Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) is a marketing guru working out of New York when a shadowy government employee named Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson) makes her a job offer she cannot refuse. Head to Florida and change the perception of NASA and the space race so that government funding can be approved to help the U.S.A. beat Russia to the moon. 

Flight Director Cole Davis (Channing Tatum) is immediately drawn to Kelly when he first meets her but his moral obligation to the truth and her expertise in the art of deception make them uneasy bedfellows. This is not helped when Moe decides that the outcome of the space race is too important to rely solely on the truth and creates Project Artemis. The sister to Apollo and a fake moon landing back up just in case the real thing is not good enough. 

Fly Me To The Moon is a peculiar beast that struggles for an identity and pacing. 

It has a fantastic pastel 1960’s feel with a leading lady at odds with her leading man which we all know will end in love. It is the perfect set up for the Rock Hudson / Doris Day romantic comedies that was pastiched so well by the 2003 comedy Down With Love starring Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor. But despite it having very light comedic moments and a romantic lilt it never leans fully into either. It then also has elements of drama, based on a true story (it is not) grandeur and conspiracy theory intrigue. But it never nails any of those either. By being a jack of all trades it is a master of none. 

It then struggles with multiple finales. It builds to the Apollo 11 launch, but of course this is not the end. It has to resolve Kelly’s personal secrets, but this is not the end. It has to tell us how the moon landing really played out, but this is not the end. Because ultimately it has to resolve Kelly and Cole’s relationship because this really should be a Rock Hudson / Doris Day 1960’s romantic comedy. 

It has its moments. Scarlett Johansson is outstanding delivering a multilayered independent strong woman in a male dominated world. Channing Tatum, whilst underused for his comedic talent is a strong all American NASA employee. But it is probably Jim Rash as a prima donna film director who delivers the most laughs (chuckles at most I guess) in the film. 

Fly Me To The Moon is a great idea with first class period sets and costumes but it really struggles to be really good at any of the other things it tries.