Fly Me to the Moon is many things: a movie about the power of marketing, the glory of outer space, the beauty of human connection, and famous pretty people doing their thing. But what it isn’t is believable. Nothing about this movie is, except perhaps for Scarlett Johansson’s endearing performance (she’s the only one who seems to care, which tracks because she’s credited as a producer). The plot is implausible, the backgrounds are painfully flat, the tone is weirdly uneven, and maybe most disappointing of all, the acting just doesn’t pack a punch. It’s been reported that Channing Tatum, who plays Johansson’s love interest, was cast as a last-minute replacement for Chris Evans. If it’s true, it shows. He seems lost. His deadpan delivery may work in boisterous comedies like 21 Jump Street, but here it feels jarring. This is the guy Johansson’s impassioned character is supposed to have chemistry with? The guy who can’t so much as lift his eyebrows to express any emotion other than mild annoyance? To its credit, the movie has an interesting lead in Kelly (Johansson), an ad woman who isn’t defined by the men surrounding her, and who is morally complex and nuanced. I also appreciate her friendship with her secretary Ruby. They provide a fresh angle to a well-known story, it’s just too bad the direction seemed to go off the rails in the end.
Genre: Comedy, History, Romance
Actor: Anna Garcia, Channing Tatum, Christian Clemenson, Colin Jost, Colin Woodell, Dariusz Wolski, Donald Watkins, Gary Weeks, Gene Jones, Jessie Mueller, Jim Rash, Joe Chrest, Kade Pittman, Njema Williams, Noah Robbins, Peter Jacobson, Ray Romano, Scarlett Johansson, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Todd Allen Durkin, Woody Harrelson
Director: Greg Berlanti
Rating: PG-13
