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With Amazon Prime Day mere days away, the deals are in full bloom. While the big day doesn't officially start until July 16 at 12 am PDT, deal hunters like us are on the move, seeking out the markdowns that are actually worth it (and what you can skip.) One of the pillars of Amazon's daily deals are "lightning deals," aka flash deals offering deep discounts. However, keen Amazon Prime members noticed that these deals are suddenly hard to find.

So where did all the lightning deals go? They're still around, but Amazon made them difficult to see.

Read everything you need to know about lightning deals and how to find them below.

What are lightning deals? Credit: Amazon / Mashable

As you're getting ready for Prime Day on July 16 and 17, knowing the different types of deals helps you shop smarter.

Lightning deals are offers on products only available for a specific amount of time and in limited quantity. They're signified on product pages with a little bar that reads "X% claimed." The deals are available until all units have been claimed or the deal timer runs out — whichever comes first. Lightning deals are usually limited to one day, sometimes only lasting a few hours, and new deals rotate daily.

They're certainly tantalizing — since these deals don't hang around for long, they put the pressure on to buy ASAP. Lightning deals are also only available to Prime members and may not appear to non-members.

Did Amazon get rid of lighting deals?

In the past, lightning deals were a centerpiece of the deals experience on Amazon. They used to be featured in their own category on the 'Today's Deals' tab, however, that showcase appears to have disappeared. Now all the lightning deals blend into the regular deals.

These changes appear to have occurred around April 2024, with Prime members taking to Reddit to discuss the issue. One poster noted that they called Amazon after lightning deals disappeared and were told that the company was updating the system to make it better for users. As of July 2024, lightning deals are active, but the category page has not been restored.

How to find lightning deals Credit: Amazon / Mashable

With the lack of organization around lightning deals, they've lost some of their luster. However, they're still around and fairly easy to spot. All lightning deals can be found on the 'Today's Deals' page of Amazon, according to the customer service page. Since they're not in a separate section, you have to browse through all the product listings to spot a lightning deal.

All lightning deals will be marked with a bar that says "X% claimed" that sits right under the product listing. The higher the percentage claimed, the closer the deal is to ending. Occasionally, you'll also see a countdown clock on the listings, but usually it's just the percentage claimed bar.

When do lightning deals expire?

Lightning deals don't last long, but how long do they usually last? There's no standard time frame. Typically, they last between a couple of hours and up to 24 hours, but because they're also available in limited quantity, the deals may go before time runs out.

Amazon doesn't tell you how many deals are available, only the percentage claimed, so the higher it gets, the closer it is to running out.

Lightning deals expire when either time runs out or when all the available products have been claimed — whichever comes first. If there's a lightning deal you really want, we recommend purchasing it right away, since these deals are guaranteed not to last.

Are lightning deals any good?

We can't categorically say all lightning deals are good or bad. Like any deal on Amazon, it totally depends. Sometimes lightning deals are on products from sketchy third-party products with no name recognition — those you want to skip.

But other times, big brands will be featured with products up to 50% off, and those are the deals to catch. If you're unsure, tools like camelcamelcamel are a fantastic price-tracking resource to utilize. If you find a lightning deal, use the camelcamelcamel extension to check the product's price history to see just how good the lightning deal actually is.

Amazon Prime Day deals

• iRobot Roomba Combo i3+ Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum and Mop — $329.99 (List Price $599.99)

• Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet — $178.99 (List Price $219.99)

• Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen With MagSafe USB-C Charging Case — $169.00 (List Price $249.00)

• Eero 6 Dual-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System (Router + 2 Extenders) — $149.99 (List Price $199.99)

• Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS, 41mm, Midnight, S/M, Sports Band) — $299.00 (List Price $399.00)

FREE SLURPEE: Today, 7/11, is Slurpee Day 2024 and everyone is invited to get a free small Slurpee at 7-Eleven stores nationwide.

The summer heat arrived long ago, and we already celebrated the 4th of July, which means the best day of summer is finally here. Today is July 11, or rather 7/11 which means it's time to make the annual pilgrimage for one of summer's best refreshments.

For today only, head into any 7-Eleven to celebrate Slurpee Day 2024 with a free small Slurpee. And if you're a 7Rewards member (free to join!) you can score an additional free Slurpee to grab between July 12 and July 31.

