'Fly Me To The Moon' Review: A Refreshingly Polished, Old-Fashioned Rom-Com
The rom-com genre shows no signs of wear and tear with fly me to the moon, a refreshing, old-fashioned film elevated by the charming performances from its two leads.
Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson aim to light a fire under the rom-com genre in ‘Fly Me To The Moon’, where the former is a NASA official preparing for the Apollo 11 launch as sparks fly between him and a new marketing executive played by the latter tasked with selling the mission to the general public. A rom-com set during the infamous Space Race in America is a novel concept for the genre. Fortunately, that concept isn’t wasted, delivering a worthwhile pleasant surprise this summer.
While the film follows the tried and true rom-com formula most in the genre do, the cast and script are what elevate this to be one of the better entries in quite some time. Tatum and Johansson exude an effortless chemistry together, Tatum playing to his comedic strengths while Johansson is able to channel her raw charisma and magnetism throughout. The duo are endlessly entertaining to watch despite their trajectory being extremely predictable. The supporting cast is also terrific, Jim Rash nearly stealing the film as a relatively unknown director tasked with shooting a fake moon landing mission and Ray Romano continuing to showcase he dramatic prowess as another NASA employee. The cast, paired with the sharp, lively script from writer Rose Gilroy keep the film breezy and light on its feet.
The film also isn’t afraid to flesh out its central characters, a welcomed surprise. Both Kelly and Cole are given engrossing backstories, the former’s dark and mysterious while the latter is harboring heartbreak and guilt over a prior mission at NASA. For once, the audience understands while both leads are holding their cards close to the chest, making the usual and predictable rom-com formula far more palatable. As a result, the film becomes a lovely cocktail of humor and heart, never swaying to heavily into one or drastically shifting into another. The last act is also highly energized and propulsive, increasing the emotional stakes and fun considerably.
The film is directed by CW veteran Greg Berlanti, who also helmed the underrated Love, Simon. His handle on the genre is firm and confident, utilizing his cast and phenomenal production design extremely well. Audiences won’t doubt the time period for a second, the costumes, sets, music, and polished camerawork evoking the atmosphere with ease. Simply put, the visual aesthetic is as romantic as the central romance between the two leads.
While the film is highly entertaining, it isn’t without its flaws. It never veers off the rom-com path to carve out its own unique corner in the genre, unfortunately playing things safe in the romance department. The film’s humor is also very hit and miss, some visual gags and bits working effectively while others fall to the ground with an audible thud. The film’s runtime also doesn’t do it any favors, clocking in at almost two and half hours, which is wholly unnecessary considering the story its telling. This is felt more so than ever during the film’s second act, which drags before ramping up the tension and entertainment value again. The film also tries to speak on the politics of the time and when it aims to do so, it misses the mark, never expressing anything worthwhile or poignant to say.
Fly Me To The Moon is certainly not the most original rom-com to hit theaters, but it offers up plenty of great performances, charm, and overall entertainment to make it more than worthwhile for fans of the genre. It may not be completely out of this world, but it wouldn’t be surprising if many audiences end up loving this one to the moon and back.