Fly Me to the Moon (2024)

"Cole Davis" (Channing Tatum) is the launch director at Cape Canaveral and is charged with getting the Apollo 11 mission to the moon (and back!). Thing is, with the Vietnam war in full swing the public have rather lost interest in the space race with the USSR. Presidential adviser "Moe" (Woody Harrelson) hits on the idea of bringing in marketing specialist "Kelly" (Scarlett Johansson) to spruce things up and get the public - and the US Senate - more engaged with the project before it runs out of money and impetus. She's pushy and brassy and "Cole" hates her! Thing is, though, he also starts to realise that she's not half bad at the hoodwinking game and seems to be making some headway engaging sponsors and senators alike with the aspirations of Messrs. Armstrong and Aldrin to set foot in the Sea of Tranquility. With public interest piqued, "Moe" realises that the last thing they need is a flop, so he tells "Kelly" to create a moonscape and get in her favourite director - "Lance Vespertine" (Jim Rash doing his best Stanley Tucci) to essentially make their own, terrestrial, version of the landings that can be shown to the public should the worst case scenario actually occur. With her and "Cole" becoming closer and the launch date now imminent, it's soon clear that this isn't just a contingency plan - and that might finally present the unflappable "Kelly" with a moral dilemma she can't easily shrug off. What to do? It's quite entertaining, this, with Johansson clearly enjoying herself playing a myriad of parts within her character and there's a decent spark with the better than usual Tatum as the story swipes at politics (largely thanks to a playfully devious effort from Harrelson) and advertising whilst we learn that she is not quite the woman she seems to be. At times the writing is quite funny and the whole thing offers lunar conspiracy theorists (and the disbelieving Soviets) the perfect opportunity for the mother of wet dreams. There's plenty of rocket photography and though maybe just twenty minutes too long, this is one of Apple's better and more creative efforts. You just have to love that mischievous black cat at the end!