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In case you've never been delighted by one of the best drinks ever, a Slurpee is a slushy-type drink that 7-Eleven introduced way back in 1966. Unique to free Slurpee Day 2024 is the limited-time-only flavor Mountain Dew Freedom Fusion.

But regardless of your favorite flavor, a Slurpee is synonymous with summer, and you don't even have to change out of your pool-side swim gear to grab a free one today.

If one small free Slurpee isn't gonna cut it for your summer, sign up for the free 7Rewards program with the smartphone app. Once you're a member, you'll get access to another free Slurpee once you grab today's free drink, and you can redeem that anytime between July 12 and 31.

This year's Free Slurpee Day extends to 7-Eleven locations, Speedway, and Stripes conventicle stores.

And for those who are loyal 7-Eleven fanatics, have you considered getting yourself to Japan to try out some fan favorites at that chain in the land of the rising sun? You might be hard-pressed to find a Slurpee machine there, but they do have smoothie machines from the future.

While you're at your local 7-Eleven grabbing a free Slurpee today, check out the range of $1 deals available to 7Rewards members.

You deserve a nice treat today and since it's 7/11, that treat is a free Slurpee at your local 7-Eleven. Happy national Slurpee Day 2024, folks!

Major telecom companies agreed to stop using critical components made by Chinese companies in their mobile infrastructure by 2029.

The three-part docuseries "Culture Capital" offers a viewers a look into the lives and business of emerging entrepreneurs.

Customers in Europe may see an influx of new apps and services for making tap-and-go purchases.

Elliot Page's compassionate, personal trans drama that took TIFF's breath away — watch the 'Close to You' trailer.

In Netflix's"Wonderland", people can recreate the departed and interact with them on their smartphones in AI video calls. Trailer.

'House of the Dragon' stars Ewan Mitchell and Fabien Frankel appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" to share show secrets.

Heard of Project 2025? Seth Meyers took "A Closer Look" at the 900-page pro-Trump playbook in all its unsettling detail on "Late Night."

Ignore vitriol, or turn it into content? Creators like Kacie Rose and Drew Afualo share their tips for dealing with a harsh comments section.

X (formerly Twitter) and its owner Elon Musk have escaped a $500 million unpaid severance lawsuit, successfully petitioning a California court to dismiss the case. Even so, this doesn't mean the matter is over.

A district court judge dismissed the class action suit on Tuesday, accepting the defendants' argument that X's severance plan was not governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). As the plaintiffs had accused X and Musk of violating ERISA, this finding that it doesn't even apply brought their case to a grinding halt.

However, the court made no ruling concerning the facts of the case. In fact, the judge explicitly stated that the plaintiffs can amend and refile their complaint with other claims such as breach of contract or promissory estoppel.

SEE ALSO: Yet another former Twitter/X exec is suing Elon Musk for millions in unpaid severance

Initially filed in July last year, the lawsuit accused X and Musk of failing to fulfil severance obligations owed to approximately 6,000 former employees. Musk famously began conducting mass layoffs mere days after acquiring Twitter in October 2022, cutting its workforce by at least 70 percent.

The complaint alleged that laid off employees were only offered a single month of severance pay, which fell short of the benefits detailed in the company's severance plan. Said plan had been in place since at least 2019, with Musk's merger agreement having stated that employees would be given severance and benefits "no less favorable than" those offered immediately prior to his takeover. 

As such, the plaintiffs accused X and Musk of violating the ERISA through denial of benefits, breach of fiduciary duty, and failure to provide complete and accurate information about the severance plan.

X and Musk didn't specifically refute the allegations that it had withheld employees' entitlements. Instead, the defendants successfully targeted matters of jurisdiction. 

For a severance plan to fall under ERISA, it must involve an "ongoing administrative program" under which severance claims and benefits are determined. The court found that X's plan involved no such program because it determined severance by applying set formulas and mathematical calculations rather than requiring discretionary analysis on a case-by-case basis. Thus, the ERISA does not apply.

Basically, the dismissal of this case doesn't necessarily mean that X has paid all severance it legally owes to the plaintiffs. It merely means that they may have to come at X with claims such as breach of contract instead of for violating federal labour laws. The plaintiffs have three weeks to file an amended complaint detailing any claims they may have which are unrelated to the ERISA. 

