Channing Tatum’s Stellar Return in ‘Fly Me to the Moon’

Was NASA’s Apollo 11 Moon Landing in 1968 Fake?

The movie, ‘Fly me to the moon’, answers this question. To the chagrin of conspiracy theorists the world over, it wasn’t fake, but the movie also makes an intriguing case for why there might have been an emergency fake version of the landing filmed on a set, just in case the actual mission was a failure.

Set in the 1960s, against the backdrop of NASA’s Apollo 1 mission, this movie is a period piece about how NASA sold the importance of the mission to the American public by hiring marketing genius Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson). She was tasked to help improve their public image ahead of the launch. 

Opposite her, playing the rankled launch director Cole Davis, is Channing Tatum. The launch director finds Jones’ tactics, including hiring actors to play the astronauts and to stage a fake moon landing as backup in case the mission fails, absolutely outrageous. Cole Davis already has enough worries on his mind from beating Russia to the moon to keeping his astronauts alive in the process.

Taking a Deep Dive into Conspiracy Theories

Taking a deep dive into the conspiracy theories about the mission and proving most of them wrong was this movie’s goal, and it does make one think. According to the reviews, one of the best things the movie does is how it creates this fake story of the Apollo 11 landing, and it feels plausible.

The three leads, Tatum, Johansson, and Woody Harrelson are wonderful and believable in their roles. Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson seem like an unlikely but captivating duo.

Tatum’s character, Cole Davis, seems to have only one gear. He seems stuck in a perpetual state of anger, without much indication why. While Tatum’s performance is solid, it leaves us wondering why he’s always on edge. But, since that’s one of the requirements to play the grumpy, growly, male lead from the books, he was easily the best choice to play this role.

Scarlett Johansson Steals the Spotlight

Johansson’s portrayal of Kelly Jones, a con woman turned advertising exec, steals the spotlight. She’s delightful, wily, and always effervescent. Whether she’s scheming or sharing a moment with Tatum, Johansson commands every scene she’s in.

Johansson has been praised just as much for her role in the movie. Tatum, at an interview at The Kelly Clarkson Show, claimed, in reference to Johansson, “acting her face off.” He reveals that he is actually a big fan of hers, and how Johansson always brought out the big guns when it came to acting.

Sizzling Chemistry On-Screen

Johansson and Tatum’s spectacular performance shines through with the sizzling chemistry that they have on-screen. They had a great dynamic, and made the movie work, with their whole enemies-to-lovers plotline.

Channing Tatum’s Big Comeback

Channing Tatum has made a great comeback to the movies with this film after a 1 year hiatus. His last movie, Magic Mike’s Last Dance was released in 2023 and made a decent enough splash in the theaters, solely thanks to the fact that it was a part of the infamous franchise, Magic Mike.

He is preparing for the release of an upcoming Suspense thriller, Blink Twice which will be released on August 23, 2024.
‘Fly me to the moon’ will be released on July 12 2024. Make sure to watch it in theaters, to find out the truth behind the Apollo 11 moon landing.