Story: When the White House decides that the Apollo 11 mission is too important to fail, a marketing guru is assigned to plan a fake moon landing as an alternative.
Review: The 1969 moon landing forms the backdrop for ‘Fly Me to the Moon’, but it is essentially a film about Kelly (Scarlett Johansson) and Cole (Channing Tatum). Most of the film’s drama and comedy comes from the clashes between Kelly’s marketing strategies and Cole’s honesty. Kelly manipulates politicians and public personalities into supporting Apollo 11, making her one of the best con artists in history. Moreover, she plays different roles as well as adopts various accents when necessary which proves that she is quite versatile with her talent in acting, not to mention bringing some humor into her character.
Conversely, Tatum paints Cole Davis in somber shades. Besides his dedication to Apollo 11 mission, there is also an undertone of seriousness due to the deaths of Apollo 1 astronauts affecting him deeply. In this respect, Cole’s inner struggle coupled with his quest for justice stands out throughout film as depicted by Denise Di Novi. Still, he manages to add funny touches even during serious moments; like in his interactions alongside Johansson. Harrelson gives a memorable performance as Moe Berkus – an enigmatic operative who combines wit and menace together excellently turning him into prominent character throughout entire movie. This portrayal by Harrelson has a darkly comic edge that makes Moe appear all too real in his threat against success of NASA’s operation because every head needs many bodies; indeed it does show how life was behind this glamorous space race sometimes done through dramatic scenes. Greg Berlanti handles both sides of Fly Me To The Moon adeptly – funny ones though romantic on one hand and serious on another side.
But ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ has some issues regarding its pace. Too many stories in the third act cause the movie to be a little bit longer than expected. The film does lose some focus in its attempt to juggle several storylines, but good acting by the cast keeps it engaging for viewers. ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ is a quirky, fun romantic comedy that offers an interesting perspective on Apollo 11. Their connection with Harrelson were incredible and thus this makes it a wonderful watch. Moreover, there are times when certain aspects of Fly Me to the Moon may not have been historically accurate but then again it mixes humor, romance and drama which make it fascinating enough as well as being thought provoking. Berlanti’s direction skillfully balances romance and comedy with seriousness and drama in this instance while Rose Gilroy’s screenplay is cleverly based on historical facts combined with fiction giving rise to a fresh new story line.
Nevertheless, ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ suffers from a few pacing problems. Its third act is slightly dragged out by so many wrap-up subplots at once. There are instances when too many stories result in loss of concentration; however acting among others helps maintain all-time involvement of audience members. ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ is one smartly constructed amusing love story about Apollo 11 mission unique for its witty conversations between Johansson and Tatum who shine along with Harrelson’s exceptional character portrayal ability. Though not entirely accurate histroically,it had elements that were funny; hence making it both enjoyable and thought provoking.
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