DAVID ADAMS enjoys a trip to the Moon…
Fly Me To The Moon (AU – M/UK – 12A/US – PG-13)
In a word: Stylish
Scarlett Johansson stars as Kelly Jones and Channing Tatum as Cole Davis in Fly Me To The Moon.
With the space race back in the headlines and “fake news” a constant threat, Fly Me To The Moon taps into both to present a playful new take on what “may” really have taken place behind the scenes during the Apollo 11 mission to land the first humans on the Moon.
“Director Greg Berlanti (Love, Simon) has overseen the creation of a clever and stylish film focused on a fascinating period in history but it’s character that’s the driving factor here thanks to the fine cast led by Johansson and Tatum.”
Channing Tatum stars as the driven and haunted Cole Davis, launch director of the mission at NASA – the man charged, along with his deputy Henry Smalls (played in a very understated manner by Ray Romano) with delivering the impossible – beating the Soviets to land the first man on the Moon by the end of the Sixties.
Already under-funded and facing further cuts, the future of the program looks bleak until the arrival of advertising wunderkind Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) charged with revamping the program’s public image.
She’s been recruited by Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson), a shadowy figure who works in an unnamed capacity for the Nixon White House. From the start, she’s at cross-purposes with Cole, a Korean War hero who’s still grappling with the tragedy of Apollo 1 in which three astronauts died under his watch, as her drive to bring in ad money provides him with plenty of headaches and mission adjustments (to say more might spoil some of the fun).
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Director Greg Berlanti (Love, Simon) has overseen the creation of a clever and stylish film focused on a fascinating period in history but it’s character that’s the driving factor here thanks to the fine cast led by Johansson and Tatum. Berlanti opts for a gentle and nostalgic approach – it’s a nice PR win for NASA, even as he keeps the action moving, and it delivers what’s ultimately a lively and uplifting experience (with a hint of Hollywood’s yesteryear).
Another impressive outing for Apple Studios (think 2023’s Killers of the Flower Moon), Fly Me To The Moon makes for a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours.
