A hush descended over the cinema car park on Sunday evening. As I parked up and headed for some popcorn, the only sound was a wisp of wind blowing a crisp packet around, and I quickly realised I was alone. Was I in a zombie movie? Had I arrived during the night in error?
No, England were about to kick off against Spain in the Euro 2024 finals, and it seems my decision to watch Fly Me To The Moon instead of the beautiful game was a niche one. I have no regrets!
I've always been a huge fan of rom coms, from Notting Hill to the Wedding Singer, Rye Lane to Sleepless in Seattle. Whilst I don't think this will be joining those in the 'classics I could watch again and again' stakes, it was certainly a most enjoyable return trip to the moon whilst Three Lions fans cried into their beer. Or threw it around the pub when the England goal went in. Never understood that one.
Scarlett Johansson stars as marketing queen Kelly Jones, hired to restore the image and reputation of NASA, but sparks soon fly between her and launch director Cole Davies (Channing Tatum), set against the backdrop of the Apollo 11 space mission.
Into the melting pot goes a little bit of the Cold War, the space race between Russia and America, and NASA's fight for funding as the Government's resources are diverted to fighting the Vietnam War. There's oodles of comedy peppered through the script, and the chemistry between Johansson and Tatum is fab. The ratio between 'rom' and 'com' is about right too.
Woody Harrelson is always good value, and doesn't disappoint as the White House appointed bod, brought in to ensure the moon landings are successful, even if that means more than a little trickery along the way. This element of the story will delight conspiracy theorists everywhere, and slightly indulges those who claim the moon landings may have been 'faked'.
Whilst it has failed to launch at the box office, beaten soundly by sleeper horror film Longlegs (I'll be reviewing that in a couple of weeks' time, along with Maxxxine), I hope it finds its audience. Apparently the bulk of those watching it so far are over-45s (like me!), and they don't tend to rush out to watch new releases on opening weekend (unlike me). In short, it's feelgood, smart, and comes with some genuinely funny gags and decent characters.
Despicable Me 4 is mega fun starring Mega Minions! Worth seeing on the huge IMAX screen if you can, this is a sugar rush of visual and slapstick humour. One of the best entries in the franchise so far, and the perfect summer blockbuster for the kids breaking up for school holidays. Steve Carell excels once again as the voice of Gru, and I loved the honey badger, as well as the scene where the Mega Minions try to become superheroes who help out ordinary folk around the city. Not to be missed!
Alex Cann's weekly film blog - 9th January
