Last Updated on July 21, 2024 by
Fly Me to the Moon (2024) movie is Directed by Greg Berlanti. The film stars Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, and Woody Harrelson with a rum time of 2h 12m theater released July 12, 2024.
Many have arisen over the Apollo 11 project for decades. Was it the US or USSR who won the space race? Neil Armstrong may have been the first man on the moon, but the Soviets got to space before America did. Skepticism remains: it was faked either by Stanley Kubrick or someone else to gain publicity The story’s credited to Keenan Flynn and Bill Kirstein, but as screenwriter Rose Gilroy takes these doubts and blows them up into what the film itself might term an ‘alternate ending,’ now it’s the concept of authenticity that’s being challenged.
At the time, NASA’s beleaguered undertaking had a dual significance: It was about getting to the Moon and winning the space race against the Soviet Union. And yet, the opposite of communism is not democracy but capitalism. Gilroy’s concept for a fresh-take script conclusively shows how the U. S. government employed the tactics of the “Mad Men” period – sans most of the sexism – to sell the lunar mission to the public. Who knew getting America to the moon would require a brainy Air Force pilot like Tatum’s Cole Davis, without the heart of the inventive and in-real-life fictionalized Kelly Jones (Johansson), Apollo 11 may never have made it off the launchpad — or at least not with PR success.
In doing so, however, Gilroy and Berlanti depict a moment in the history of America, where the jingle became the currency … which makes the show much more proactive in today’s world. This phrase means that even if people do not believe some information, that does not change the fact that it is the truth; said Kelly to Cole.
“The truth is still the truth, even if nobody believes it,” Kelly tells Cole. “And a lie is still a lie, even if everybody believes it.”
Honestly, there is almost no possibility that a movie like this could be released and be a success in 1969 (it was the year of the Manson murders, the year when ‘Easy Rider’ became an unexpected hit and X-rated ‘Midnight Cowboy’ received the best picture award). The Vietnam War was tearing America apart back home, and Nixon knew that Kennedy had pledged to land a man on the moon before the final year of the 1960s. Meet Moe Burkus (Woody Harrelson) – a secret agent of the government whose job is to create conspiracies. He comes to a Manhattan bar and presents Kelly (a woman who has been telling falsehoods her whole life) with an opportunity to do an altruistic act. Her task is to change America to support Apollo 11 and it is not just the public that requires persuasion but also some politicians who are on the fence on a critical vote on Capitol Hill. As soon as the ascetic-clad Kelly enters the picture — pretending to be pregnant during a pitch meeting at an advertising agency — it is clear where Johansson’s character stands on the issue.
She is a corporate fraudster while Tatum’s character is an oversensitive adult male boy scout. In a scene reminiscent of “Top Gun”, the two characters first encounter one another at a diner in Cocoa Beach, Florida the night before they meet at Kennedy Space Center as planned. ‘You are hot,’ Cole says to her and as she blushes, she does not know that her notebook is burning. The next day, the two of them are much more distant around each other, as Cole regards whatever it is she was paid to do as a diversion to the mission at hand: getting his men to the moon. Sadly, he has never escaped the guilt of three astronauts who died in the Apollo 1 fire; While not entirely true to the historical account, the film is based on Gilroy’s extensive research consciously employing lesser-known or outright obscure facts and circumstances of the mission.
That’s much less hagiographic than Damien Chazelle’s ‘First Man,’ Hollywood’s attempt at the event and the astronaut. It’s hard to imagine “Fly Me to the Moon” being used in classrooms any time soon, but to my mind, it was far more amusing – and far more informative about the nature of American society. The modern period is all about marketing, and even such a significant activity as this had to be marketed to the people. [After Kelly pitches NASA-themed sponsorship to some of America’s biggest brands (Omega watches, Fruit of the Loom underwear…), Cole informs her that he has no plans of making his rocket a flying billboard. He is an idealist who just does not understand, as Moe also points out much later.
The Space Race is only very loosely premised on the advancement of science. To the people in charge, it’s really about ideas, and the film gets this across without feeling bitter. Berlanti is a versatile small-screen personality who brings a populist, Ron Howardish approach to the job — more ‘Quiz Show’ as opposed to ‘Apollo 13’, as he tells a rather rosy (if somewhat low rent) story of a time when the country rolled over and took what it saw on television.
That is why Moe supports Kelly’s suggestion to broadcast the moon landing, claiming that they can recreate the historical event at a controlled location. Moe more or less threatens to expose her unless she plays along; in effect, he betrays Cole further than she already has by hiring actors to impersonate him and lead engineer Henry Smalls (Ray Romano) for the benefit of the TV cameras. Still, things are out of Kelly’s hands, and she recruits an old friend, diva-like director Lance Vespertine (Jim Rash, enjoying himself to no end), to do something that, even for Kubrick, might be over the top. Given how much weight sincerity holds in their friendship, it remains improbable that the budding relationship between Kelly and Cole could withstand such a fabrication. But that is where the chemistry of the two particular characters is revealed.
In the end, “Fly Me to the Moon” only needs to sell one thing: that there is more to ride, as powerful sexual tension lies just beneath the surface of the snappy dialogue and Clifford Odets-inspired bickering between Kelly and Cole. As for the outcome of the lunar mission, we already know that, but it is always a pleasure watching stars like these. You may also like Space Cadet Parents Guide.
Fly Me to the Moon 2024 Parents Guide Age Rating
Fly Me to the Moon 2024 is Rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Rating (MPA) for 13 for some strong language, and smoking.
Violence & Gore: The movie is also sequenced with scenes of action where characters are involved in a confrontation that may be physical or verbal. It also has hints of historic occurrences like the Vietnam War and the Apollo 1 fire, which could be uncomfortable for some of its watchers. The movie contains some dramatic depictions of the physical training as well as the challenges of becoming an astronaut.
Profanity: The movie contains some vulgar and other strong words yet it is not too frequent throughout the film.
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: There are instances where characters are depicted to consume alcohol for instance, in a bar in Manhattan or a diner in Florida. Characters are observed smoking cigarettes, which was the culture during that period of the 1960s.
Sex & Nudity: They have a scene where Cole Davis (Channing Tatum) is involved and he says something to the effect of, ‘You look great today,’ and Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) blushes in response. There is no pornographic display of the naked human body or the simulation of sexual episodes. Some of the themes you can easily identify in this episode are the growing feelings of romance between Cole and Kelly as demonstrated by the romantic banter and touching.
“Fly Me to the Moon” targets teenagers and adults, who are capable of understanding its themes and symbolism with references to the historical period. Some of the aspects that parents should consider to determine the suitability of the movie include the conspiracy theories, the use of mild language, and the romantic interest stories.
