Take Me Home Tonight

Starring: Topher Grace, Anna Faris, Dan Fogler, Teresa Palmer, Chris Pratt, Michael Biehn, Michelle Trachtenberg, Demetri Martin, Michael Ian Black
Directed by: Michael Dowse
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
2011

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: At a party four years after graduation, a struggling guy (Topher Grace) decides to change his life by going after his high school crush (Teresa Palmer).

Review:

Tim: Take Me Home Tonight is a fairly decent comedy. It's not exactly good, but it's harmless, so I didn't feel much negativity toward it. It certain tries really hard to capture on the 80's vibe, but this is really the only unique thing about it. The film is a pretty straightforward high school-ish type movie of a loser guy getting the chance of lifetime to try and get the number of his high school crush, who previously didn't even know he existed. It's fun to see a throwback movie to the 1980s, but with a contemporary level of sleaze and raunchiness.

I felt like the 80's angle was played up a bit too much. I appreciate that this is a modern film set in a previous decade, but the film goes way above and beyond to let you know that this is the 80's- the cars, the hairstyles, the clothes. It's all on display here for our amusement. I think there was a more subtle way to go about it, rather than cramming it all down our throats. Still, it's fun to reflect on the 80s and how it was a very different time than today.

I mostly enjoyed Topher Grace in the lead role. He's a fairly likeable character on screen, and is just barely able to still play the recently-out-of-high-school character. He's good in the lead role, and we genuinely want to root for him. Dan Fogler was a bit over-the-top as his crazy best friend, but these movies all need to have that character. He does create a few laughs. It was nice to see Anna Faris not in a completely ridiculous role, but her part wasn't fully utilized. Teresa Palmer did a fairly good job as the untouchable high school girl. She embodied that role well. I also liked seeing the smaller supporting characters, and people like Michael Biehn, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Demetri Martin did good work. The cast as a whole isn't always great, but they are likeable.

The movie is fairly predictable, but I suppose that is the point. The intention of everyone involved was to make a movie that felt like it was made in the 80s. The movie succeeded in that regard. There are some legitimately funny moments throughout the film, and it's mostly entertaining. I like the homage aspect of the film, but it also felt very predictable. We've seen this same story used continually throughout the 80's and the subsequent decades as well.

Take Me Home Tonight is funny and somewhat entertaining, but it's not a great film. There's too much that feels stale, even when you factor in the homage factor. There's hilarious scenes, but there's also a number of jokes that fall flat. I love the intention behind this film, but I do find some fault with the execution. It was an okay film, but I certainly didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted. Some things are better left in the past.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Superbad