“Fly Me To The Moon” review: More than a meet cute

The trailer for Greg Berlanti’s “Fly Me To The Moon” has explicitly shared everything you need to know about the movie. It is on the surface, a romantic comedy set in the 1960s Apollo 11 launch starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, and secondly, a lighthearted drama about the United States government’s crisis management efforts in case their space mission to the Moon fails.

If you are someone who doesn’t mind this hodgepodge of genres in one film, there’s a high chance that you’ll like “Fly Me To The Moon”. It is great for casual viewing on a Friday evening that you’ll likely pop again on a streaming service when it eventually comes out (Fun fact: this movie was originally an Apple TV release before it went for a theatrical premiere). Johansson and Tatum complement each other with great chemistry and banter that if you’re seeing this just for them, you will not be disappointed.

“Fly Me To The Moon” can be a lot of these things I’ve mentioned, but it doesn’t land well when put together. Project Artemis, the central plot of the movie where the U.S. Government enlisted Johansson’s Kelly Jones to produce a fake moon landing video, did not come until midway. Before there was any single mention of this project, we had to go through an hour's worth of exposition about the budding romance between Kelly and Tatum’s Cole Davis, their respective backstories, and the exhaustive preparation for NASA’s Apollo 11 launch program.

By the time we get to Project Artemis, the movie changes its course and suddenly envelops into a thriller on top of its rom-com sensibilities. It is unfortunate because the film finally found its footing up to this point. With a snappier and more self-aware editing, I’m sure we’ll get a better film here.

Don’t get me wrong, “Fly Me To The Moon” is still a good movie. It is one of the better titles you’ll find in the cinemas this week. In the end, I was surprised to find myself absorbed with Kelly and Cole. It’s harmless despite its lapses.

“Fly Me To The Moon” will be released this July 11, 2024 (with early previews this July 10) from Sony Pictures.

Featured photos courtesy of Sony Pictures.