USA was “In the Year 2525” by Zagar and Evans. Oh, and the United States landed a man on the moon. Right?
Kelly Jones (Johansson) is a marketing wiz who will stop at nothing to get the job done. She attracts the attention of the mysterious Moe Berkus (Harrelson), who introduces himself as an emissary of the US government, most notably NASA. The country is still reeling from the tragedy brought about by the fire that killed the Apollo 1 astronauts and funding is running low. Per President Kennedy’s directive to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade, there is a lot riding on the upcoming Apollo 11 mission. So much so that Kelly’s job is to make sure we “land” on the moon…no matter what.
A fun and nostalgic trip back in time, “Fly Me to the Moon” is a film that combines the right amount of comedy, drama and, yes, romance to create a very enjoyable two hours at the movies.
Johansson is well cast as Jones, a woman who understands that for her to succeed in the male dominated world of marketing you sometimes have to bend the rules. As the mysterious Moe, Harrelson at his witty best. The casting trio is completed by Tatum’s Cole Davis, the launch commander who is still haunted by the Apollo 1 tragedy.
As the space agency continues to prepare for the upcoming launch, Kelly and her staff are off in a far away hangar, where “the moon” has been built, complete with lunar module, and a cast of actors ready to “land” at a moment’s notice. As fact and fiction continue to one-up each other, much is learned about the three principal characters. It’s a fun film that is very much worth a watch.
Believe it or not, there are people who still don’t believe we went to the moon. I had a friend who once confronted Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins at a convention and got into a shouting match with him, demanding to know how they survived the “radiation belt.” It got so loud we were asked to leave. There are even rumors that NASA hired director Stanley Kubrick, whose “2001: A Space Odyssey,” featured ground breaking visual effects. This proposal is commented on in the film and it garnered some great laughs by those aware of the rumor. And it was just a rumor. Right?
On a scale of zero to five, “Fly Me to the Moon” receives ★★★★