Regardless of whether the plaintiffs do refile their complaint, X's legal woes surrounding its Musk-ordered layoffs are far from over. A group of former Twitter executives previously filed a $128 million severance suit in March, another brought a $19.3 million one in April, and last September Musk agreed to settlement regarding claims of unpaid severance by almost 2,000 former employees. Tuesday's order noted that at least six lawsuits have been brought against X regarding severance, as well as five relating to wages and discrimination.

A Jeep plant that closed last year will be among those that will benefit from federal grants meant to help automotive manufacturers and protect jobs.

SpaceX employees are working on plans for a Martian city, including dome habitats, spacesuits and researching whether humans can procreate off Earth. Mr. Musk has volunteered his sperm.

TL;DR: Get Microsoft Office Pro 2021 for life for a one-time payment of $39.97 if you purchase before July 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Retail King Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License $59.99 at The Mashable Shop
$219.99 Save $160.00 Get Deal

Must-have apps like Excel, PowerPoint, and Word are cornerstones of pretty much any type of digital productivity. They're also pretty expensive if you're paying for them every month or year. The alternative is to get a slightly older lifetime license for Microsoft Office, which is exactly what you can do with this limited-time sale. 

Here's your chance to get a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Pro 2021 (Windows) for your device at only $39.97 (reg. $219.99). 

If it's real, then why is it so cheap?

Instead of looking at sketchy software downloads, use this hack to get all the apps you need with one purchase. The reason this lifetime license is so cheap is because it's not the most recent version of this software, and you can also only install each app on one device. Microsoft 365 is the subscription service that gets you all the recent apps, but the tradeoff is you're basically renting apps you used to be able to own. 

This license comes with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams (free version), OneNote, Publisher, and Access. It's the classic productivity suite, and for students, remote workers, and household budgeters, it might be all you need. The license lasts as long as your device does — no recurring costs ever. 

Got an old computer? One of the hidden benefits of opting for older software is they often have lighter hardware requirements. All you need to run these apps are Windows 10 or 11, 1GB RAM, 4GB hard disk space, and a modern monitor.

Is Microsoft Office Pro 2021 worth it for the price?

At the normal price of $219.99 for a lifetime license, Office Pro 2021 would be worth it for professionals who need to cut down on their day-to-day costs by removing subscriptions. At this drastically reduced (and limited-time) price, Office Pro 2021 is worth it for everyone from students who need reliable apps for homework to household browsers who just want an easy way to update their budget. 

Don't miss your chance to get Microsoft Office Pro 2021 for Windows for $39.97. No coupon is needed, but this sale only lasts through July 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT. 

StackSocial prices subject to change. 

TL;DR: Master Excel with the help of experts by copping this Microsoft Excel training bundle, on sale for $29.97 (reg. $399) through July 21.

Opens in a new window Credit: StackCommerce The 2024 Ultimate Microsoft Excel Training Bundle $29.97 at the Mashable Shop
$399.00 Save $369.03 Get Deal

Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. But teaching a man Excel? That's when he can really thrive. Sure, that's not exactly how the proverb goes, but you get the drift. While you're probably used to cursing at Excel, it can also be your best buddy for career advancement, organizing that dreamy European summer trip, or finally conquering your personal budget.

These courses provide you with extensive training on all things Excel. Whether you're a complete beginner or a power user, you can stand to learn new Excel functions with this expert-led training. Through July 21, you can grab it on sale for $29.97.

With 16 jam-packed courses, this training package aims to help you figure out how to make Excel work to achieve your professional and personal goals. With newbie and advanced courses included, you can expect to receive nuanced training. Lessons cover topics like analyzing data with charts, using logical functions for smarter business decisions, creating interactive reports and dashboards, and performing financial forecasting and modeling. VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) training is included too, so you can learn how to use Excel to automate your workflow and make short work of your more tedious tasks.

All courses are taught by StreamSkill, an e-learning platform that has been delivering easy, hands-on software training to individuals, small businesses, and Fortune 500 companies since 2008. You can access the online courses at your own pace and on your own time, and you can stream them using virtually any device.

Master spreadsheets with the help of this 2024 Microsoft Excel training bundle, on sale for only $29.97.

Want to explore more productivity tools? Check out the entire Microsoft for Power Users collection.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: For a limited time, you can get a near-mint condition HP Elitebook 840 laptop with 16GB RAM and an Intel Core i5 processor for just $319.97 (reg. $410). This sale only lasts through July 21.

