Every now and then, usually when there’s a NASA-related movie or streaming series coming out, I’ll hear from one or two individuals who are convinced the was faked. As someone who has written three books and numerous Sun-Times columns on urban legends and conspiracy theories, I suppose I’m a semi-popular target for emails that link to “evidence” supporting the staged-landing theory, e.g.
, the inconsistent placement of a shadow cast by Neil Armstrong, or the lack of stars in photos taken by the astronauts. I’ll reply with emails linking to stories debunking these urban legends, thank them for their time, and move on. For my conspiracy-minded friends, the upbeat period-piece NASA comedy “Fly Me to the Moon” might feel like a documentary, what with a storyline that has the government planning a phony moon landing, in case the mission doesn’t go off as planned.
For those of us with our feet planted in reality on planet Earth, this is a wonderfully entertaining flight of fancy, set against the build-up to the July 16, 1969, launch of Apollo 11. skillfully weaving in a myriad of storylines that justify the 132-minute running time, Rose Gilroy delivering a crisp and funny script (based on a story by Bill Kirstein and Kennan Flynn) and Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum igniting the fuse with good old-fashioned, Grade A movie-star chemistry, “Fly Me to the Moon” is a “go” from the get-go. With visuals and a spirit often more reminiscent of late 1950s roma.
