Fly Me to the Moon features a stellar cast but a subpar plot.

On paper, ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ seems like it would have everything an audience could ask for. It has big movie stars, a strong supporting cast, romance, comedy, astronauts, and more. While some of those elements come together to make a fun time at the movies, the overall experience has liftoff but doesn’t fully make it out of this world.

‘Fly Me to the Moon’ tells the story of a marketing specialist hired to overhaul NASA’s public image during the 1960s Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union. As they approached the Apollo 11 launch, the government ordered them to film a fake moon landing as a backup for the real thing, knocking everything out of orbit.

Scarlett Johansson plays Kelly Jones, the marketing specialist, while Channing Tatum plays Cole Davis, the director of the Apollo 11 launch.

The two have plenty of chemistry, but the characters are at odds for most of the film. Their first onscreen meeting is quite cute, but the film never reaches the bar it sets for itself early on. Johansson, in particular, gets a lot of screen time, and her character is grating by design. Kelly Jones puts marketing and public relations above her own sense of self, causing her to be viewed as more of a con artist rather than a character the audience can relate to and root for.

When we learn what’s going on with her character, it’s too late to care. Tatum’s Cole Davis has a chip on his shoulder, which is explained early on. He’s passionate about space travel and the Apollo missions but barely takes time for himself. It’s a classic ‘opposites attract’ scenario where any actors less talented than Tatum and Johansson would struggle to make the characters work. This is a case where stardom and charisma shine through some poor character design.

The film is directed by Greg Berlanti, perhaps best known as the powerhouse producer behind The CW’s Arrowverse. While the movie looks fine, and the production design is quite good, tonally, the film is all over the place. Several subplots are already taking hold in the film; by the time the fake moon landing thread is introduced, it almost feels like an afterthought. Certainly, some of the most memorable moments in the film come from this plotline, but sometimes, it feels like an afterthought until the climax.

Verdict

I give ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ 3 out of 5 stars. It has enough fun moments that it’s not a wasted theatrical experience. However, at 132 minutes long, the imbalance of the many subplots may leave audiences feeling a little tired by the time the credits roll. Star power and charisma can overlook this, even though it doesn’t quite make the big bang we hoped for.