Refurbished computers come in all shapes and prices, but what good is an affordable computer if you can't use it for anything? This HP EliteBook 840 has hardware suitable for school or office work, and you can score it for $319.97 instead of its usual $410 price.

For a budget laptop, it has some impressive specs, including an Intel processor and twice as much RAM as a typical laptop. While it was originally released in 2018, it's a genuine laptop, not a Chromebook.

What's under the hood?

This model comes with Windows 10 pre-installed and has a 14-inch HD display. That's some good screen real estate that doesn't make it hard to carry your computer around. The battery has up to a 14-hour capacity.

The grade "A" refurb rating means this machine is in near-mint condition. There might be some super minimal signs of wear (faint wear patterns on the case not visible from more than a foot away), but that's it. Even the battery has at least 80% capacity. 

A computer made in 2018 probably isn't going to be a great fit for graphically intense apps for art or design. Where this machine can still shine is with the basics. Students don't need to get an expensive machine just to write essays or respond to emails. And professionals don't need a pricey PC if they're only running Microsoft Office. Still, with 16GB of RAM and a decent processor, it's still more powerful than most laptops in this price range.

Other noteworthy specs include the 256GB SSD, the 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-835U processor, and an overall weight of just 3.26 pounds. It's also got plenty of ports to keep all your devices connected.

Get a refurb you can rely on

Whether you're drafting an email or getting some homework done, here's a refurb that's got your back. 

Get the HP EliteBook 840 for $319.97 until July 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT. 

StackSocial prices subject to change. 

Opens in a new window Credit: HP HP EliteBook 840 G5 Core i5-835U (16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Refurbished) $319.97 at the Mashable Shop
$410.00 Save $90.03 Get Deal

TL;DR: Thanks to the Mymanu Link, you can connect your wireless headphones to devices with an audio jack. Get it for just $29.99 (reg. $49.99) right here through July 21.

Want to make wireless listening even more convenient? The Mymanu Link sets out to do just that — serving as a wireless Bluetooth transmitter and receiver on planes, in cars, for gaming, and more. It aims to make wireless audio seamless and open a whole new world of possibilities. 

Just in time for summer travel and festivities, you can bring home a Mymanu Link for only $29.99 — $20 off the usual price tag — now through July 21, with no coupon code needed. 

The Mymanu Link offers a wide range of options — it's designed for connecting two sets of headphones to wired devices so you and a friend can share a playlist or listen to a movie together. If you'd like to stream navigation directions right to your car stereo, it does that too. The interface is built to make it easy to connect for even the less tech-savvy folks.

With up to 20 hours of use on a single charge, the Mymanu Link will help you groove, binge-watch, and more...all without tangled cords. It offers a wireless range of up to 33 feet, with a premium audio experience even at a distance. It's also compact and portable, so you can pack it up easily for flights, vacations, and road trips. 

Enjoy audio anywhere with the Mymanu Link, available for just $29.99 (reg. $49.99) right here through July 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Mymanu Mymanu Link - Wireless Bluetooth Transmitter & Receiver for Planes, Gyms, Vehicles, Gaming and more! $29.99 at the Mashable Shop
$49.99 Save $20.00 Get Deal

TL;DR: Charge six devices simultaneously with the Flash Pro Plus graphene power bank with MagSafe compatibility, price-dropped to $199.97 (reg. $319) through July 21.

Opens in a new window Credit: Chargeasap Flash Pro Plus 100W USB-C 25000mAh Graphene Power Bank w/ Magsafe Compatibility $199.97 at The Mashable Shop
$319.00 Save $119.03 Get Deal

It always seems like we have several devices that need charging. Make it easy on yourself with one power bank to charge them all.

The Flash Pro Plus 100W USB-C 25000mAh graphene power bank with MagSafe compatibility is the ultimate power bank powered by Panasonic and designed for Apple and Android users, and it’s on sale for $199.97 (reg. $319) through July 21.

This innovative power bank lets you charge up to six devices at once. Recharge the power bank back to 100% in only 70 minutes. The OLED display gives you real-time information about battery percentage and power output from each port, so you can see the status of your battery life. It can also detect and charge low-voltage devices such as headphones, vapes, and watches from each port.

