Fly Me to the Moon (2024) Parent Guide

Manhattan marketing whiz Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) is startled when she’s approached by Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson) with an offer she can’t refuse. The Nixon White House operative promises to make all traces of her checkered past disappear if she goes to Florida and saves NASA’s public image. After a decade of mixed successes, the American public and their legislators are tired of paying the space agency’s billion dollar bills. It will be Kelly’s job to reignite Americans’ fascination with space, pacify lawmakers, and ensure that the Apollo 11 moon landing is successful – or at least looks that way.

Once she arrives at Cape Canaveral, Kelly finds herself butting heads with Cole Davis (Channing Tatum), the operational manager. The former pilot and Korean War veteran is the straightest of straight arrows, and he goes crazy trying to deal with Kelly’s wild distortions of the truth, her uncanny ability to manipulate people, and her drive to monetize every aspect of NASA’s space race. There are just two problems. First, her approach seems to work. And, second, Cole’s insanely attracted to her.

Fly Me to the Moon is, and I mean this in the best possible way, an old-fashioned rom-com. The movie doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it still delivers a story with enough tension to hold you in your seat for the entire runtime. It’s witty and satirical without becoming nasty or going over the top. And the romance has plenty of chemistry without showing any action between the sheets. This movie follows in the tradition of great screwball comedies, with both plot and relationships twisting and turning in zany and clever ways throughout the runtime.

The fact that this film works is down to a very clever script and some fine acting. Scarlett Johansson brings verve and vulnerability to her role as the ever-adapting Kelly. Woody Harrelson is brilliantly cast as the politely menacing Nixon aide. And Anna Garcia brings a light touch and some humor to her role as Kelly’s loyal assistant. Channing Tatum isn’t the world’s strongest actor, but he’s certainly relatable as the wounded yet determined Cole. (But whoever was responsible for the pounds of pancake makeup he’s wearing did him a disservice. How a makeup and wardrobe department that came up with such stunning period dresses could botch up his makeup is the great mystery of this film.)

Best of all, this movie sails in on the low end of the PG-13 rating. Violence is restricted to some minor scuffling and the only sexual content is some kissing. Profanity clocks in at 28 curse words, mostly terms of deity and minor profanities and one totally unnecessary f-bomb. There’s some social drinking and smoking, but nothing serious that will deter teen and adult audiences. Parents will most likely object to Kelly’s non-stop dishonesty: in a variety of settings, she lies with zest, finesse, and style. Surprisingly, though, this isn’t a film that celebrates dishonesty (although it certainly looks like it for much of the runtime). This is a movie that promotes integrity, ingenuity, hard work, commitment, and cooperation. And that, along with a few laughs and a charming romance, definitely means that Fly Me to the Moon has the right stuff.