Sparks fly in all directions as marketing maven Kelly Jones, brought in to fix NASA's public image, wreaks havoc on Apollo 11 launch director Cole Davis' already difficult task of putting a man on the moon. When the White House deems the mission too important to fail, Jones is directed to stage a fake moon landing as backup, and the countdown truly begins.
Scarlett Johansson
Kelly Jones
Channing Tatum
Cole Davis
Woody Harrelson
Moe Berkus
Ray Romano
Henry Smalls
Jim Rash
Lance Vespertine
Anna Garcia
Ruby Martin
Donald Watkins
Stu Bryce
Noah Robbins
Don Harper
Christian Clemenson
Walter
Colin Woodell
Buzz Aldrin
Nick Dillenburg
Neil Armstrong
Christian Zuber
Michael Collins
Gene Jones
Senator Hopp
Joe Chrest
Senator Vanning
Stephanie Kurtzuba
Jolene Vanning
Colin Jost
Senator Cook
Dariusz Wolski
Edvard
Njema Williams
Wolfie's Joe
Peter Jacobson
Chuck Meadows
Lauren Revard
Ella
Greg Kriek
Henry Look-A-Like
Bill Barrett
Cole Look-A-Like
Gary Weeks
Neil Brown
Todd Allen Durkin
Phil Hunley
Chris Vroman
Zack Tanner
Christian Grey Moore
Kelly’s Photographer
Kade Pittman
Fake Neil
Trevor Morgan
Fake Buzz
Todd James Jackson
Gus Grissom
Peter Wallack
Roger Chaffee
Jeremy Carr
Ed White
Eugene Alper
Nikita Khrushchev
Aidan Patrick Griffin
Yuri Gagarin
Alan Boell
Midtown Bartender
Meg Gillentine
Reporter
Rowan Bousaid
Fuel Engineer
Robert McLeroy
Bryce Firmage
Daniel Norris
Police Officer
Rory Keane
Gantry Engineer
Joseph Britt
Joseph
Frank Hughes
Frank
J. Michael Popovich
Pops
Mark Armstrong
NY Times Reporter
Gerry Griffin
Colonel Taylor
Victor Garber
Senator Hedges (uncredited)
Kyle S. Brown
Secret Service Agent (uncredited)
Robert Tinsley
NASA Employee (uncredited)
Director
Greg Berlanti
Screenplay
Rose Gilroy
Story
Bill Kirstein
Story
Keenan Flynn
July 5, 2024
7
"Cole Davis" (Channing Tatum) is the launch director at Cape Canaveral and is charged with getting the Apollo 11 mission to the moon (and back!). Thing is, with the Vietnam war in full swing the public have rather lost interest in the space race with the USSR. Presidential adviser "Moe" (Woody Harrelson) hits on the idea of bringing in marketing specialist "Kelly" (Scarlett Johansson) to spruce things up and get the public - and the US Senate - more engaged with the project before it runs out of money and impetus. She's pushy and brassy and "Cole" hates her! Thing is, though, he also starts to realise that she's not half bad at the hoodwinking game and seems to be making some headway engaging sponsors and senators alike with the aspirations of Messrs. Armstrong and Aldrin to set foot in the Sea of Tranquility. With public interest piqued, "Moe" realises that the last thing they need is a flop, so he tells "Kelly" to create a moonscape and get in her favourite director - "Lance Vespertine" (Jim Rash doing his best Stanley Tucci) to essentially make their own, terrestrial, version of the landings that can be shown to the public should the worst case scenario actually occur. With her and "Cole" becoming closer and the launch date now imminent, it's soon clear that this isn't just a contingency plan - and that might finally present the unflappable "Kelly" with a moral dilemma she can't easily shrug off. What to do? It's quite entertaining, this, with Johansson clearly enjoying herself playing a myriad of parts within her character and there's a decent spark with the better than usual Tatum as the story swipes at politics (largely thanks to a playfully devious effort from Harrelson) and advertising whilst we learn that she is not quite the woman she seems to be. At times the writing is quite funny and the whole thing offers lunar conspiracy theorists (and the disbelieving Soviets) the perfect opportunity for the mother of wet dreams. There's plenty of rocket photography and though maybe just twenty minutes too long, this is one of Apple's better and more creative efforts. You just have to love that mischievous black cat at the end!