Fly Me to the Moon

Directed by Greg Berlanti, Fly Me to the Moon follows an advertising executive (Scarlett Johansson’s Kelly Jones) as she’s tasked with boosting the space program’s profile in the buildup to the 1969 Apollo 11 launch – despite the opposition of Channing Tatum’s straight-laced launch director, Cole Davis. Filmmaker Berlanti, armed with a script by Rose Gilroy, delivers an entertaining, briskly-paced comedy that benefits from its almost inherently compelling premise and raft of affable performances, as, in terms of the latter, Johansson and Tatum’s charming efforts are matched by quirky periphery players like Ray Romano, Woody Harrelson, and Christian Clemenson. (Jim Rash, cast as a pretentious director, offers up a frequently hilarious turn that remains a continuing highlight within the proceedings.) And although the picture’s ludicrous 132 minute (!) runtime certainly results in a handful of lulls, particularly within the bloated (yet satisfying) third act, Fly Me to the Moon‘s pervasively agreeable atmosphere, coupled with strong chemistry between Johansson and Tatum’s respective characters, ensures that it ultimately comes off as a mostly delightful romcom set against the irresistible backdrop of the 1960s space race.

*** out of ****