"Fly Me To The Moon" - a movie review.

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Fifty-five years ago those words were first entered into the annals of history by Neil Armstrong as he became the first man

to step on the moon. And while Hollywood didn't commemorate the occasion with a dramatic biopic of the moon landing, Hollywood has provided us with a delightful romantic comedy

centered around the Apollo 11 mission with "Fly Me To The Moon".

A surprise treat of the summer movie season, "Fly Me To The Moon" features Scarlett Johansson in the role of a spirited marketing executive whose success in the field is largely due

to her blatant disregard for the truth. As such, she is secretly recruited to build up interest in thespace race between The United States of America and the Soviet Union during the 1960s so that NASA will receive the funding it needs to fulfill President John F. Kennedy's vision of landing a man on the moon before the decade is completed. And since in all of the history of

fashion, the Jackie Kennedy style dresses of the 1960s rank as some of the prettiest, female members of the movie watching audience will want to leave their debit cards at home when they go to see the film. For Scarlett Johansson wears a variety of stylish dresses all throughout the motion picture that will make one want to indulge in a shopping spree afterwards.

In an age when Internet conspiracy theories run rampant in such a believable manner that it is hard for even the most educated of readers to sift fact from fiction, the plot of "Fly Me To The Moon" actually centers around one such conspiracy theory - that the moon landing was nothing more than cinematography on a backlot. As Scarlett Johansson's character is then

summoned, unbeknownst to NASA, to recreate the moon landing in a warehouse so that if the camera on the Apollo 11 mission should fail, there would still be something to air for the 650 million people audience that tunes in to watch the landing on the moon.

The male protagonist of the film is portrayed by Channing Tatum. A Hollywood actor who was actually born in Cullman, Alabama. And who portrays the truth conscious launch director who is haunted by the tragedy of the Apollo 1 mission. In what is perhaps the most astonishing twist in "Fly Me To The Moon", given Hollywood's frequent history of antagonism towards all things Christian, Channing Tatum's character actually quotes from The Bible in the scene when they are trying to convince the Senator from Louisiana to vote in favor of funding the mission. "The Heavens declare the glory of God ; and the firmaments showeth His handiwork" is a quote from Psalms that was a favorite of the German scientist, Wernher Von Braun, who developed a lot of his space rocket technology while based out of Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. And it is this quote that Channing Tatum's character refers to in a positive portrayal when discussing the matter with the Senator from Louisiana who considers politics his secondary career while his primary career is serving Christ.

A light-hearted romantic comedy with a touch of history in the style of "Legally Blonde" and "Sweet Home Alabama" given Scarlett Johansson's portrayals of various Southern Belles throughout the film, "Fly Me To The Moon" is a delightful movie that leaves audiences feeling both informed and happy. And given the dearth of good movies being released this summer, it is a must see.

Luisa Reyes is an attorney in Tuscaloosa with a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Judson, a master's degree in library science, and a law degree from Samford's Cumberland School of Law. She is also a piano instructor and vocalist.