Marketing maven Kelly Jones wreaks havoc on launch director Cole Davis's already difficult task. When the White House deems the mission too important to fail, the countdown truly begins. (from IMDB)

Fly Me to the Moon is one of those quasi-true historical movies that knows it's okay to have fun along the way. Not full-on a comedy, not full-on a drama, and definitely not a biopic, Fly Me to the Moon is real enough to make you want to check into the real history behind it, but "Hollywood" enough to know it's also being presented as pure entertainment for your enjoyment. A peek at the IMDb trivia page for the movie reveals that the movie is loosely based on a 2002 mockumentary called Opération lune, while a quick googling of the accuracy of Fly Me to the Moon shows that the movie is intentionally fictional with a little history "sprinkled in."

The story centers around slick marketing genius Kelly Jones, played exceptionally by Scarlett Johansson, and a top NASA manager named Cole Davis, played with charm by Channing Tatum. Scarlett has been one of those actresses that has always enjoyed diving into more serious roles, but also isn't afraid to sign up and go all-in on big budget summer movies either. She can win an Oscar for a role in JoJo Rabbit and then sign up for a 7th Jurassic Park/World movie (You read that right. It's due out in summer 2025). But, while I've seen her in a lot of movies throughout the years, it feels like Fly Me to the Moon is the perfect role for Scarlett Johansson to sink her teeth into. It's fun and diverse - especially since she's sort of a chameleon who can change her personality at the drop of a hat to connect with people of different kinds, and walks, of life. The role of Kelly Jones also gives her the chance to go deeper and get serious, and when we get to those moments, it feels like a pay-off. To put it another way, I could see Scarlett getting another Oscar nomination for her performance in this movie.

Tatum is also great as Davis. It's taken me a long time to warm up somewhat to him as an actor, but with roles in movies like Hail, Caesar!; Logan Lucky; and The Lost City, it's kinda hard not to like the guy. His performance as Cole continues this. Davis is not only a NASA technician, but he carries the weight of a costly mistake in his past that still haunts him and has shaped who he has become.

Woody Harrelson, on the other hand plays Moe, a slimy FBI agent who loves his job - and himself - much too much. But this is the kind of role Woody was born for, and he surely brings a lot to the part. However, it's a love-to-hate kind of character... even though his presence lights up the screen each time - even in the most shadowy places.

With the vibe of the movie being a fair mix of tones throughout, it works. And after having just seen a dud at the theater the day before (Despicable Me 4), Fly Me to the Moon was a much needed palette cleanser. It's actually funny when it's trying to be, and there's plenty of heart mixed in. Plus, maybe aside from Woody's Moe, all the characters are pretty likable, especially Ray Romano"s Henry and the overtly flamboyant, finnicky, and over-the-top director, Lance.

The content for the movie embraces the PG-13 rating pretty well. For a good portion of the movie at first, I honestly was surprised it was just rated PG. However, as the movie progressed, the profanity began to pick up, and by the end of the movie, Woody dropped the "F" word in a way that just really felt especially unnecessary. There are very few uses of innuendo (mainly just a comment Kelly makes about not wanting to "stop, drop, and roll" with Cole, after they first meet and he tries to tell her her book caught on fire by saying "you're on fire"). And while nothing is ever shown, Kelly makes a passing comment about Lance having a "boyfriend." (It's pretty obvious by his stereotypical behavior that he's quite gay.) Violence is minor, mostly limited to just a couple little moments that are played for laughs, but a previous NASA tragedy from Cole's past is often referenced, and at one point we see a flashback of a rocket's cabin smoldering.

There's a sequence that caught me by surprise when Kelly and Cole go around to various politicians to campaign for their support of NASA. They end up at the home of a very conservative and "religious" Christian politician where they seem to try to sway him by pretending to have faith themselves. Cole surprises Kelly when he jumps in to talk about how spiritual space flight can be, and begins to quote scripture. It works, and when they leave the man's house, a stunned Kelly congratulates Cole on basically successfully conning the man. Cole defensively said he wasn't lying, and responds that sometimes being genuine is just as effective as lying to someone. It took a cringy sequence that felt like it was belittling faith and flipped it to be one that was actually sincere. It definitely got me in the heart.

Overall, Fly Me to the Moon might not top the box office, but it's one of those really delightful period "dramedies" that makes fictionalized real life events fun to watch and make history more accessible. If you like movies with a good mix of comedy, romance and history, this one is a great choice.