Greg Berlanti is well known for his television work. He worked on the “Arrowverse” DC shows for Sky, as well as hit shows such as Dawson’s Creek, Riverdale and Brothers & Sisters among many others. The problem with Berlanti though is he is very familiar with the model and standards of television to the point where he is more comfortable with that format, even though he has made some films such as The Broken Hearts Club and Love, Simon. Saying that he has gone on to create an ambitious comedy drama film with Fly Me to the Moon. Is it a laughable attempt at lift off or a stratospheric hit?
Fly Me to the Moon looks and feels the part of a big grand film. The set pieces, the 1960s Space Race backdrop and the visual effects are there, but sadly they feel underused and his television work kind of shines through. The story is concise and feels like an episode of a show, the characters are drawn out well but sadly feels a bit mis-cast when it comes to the chemistry of the leads.
The story of Fly Me to the Moon is simple, it is based on how America had to hire marketing people to advertise and fund the mission to get a man on the moon. You remember those American cereal boxes and “astro bars” which you see advertised in 1960s films? That’s why everything was space-themed when it came to product placement. Long story short, America won the space race and put a man on the moon. Or did they? The conspiracy goes that Stanley Kubrick shot a secret film of a moon landing to fool the public. It is a highly debatable conspiracy to this day and the film plays with this and runs with it from start to finish.
Scarlett Johansson plays Kelly Jones, who is hired by a mysterious government man played by Woody Harrelson to film a back-up of a moon landing in case the mission goes awry. While she is drafted into NASA’s operations she bumps into launch director Cole Davis, played by Channing Tatum. There is a bit of “will they, won’t they?” romance between them but the chemistry feels rather flat. They are both too focused on their work and the love angle gets lost a little. The comedy on the other hand is much better than the romance. The result is a mis-balanced film tone wise. The comedy is great and Tatum reminds us he is very good at both physical humour and playing into his stereotypes too, reminding me of actors like Jim Carrey. Johannson on the other hand is too humdrum for her comedy to match that of Tatum’s.
Fly Me to the Moon is an entertaining film, and there are moments where you will laugh and cheer at the film. The 1960s aspect allows the film to play into the period with the music and the culture of America to further bring the film to life. The cinematography occasionally feels a little boxed in and Berlanti’s television side of himself comes through a lot. As a television series, this idea could’ve worked even better. That isn’t to say this film is bad it just feels like it was made for a different audience. It is however a great film to watch to get you in the mood for summer and that is enough for the film to truly come alive.
★★★☆☆
3/5
Final Verdict:
Fly Me to the Moon feels like an old-fashioned comedy film. Channing Tatum once again proves he has the comic timing and influences of past comedy greats such as Jim Carrey and Steve Martin. Scarlett Johansson is equally fun in her role, but the pairing between her and Tatum feels mismatched. The back story of the space race, the hijinks that ensue and the conspiracy comedy all come together to tell a larger-than-life tale that feels like it was made for a smaller screen.
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Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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