postulates a New York marketing executive, Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson), hired by NASA. She turns public perception around by combining fast talk, playing fast and loose with facts, and creative product tie-ins (like the real-life Tang breakfast drink promotion). That doesn’t sit well with launch director Cole Davis (Channing Tatum), a straight-laced former Korean War fighter pilot. He spends the movie’s first half trying to ensure that his launch team and the astronauts stay focused on the upcoming mission rather than the new Olympus watches they wear.

 Kelly’s behind-the-scenes sponsor is Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson), a shadowy government type who should wear a black hat instead of the fedora he showcases in every scene. His goal is to beat the Russians, which only happens if Apollo stays financed and focused. But when it becomes clear the mission will launch as scheduled, he has another worry. “What happens if it goes wrong?” So, we get the fake landing conspiracy. Kelly hires an eccentric director, Lance Vespertine (Jim Rash), to film an alternate version of the landing in a large unused hangar on the outskirts of the launch center. Calling Lance a prima donna gives prima donnas a bad name. Calling him the only consistent source of humor in Fly Me to the Moon is sadly accurate.

It’s also sadly inaccurate to call Fly Me to the Moon a romantic comedy. There are comic elements, including the fake landing scenes. Scarlett Johansson is terrific as Kelly, and her non-stop marketing pitches and pivots make for inspired satire on advertising. Turning the astronauts into 1960s product influencers is a perfect commentary on today’s social media world. However, Channing Tatum plays his part entirely seriously, so there are few romantic sparks with his co-star, even when the plot predictably turns in that direction. I think “Fly Me to the Moon” would have been a more effective movie with Jon Hamm’s Don Draper as the advertising executive and with no hint of romance.

That’s the real problem with Fly Me to the Moon. It has elements of a half-dozen different genres, and the result is like combining leftover Mexican, Chinese, barbecue, and Italian meals in one large pot. Some spoonfuls work; others do not. The movie fares poorest when it tries to be a serious drama. Cole felt he should have been an astronaut, and he takes the delays and the Apollo 1 tragedy seriously. Kelly also has some ugly skeletons in her closet Moe uses to make her stay loyal. Other romantic comedies mix occasional serious moments with their lighter ones well, but every time Fly Me to the Moon shifts gears, it’s a jarring transition for the audience. Further, director Greg Berlanti struggles to keep the comic elements under control. Jim Rash is allowed to go overboard so often that he sometimes becomes silly rather than funny. The movie’s big comic action scene turns into bad slapstick featuring an elusive cat on the fake film set.

The things Fly Me to the Moon gets right are often excellent. I’d love to see a streaming network turn Johansson’s Kelly Jones character into the focus of a period sitcom. The costuming, production design, and soundtrack are nearly perfect. Also, the movie captures the thrill and majesty of the thousands watching from nearby beaches and the millions who saw the launch on television live. But the result is jarring every time the film tries to switch gears. Fly Me to the Moon fails to fly too many times to recommend.