The Wasteland Reviewer

Fly Me to the Moon (2024) Written Review

How much romance could there be in the space race between the United States and Russia? Apple TV+’s latest romantic comedy, Fly Me to the Moon, certainly finds plenty in the most unlikely of places. Rose Gilroy’s script gets brought to life on screen by Love, Simon director Greg Berlanti with (mostly) equal doses of romance and historical fiction. The Apollo 11 mission is on the ropes and the government needs a PR jolt from the nation, so they hire an extremely talented and morally ambiguous marketing genius Kelly Jones. When she meets NASA program director Cole Davis…sparks shine as bright as the stars. 

How well does Berlanti balance the historical fiction elements of the space race with some classic romantic comedy threads quite well. There is a little less time focused on the romantic elements of the film but the spark between the film’s stars Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum does a lot of heavy lifting. The marketing changes and the mysterious false landing film open the door for plenty of comedy while the actual mission to get to the moon injects the film with a surprising heart and inspiration. The budding romance between Johansson and Tatum has all the classic elements of comedy romance including the early conflict. The film is a bit overlong but its positive for the two-plus hour runtime is that each side of the film gets its air to breathe.

Does Berlanti bring the right atmosphere to the film? His charming and endearing handling of a film like Love, Simon certainly transfers over well. This film feels like a classic comedy of older Hollywood and Berlanti can home in on that perfect frequency. There is a brightness to the film along with eye-popping colors of the 60s setting that makes a lot of the film pop on screen. There are some clever storytelling choices including a great time lapse shot of the rocket combined with a well-placed tracking shot. There is plenty of charm and humor that keeps the film propelling forward in an effective way. The film is edited so sleekly that it feels like the frames are just flying by on screen. But the unsung hero of atmosphere making in Fly Me to the Moon is the score from the always impressive Daniel Pemberton. The score leans into traditional scores but finds the right tones to create a moving and uplifting composition that feels dynamic and memorable. 

But where does so much of the charm come from in this historical rom com? The cast. Johansson is incredible. You sit in awe of how confident and charming her character is. She can work some of the required tropes so well by layering in the insecurities of Tatum’s character, becoming too close and attempting to anchor this free spirit. Johansson carries herself so perfectly as she brings a level of seduction to her pitches, and she rocks those 60s fashions like a true movie star. Tatum can capture the innocence and drive of a man who is trying to accomplish something great for society so well. This feels like the correct type of role in which he can show off his charm while not showing too many of his limitations. But there are some other impressive players in supporting roles as well. Woody Harrelson is mysterious and charming as “Mo”, the government man who orchestrates so much of the plot. Ray Romano is awkwardly funny in the special “Ray Romano” kind of way. But he stands out even more as he has a few emotional moments too that adds some layers to the film. Jim Rash is a sassy delight as the mercurial director who works with Jones and is one of her closest friends. His attitude and arrogance opened the door for plenty of laughs along the way. 

Does Fly Me to the Moon deliver a charming and classic rom com that will be worth your time? For a film that looked like it could have been a fake movie within a movie, this flick delivers on so many levels. The humor. The romance. The inspiration. Berlanti forges a moving venture with all of those elements in good helpings. The film might be a bit over long and it might lean into some tired tropes but it will certainly charm your socks off too.