FLY ME TO THE MOON tells an amusing story.
Fly Me To The Moon (English) Review {2.5/5} & Review Rating
Star Cast: Channing Tatum, Scarlett Johansson
Director: Greg Berlanti
Fly Me To The Moon Movie Review Synopsis:
FLY ME TO THE MOON is the story of two opposites who fall in love. The year is 1969. Cole Davis (Channing Tatum) is the director at NASA and is in charge of the Apollo 11 launch, which will take three astronauts to the Moon. The Apollo 1 mission had failed miserably, leading to the death of three spacemen. Cole regrets the tragic incident and is going all out to ensure that the Apollo 11 mission is successful. The US government, meanwhile, is not only trying to be one step ahead of Russia in the space race but also wants to hype up the moon mission among the public. Hence, Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson), who works for the President, hires marketing specialist Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) to work her magic. Kelly has had a questionable past and Moe promises to clean up her records in exchange for her services. Kelly agrees and heads to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. She meets Cole and sparks fly though Cole doesn’t agree with her ideas. All is going well until the idea of a fake Moon landing crops up.
Fly Me To The Moon Movie Story Review:
Bill Kirstein and Keenan Flynn’s story is novel. We have seen several films on the Apollo 11 mission, but this film sees the whole thing from a different light and also how the operation was marketed to the public. Rose Gilroy’s screenplay is immersive although the writing faces roadblocks in between. The dialogues are conversational and a few of them are witty.
Greg Berlanti’s direction is smooth. He keeps the narrative light and peppers it with a lot of funny and sweet scenes. The characters are well fleshed out and the whole ‘opposites attract’ bit works well for the protagonists. What also works in the favour of the film is the setting. To see a marketing wizard in the late 60s promoting the idea of a moon mission is fascinating. Moreover, the fake Moon landing track, of course, takes the cake.
On the flipside, the film drops in between and a few scenes don’t really involve the viewers. Also, this is a film devoid of thrills or action and hence, the light-hearted approach sometimes also becomes too much. This also means that the film is meant only for niche viewers and not for the regular Hollywood audience in India. Thankfully, the film picks up well in the end. The last 15 minutes are the best part of the enterprise.
Fly Me To The Moon Movie Performances:
Scarlett Johansson adds a lot of star value to the film. As expected, she looks stunning and delivers a terrific performance. Channing Tatum, too, puts his best foot forward and gets his act right. His hairstyle in some scenes, however, is an eyesore. Woody Harrelson is entertaining. Jim Rash (Lance Vespertine) brings the house down. Ray Romano (Henry Smalls) is adorable. Anna Garcia (Ruby; Kelly’s secretary), Donald Elise Watkins (Stu Bryce) and Noah Robbins (Don Harper) lend able support. The actor who plays Senator Hopp is fair; his scene is memorable.
Fly Me To The Moon movie music and other technical aspects:
Daniel Pemberton’s music is appropriate. Dariusz Wolski’s cinematography is normal and no forceful bird’s eye view shots are added. Shane Valentino’s production design is straight from the bygone era. Mary Zophres’s costumes are appealing, especially the ones worn by Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum. The VFX is top-class and special mention should also go to the stylish opening credits. Harry Jierjian’s editing is fine.
Fly Me To The Moon Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, FLY ME TO THE MOON tells an amusing story and is embellished with fine performances by Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum. However, it appears in a crowded week and is not the conventional Hollywood entertainer. As a result, it will need positive word of mouth from the audience to make a mark at the ticket window.
