Fly Me to the Moon-A Basic Rom-Com with a Fun Premise
Fly Me to the Moon works in its throwback atmosphere. From the recreated news footage to the editing akin to 60s TV to the sets and costumes, it all feels like a fun throwback to the 1960s. Watching the film, you get a good sense of not only how it felt to be in the film's setting during the 60s but also a general sense of how it felt to live in America in the 1960s.
But as a general rom-com, the film is rather basic. While there is some entertaining quality in the quippy writing and some of the performances (I especially got a kick out of Jim Rash as an ultra-flamboyant perfectionist director), the story is a pretty by-the-numbers rom-com. The script goes through all the beats you expect, from the meet-cute between our two leads, the bickering dynamic throughout the midsection, and the falling out in the third act, all leading up to a reunion at the end that results in a final kiss.
It doesn't help that despite charming performances between Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johannson; the two don't seem to have the chemistry to make their romance believable. The two do sell the enjoyable bickering dynamic. But when it comes to the moments where they have a genuine romantic attraction for each other, it never seemed believable to me.
On top of the fun throwback feel, the film also has fun with its unique premise that blends real-world NASA history with an alternate history involving the fake moon landing conspiracy theory. And when the film goes full-swinging on that premise, I found the film to be quite fun. When the film is more preoccupied with being a basic, by-the-numbers rom-com with leads that lack the chemistry to make it work, it loses me. Its somewhat bloated 135-minute runtime makes this issue slightly worse, with many more cliched scenes feeling dragged out. As it stands, though, Fly Me to the Moon is a fun alternate-history 60s throwback wrapped around a basic rom-com with leads that don't quite have the chemistry for it to work fully.
In theaters in the U.S on July 12th
