Oscar nominee Scarlett Johansson hasn't had the leading role in a mainstream film since the overblown, Marvel, action-adventure, Black Widow (2021). Now Scarlett's back in the live action mainstream wearing her producer's hat and some voluminous blonde wigs for the new release, Fly Me to the Moon.
This film is a peppy, PG-13 comedy inspired by a popular conspiracy of the momentous Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969 being fake and filmed on a soundstage by the prestigious Hollywood director Stanley Kubrick (2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968). This conspiracy is, of course, never proven in real life, but this film takes that idea and runs with it.
Scarlett Johansson plays a plucky, street-smart advertising director who is hired by the federal government to relocate to the Florida coast in 1968 and reinvigorate the promotion and publicity of the American space program. When Johansson's character starts creating endorsement deals and rubbing political elbows, her energy annoys the stressed-out shuttle launch director played by Channing Tatum (Magic Mike's Last Dance, 2023). So arguments erupt and sparks fly between the two.
Fly Me to the Moon is one half a historical fiction comedy and one half a battle of the sexes workplace romance. A few times while watching this, I thought, "Did Disney produce this?! It's so joyous and sunny!" Then I had to remind myself, "Oh yeah. This is produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures."
The historical fiction parts of this film are fun, being written and acted with a likable, energetic charm set against the high stakes space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Editing and musical score help keep the film's tone focused as an optimistic, and zippy, teamwork story. The romantic comedy parts of this film are what left me feeling underwhelmed. Director Greg Berlanti knows how to direct romance films. He did it with the successful coming-of-age film Love, Simon (2018). But because the romantic comedy is such a big part of the film's latter half, the film itself feels predictable and formulaic.
There just isn't enough originality or passion to help this film rise above the expected plot twists and emotional developments of the romantic comedy genre. (We don't like each other, but we have to work together for the greater mission at hand. Then once we achieve the impossible together, we start liking each other.) Maybe this one could have been better than average with less of the romantic comedy elements keeping it generic and routine. But at least Scarlett Johansson (who is a lead producer on this) keeps the film partly entertaining with her flirtatious determination and colorful corporate wardrobe.
On the surface, Fly Me to the Moon is about the American dream of people working through their differences to achieve a giant, unifying victory....and then fall in love. But under the surface, this film is about misinformation and its deep roots of tradition in America. How fun is it this film is released during a presidential election year?! (Is that just coincidence?) Hooray for America.
