First time going to see a mystery movie in theaters, and since this isn’t widely available yet I will take particular care not to give any plot details that would not be expected by the films description and trailer.

First, i went into this pretty blind, even for a mystery movie. I’ve only caught a bit of a trailer and wasn’t paying attention, I just knew it was about faking the moon landing. So the fact it’s a romcom caught me by surprise. There’s a lot of footage from the period, and there’s a huge build up of importance to the Apollo mission, a very meaty opening. I think the film strikes a nice balance of lofty ambitions and lighthearted comedy, that did draw a few chuckles from me and the crowd. Plenty of good performances here, Scarlett Johansson gets a lot of opportunities to showcase her range, Channing Tatum does well in a stoic, soft undersides role. Woody Harrelson plays a somewhat familiar character with fun energy. However, the true star for me was Ray Romano. He really shines here, and personally I’m pulling for him to get a supporting actor nomination. Elevated every scene he was in. Need a Rayneissance to happen. 

The film itself does take a long time to get to the conceit, certainly over an hour into the film before faking the landing is brought up. I must say, the way the final act fits together does feel very convenient and handwaivey. The film is strongest when it’s dealing with convincing senators, marketing agencies, building the rocket, etc. The final sequence and the will they won’t they conflict feels fairly weak in comparison. 

Still, I would say this was well shot and had pretty damn good soundtrack. Fly Me to the Moon is lighthearted but sincere, funny and charming, but not all that surprising, and it’s dramatic moments felt somewhat forced. Solid movie, would recommend giving a shot.