Film Review: Fly Me To The Moon

                        Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum
 

Remember those wonderful days back in 1962 when JFK decided America would send a man to the moon? 

That was a fabulous (if maybe lunatic) idea, though he was probably just trying to take our minds off a few less pleasant things that happened that year: the Cuban missile crisis, civil rights activists fighting (and winning a few victories) in the American South, and the U.S. increasing its involvement in Vietnam. 

But consider that in 1962 the pager, cordless phone and computer were invented. Also, the Beatles, Bob Dylan and the Beach Boys released their first records and the Rolling Stones played their first shows.

With that as backdrop, director Greg Berlanti thought a film about sending a manned mission to the moon would be cool. So together with writers Keenan Flynn, Rose Gilroy and Bill Kirstein, the script of “Fly Me To The Moon” was written and produced.

In this rom-com, marketing executive Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) hears of the planned moon shot, and hightails it to Cape Canaveral to sell her skills to Channing Tatum, who plays Cole Davis, picked to prepare the scientists for the space trip.

Davis’ orders are to succeed in the moon landing, or to fake it so it looks as though it happened. Davis, of course, isn’t used to faking anything, but Johansson manages to convince him that what he needs most is to make it *look* like the launch happens.

Getting the idea? Yeah, it’s crazy, but Johansson is convincing enough to make Davis believe that she knows whereof she speaks. She is aided by her loyal assistant Ruby (Anna Garcia), who probably figures a job’s a job.

The plot goes on and on, with help from other characters such as Woody Harrelson, who plays Moe Berkus, described as “a shady, fedora-wearing government operative who recruits her to help NASA persuade people that going to the moon is a good idea.”

If you’re thinking that it gets goofier as it continues, you’re right, and if that’s sufficiently off-putting, don’t see the film. Me, I found Johansson such fun to watch that I didn’t care about the silliness of it.

The whole cast is fun (or horrifying, depending on….you know what), and by the time we saw the “landing” I didn’t even care how phony it looked. Or was.

Make your own decision.