The new rom-com “Fly Me to the Moon” starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum garners a 91 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. It is easy to see why:
Woman on the Verge caught this well-timed story at The Triplex last week. Based on the Apollo 11 lunar landing that took place 55 years ago this month, today marks the three-man crew’s safe return to Earth via splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
But film lovers should know “Fly Me to the Moon” offers more than just retro style and a nice soundtrack. The whole story reminds audiences what it felt like when the country was truly united.
Of course, I possess no firsthand memory of this historical moment in 1969. My daily ambulatory efforts then represented small baby steps for me, with occasional giant leaps for toddlerhood.
Every time I gaze at the moon now, however, I feel pangs of mixed emotions about space exploration. I worry about Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos mucking it all up through colonization.
Simply put, Mars and Martians may neither want nor need Musk’s sperm.
And yet, in Director Greg Berlanti’s version, Johansson plays an advertising executive brought on by NASA to sell the Apollo 11 mission to the public. Tatum is the launch manager. In addition, Roy Romano and Woody Harrelson play NASA and White House officials respectively.
Johansson is delightful, and she relishes her playful role here as a marketing whiz. In real life, Johansson is also an executive producer for “Fly Me to the Moon.”
Although some critics have noted a lack of chemistry between her and Tatum, this rom-com does have a silly subplot that is one for the AI and deepfake ages. It involves contingency planning in case of disaster.
The elaborate staging of a fake moon landing orchestrated by a flamboyant Jim Rash made me laugh out loud. Then again, what became the song “Fly Me to the Moon” was in fact written by Bart Howard for his partner of 58 years, Thomas Fowler.
Now playing at The Triplex Cinema, “Fly Me to the Moon” is enjoyable summer movie fare. And did I mention how well it depicts a nation united? Catch it before it takes off after Thursday’s shows!
