Cube Critics

Cube Critics discuss ‘Fly Me to the Moon‘ and ‘Twisters‘

Two movie stills
This week on Cube Critics, "Fly Me to the Moon" and "Twisters."
Dan McFadden | ©Universal

Cube Critics Jacob Aloi and Mandy Thalhuber discuss a historical fiction that was confusing and a movie about weather-obsessed individuals doing anything they possibly could to die.

The following are capsule reviews edited from the audio heard using the player above.

‘Fly Me to the Moon’

“Fly Me to the Moon,” a romantic comedy set against the backdrop of the Apollo 11 mission, stars Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum as a NASA public relations specialist and a scientist.

The film attempts to weave historical fiction with romance by introducing a subplot where characters prepare to fake the moon landing should the real mission fail. '

Unfortunately, Johansson and Tatum lack the chemistry needed to make their on-screen relationship believable, a shortfall accentuated by revelations that Chris Evans was initially slated for the scientist role — a casting choice that might have offered more credibility.

Directed with an eye toward blending significant historical events with lighthearted romance, the film struggles to strike the right balance, landing in a realm of mediocrity without taking any notable risks.

— Jacob Aloi

‘Twisters’

“Twisters” offers a refreshing take on the storm-chasing genre. As a meteorologist, I appreciated the film’s accurate use of meteorological terms, a detail that often goes amiss in similar movies.

The plot centers around a grad student specializing in cloud microphysics who, after a traumatic experience, finds herself drawn back into the world of storm chasing.

The movie features Glen Powell as a charismatic yet over-the-top internet star storm chaser, adding a blend of charm and intensity to the narrative.

However, the film falters in depicting safety during tornadoes, notably a scene suggesting that overpasses are a safe shelter — a dangerous misconception. Additionally, the portrayal of tornado warnings is overly dramatized, with storms appearing suddenly following flashes of lightning, which detracts from the authenticity.

— Mandy Thalhuber