The Flash Pro Plus is lightweight and portable and makes the perfect travel for anyone who’s on the go. You’ll love the convenience of having one pocket-sized power source versus multiple types of wall plugs to lug around.  

Successfully crowdfunded on Indiegogo, this power bank is a game-changer for powering up your tech gadgets at max speed. Charge laptops, iPhones, Apple Watches, cameras, and more. The Flash Pro is compatible with Oppo (50W), OnePlus (50W), Vivo (50W), and Huawei (22.5W).

Get the Flash Pro Plus 100W USB-C 25000mAh graphene power bank with MagSafe compatibility for $199.97 (reg. $319) until July 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Explore more awesome deals from this shop. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Astronomers have homed in on a world they believe might have just the right conditions for a thick atmosphere and an ocean half the size of the Atlantic. 

The exoplanet — a world orbiting a star other than the sun — is LHS 1140 b, and it's about 48 light-years away from Earth, in the constellation Cetus. The planet is a little less than double the size of Earth.

A team of scientists pointed the James Webb Space Telescope at LHS 1140 b twice in December 2023. Using a special instrument called a spectrograph on the powerful telescope, which is a collaboration between NASA and its European and Canadian space counterparts, they looked for signs of an atmosphere. 

"LHS 1140 b is one of the best small exoplanets in the habitable zone, capable of supporting a thick atmosphere," said Ryan MacDonald, coauthor of the exoplanet study based at the University of Michigan, in a statement, "and we might just have found evidence of air on this world."

SEE ALSO: The strange new worlds scientists have discovered this year The James Webb Space Telescope has observed exoplanet LHS 1140 b, which could be an icy world akin to Jupiter's moon Europa, left, or it may have a bulls-eye ocean facing its star. Credit: B. Gougeon / Université de Montréal illustration

Exoplanet hunters have coined names for different types of planets. Many of the known worlds travel in tight circles around their host stars. Smaller planets are mostly divided into two groups, known as super-Earths and mini Neptunes. Although both kinds are larger than Earth and smaller than Neptune, super-Earths can be as much as 1.75 times the size of our home planet, while mini Neptunes are double to quadruple the size of Earth.

The team's goal was to determine whether LHS 1140 b was a hydrogen-rich mini Neptune or a scaled-up version of Earth, covered in water and ice. Their study immediately ruled out mini Neptune, because LHS 1140 b lacked the features of a big, puffy atmosphere. That means the exoplanet could be rocky and have other similarities to our planet.

"But can we say anything about the atmospheric composition of this super-Earth?" MacDonald said on X, formerly Twitter. "That's where things get really exciting."

The researchers' analysis found possible evidence that the planet has a thick, nitrogen-rich atmosphere like Earth's, which is 78 percent nitrogen. The study's result, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, comes from a technique called transmission spectroscopy.

This method studies the starlight filtered through the planet's atmosphere. Molecules within the atmosphere absorb certain light wavelengths, or colors. By splitting the light like a prism into its basic parts — a rainbow — astronomers can detect which light segments are missing to figure out an atmosphere's makeup.

LHS 1140 b orbits a red dwarf star — a much smaller, colder star than the sun — at a distance that would probably cause the planet's surface to be frozen. But if LHS 1140 b had an atmosphere, the world could experience a greenhouse effect, making a liquid ocean possible. The team also found that the exoplanet is less massive than expected, perhaps indicating that 10 to 20 percent of it is water weight.

"We might just have found evidence of air on this world."

Most astronomers agree that knowing what's in another planet's atmosphere is crucial in the quest for habitable worlds. NASA has playfully called Earth's own atmosphere its "security blanket": Without it, the type of life flourishing here wouldn't exist. This cocoon holds oxygen in the air and filters out harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun, all while keeping our world warm. Furthermore, it creates pressure that allows liquid water to exist on the surface.

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Scientists have found signs of atmospheres surrounding many exoplanets over the past 20 years, but all of them have been gas giant planets, like Jupiter, with an envelope mostly composed of hydrogen. The hunt for an Earth-like world swaddled in a protective atmosphere has so far eluded astronomers, but Webb has recently helped scientists find candidates, such as 55 Cancri e or GJ 486b, another exoplanet study for which MacDonald was a co-author.

The LHS 1140 b team's analysis suggests this exoplanet is an icy world with a bulls-eye ocean about 2,500 miles wide on the side always facing its star. The surface temperature at the center of the ocean might even be close to a refreshing 68 degrees Fahrenheit. 

