Jakarta. When it comes to the Apollo 11 mission, the public and media tend to focus on just the astronauts. But that’s not the case with the upcoming romantic comedy “Fly Me to the Moon” as the stylish movie gives NASA’s marketing executive the spotlight.
Directed by Greg Berlanti, “Fly Me to the Moon” stars Scarlett Johansson as Kelly Jones, a marketing specialist hired to fix NASA’s image. The story is set in the 1960s during the US-Soviet Union’s moon race.
Sparks fly between Kelly and NASA’s launch director Cole Davis (Channing Tatum). However, as the launch date nears, the government wants Kelly to create and broadcast a fake version of the Apollo 11 mission in case the actual one fails.
Scarlett Johanson’s Kelly Jones steals the show in this almost two-hour-and-a-half-long movie, so much so that the other characters do not make that much of an impression — even Tatum’s Cole. Woody Harrelson, however, deserves praise for his performance as the shady government agent Moe Berkus despite not getting that much screen time.
Throughout the film, Kelly never leaves the audience in awe at how she secures all the marketing deals and smooth-talks her clients. Whatever she does makes the audience crave more for her stellar marketing tactics.
The movie’s decision to have the plot focus on the marketing maven’s magic — and not the Apollo 11 astronauts — gives a refreshing perspective of the moon landing. And Kelly's character is what makes “Fly Me to the Moon” a solid comedy.
But “Fly Me to the Moon” is a romcom. The title itself is the same as Bart Howard’s legendary hit. Brunei-born singer Jaz also covered “Fly Me to the Moon” as part of the film’s promotion. While there are some adorable moments here and there, Kelly-Cole’s chemistry is not exactly off the charts. Something feels amiss.
While it is doing great in the comedy department, the romance is “just okay”. Luckily, “Fly Me to the Moon” does not have that many romantic scenes, albeit its lovey-dovey promotional poster. Seeing Kelly Jones in action is more entertaining.
Sony Pictures Releasing is set to release “Fly Me to the Moon” in Indonesian theaters this Friday.