"We'll likely need years of additional observations to secure a concrete detection of an atmosphere on LHS 1140b," MacDonald said on X, "but it's promising that the initial reconnaissance is paying off!"

Don't be fooled by its nostalgic, romantic title. Fly Me To The Moon is not the winsome, star-led rom-com you might expect. Instead, director Greg Berlanti takes a cheeky premise befitting a bouncy '60s rom-com and burdens it with dreary NASA drama and a half-baked showbiz satire thread. 

Sure, Fly Me To The Moon has Scarlett Johansson, smiling and beguiling as a Mad (wo)Man who's cinched and coiffed like a Hitchcock blonde. It's got a strapping Channing Tatum as the stern Tracy to her beaming Hepburn. The stellar supporting cast, which includes Woody Harrelson, Ray Romano, Jim Rash, and the splendid Anna Garcia, breathes life into one-liners and extravagantly long bits. But overall, Berlanti lacks the creative vision to pull all this off. 

All told, Fly Me To The Moon is a disaster that fails to launch. 

Fly Me to the Moon does too much... and poorly.  Cole Davis (Channing Tatum) and Henry Smalls (Ray Romano) in "Fly Me to the Moon." Credit: Dan McFadden / Sony Pictures

Set in 1969, Fly Me to the Moon follows an enemies-to-lovers plot line that pits the noble ambition of a moon-landing mission against marketing. In the corner of scientific endeavor stands beefy but taciturn NASA launch director Cole Davis (Tatum); in the other corner swishes metropolitan advertising maverick Kelly Jones (Johansson). He is trying to get America on the moon. She's trying to sell America on the moon landing. But shucks! The news of late is super caught up with that Vietnam War! 

There's a jarring disconnect between the movie's would-be winsome romance and its clumsy handling of the era's hard-hitting horrors. The jumbled screenplay from Rose Gilroy doesn’t just have its heroine cynically lament about how this grim war's news cycle distracts from their PR efforts (though she does). Berlanti also douses his sometimes-comedy with reminders of the horrid war. So, anytime his love story might start heating up, real-life carnage hits like a cold shower. The tragedy of the Apollo 1 mission, in which three astronauts were killed, is also a heavy thread, knitting together the life-or-death stakes of Apollo 11 and giving Cole a series of scenes to grieve as that failed launch's haunted director. 

This remorse explains why he has no patience for Kelly's relentlessly can-do attitude, the white lies she employs in the name of "selling," and the persistent distraction she is to his work. (She literally pulls his astronauts away from training for product-placement photo shoots.) However, without her skills at selling NASA to the public, the mission could see its funding pulled. So, selling out is regarded by Fly Me to the Moon as a necessary evil — a point driven home by a climactic kiss that features OMEGA® watches in its cozy close-up of the headlining co-stars. 

The total dissonance of the film might be intentional; perhaps it's meant to reflect the conflict between the idealistic Cole and the jaded Kelly. While that might be clever on paper, on screen it makes for a deadly tedious film. There is absolutely no flow or momentum to the storytelling, as one scene of utter despair leads into one of of light-hearted flirtation, then to one of clumsy comic mayhem. 

Is star power dead?  Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) and Cole Davis (Channing Tatum) in "Fly Me to the Moon." Credit: Dan McFadden / Sony Pictures

Critics have been debating this for years now, and Fly Me to the Moon might be further proof that a eulogy is overdue.

Scarlett Johansson gives a lot to this film, including an arsenal of wheedling accents, a megawatt smile that Julia Roberts would be proud of, and a performance that ranges from plucky punchlines to a tearful monologue about a tragic childhood. Yet she can't dazzle thoroughly through all the shenanigans and tonal turns. Con woman Kelly is so throughly constructed of false fronts that even when she gets to her tender truth, it seems just another scheming schtick — amusing but shallow.  

Tatum is similarly shackled by a script that deflates the himbo allure he perfected in the Magic Mike movies, offering instead a stale archetype of a serious science man. Despite some early antics involving a flaming broom and a black cat, Cole never quite manages to solidify into a compelling fussbudget, molded from the likes of Spencer Tracy, Cary Grant, or Rock Hudson. 

Johansson and Tatum don't share a chemistry that can make this movie work for all its faults. Neither is helped by a plot line that runs in circles of highs and lows rather than a compelling three-act trajectory. As Berlanti has a storied history in television, with credits that include Everwood, Arrow, You, and Legends of Tomorrow, I began to wonder if this premise was originally conceived as a miniseries. This could explain the confounding structure that, at two hours and 10 minutes long, feels agonizing.

Broken up into 30-minute episodes, these jarring tonal shifts might've felt less severe, the quirky comedy bits could have been grounded, the dramatic stings given the space to hit with impact. But Berlanti, who won praise at the helm of romantic dramedies like Love, Simon and The Broken Hearts Club, doesn't have the cinematic vision to pull off all these elements. Instead, he take a tale of love and lies and space, and creates something that is often astonishingly visually flat and uninspired. The whimsy of '60s comedies and its candy-colored fashion is lost here.

Fly Me to the Moon is nearly saved by its supporting cast.  Ruby Martin (Anna Garcia), Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson), Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson), and Lance Vespertine (Jim Rash) in "Fly Me to the Moon." Credit: Dan McFadden / Sony Pictures

While Johansson and Tatum struggle, the players around them manage to shine. Jim Rash certainly delivers the flashiest performance as Lance Vespertine, a unrepentantly flamboyant and narcissistic commercial director. Rash brings a welcomed chaotic energy to his scenes, issuing outlandish demands and withering remarks with the rapid-fire spray and viciousness of a tommy gun. In him, Fly Me to the Moon scratches at showbiz satire, gleefully mocking the indulgences allowed an arrogant director. But as Rash is used chiefly for breezy comic relief, the finer points of the critique are lost amid the screeching. 

Elsewhere, Ray Romano pops up as a pal of Cole's to deliver exposition dumps and hit plot points with a practiced efficiency and sly oafishness; Romano turns a thankless role into a needed source of heart. Meanwhile, Woody Harrelson strolls into the vaguely threatening authority role he's played across genres, this time as a mysterious yet intimidating government agent called Moe. He's on cruise control here, with a fedora doing half the work. Nonetheless, Harrelson is amusing, especially as he casually threatens Kelly, then erupts into the title song as he saunters away. 

However, the standout amid these big names (and Mr. Scarlett Johansson, Colin Jost, who pops by in a brief yet excruciating cameo) is Anna Garcia, a brilliant comedic actress who plays Kelly's plucky, politically minded assistant.

Plotwise, her Ruby is a confidante to whom Kelly can spill secrets of the fake moon landing, among other ploys. But in execution, Garcia brings a crisp comedy styling that is bright and intoxicating, whatever mess is going on around her. With guest stints on shows like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the Party Down reboot, and various DROPOUT productions, Garcia first caught my eye in the interview parody show Very Important People. Here, Garcia played an eccentric Eurotrash pop star so convincingly that I looked for Princess Emily's Spotify artist page. (She was probably an Eurovision contender I missed, right?) In Fly Me to the Moon, she steals scenes with sharp asides and eye-catching reactions. Regrettably, as the film plunges into ham-fisted pathos, radiant Ruby is flung off on a lazy romantic subplot involving a character who can be most kindly written off as Nerd Number Two. 

Berlanti aims for the moon and falls far short.  Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) in "Fly Me to the Moon." Credit: Dan McFadden / Sony Pictures

By taking on a '60s-style romcom, Berlanti stacks himself against the talents of such influential directors as Blake Edwards (Breakfast at Tiffany's), Norman Jewison (Send Me No Flowers), William Wyler (How to Steal A Million), Stanley Donen (Charade, Funny Face) and George Cukor (Adam's Rib, My Fair Lady). By folding in so many earnest elements of space travel drama, he invites comparisons to the celebrated filmmaking of Stanley Kubrick (2001: A Space Odyssey), who is repeatedly name-dropped in the film because of those exhausting conspiracy theories. And in every instance, this clunky dramedy pales in comparison, lacking the visual splendor, the emotional resonance, and the incorrigible wit of those that came before. 

With this genre-blending script, Berlanti has a wide sandbox to play in but no idea what to do with all these toys. In the end, Fly Me to the Moon is not just a misfire but a cataclysmic miscalculation, turning out to be far more tedious than enchanting. 

Fly Me to the Moon opens exclusively in theaters July 12.