'Take Me Home Tonight'

'Take Me Home Tonight' (R) (rental)

Writers: Jack and Jeff Filgo
Director: Michael Dowse
Starring: Topher Grace, Dan Fogler, Teresa Palmer, Anna Faris, Chris Pratt,
Demitri Martin, Michael Ian Black, Michael Biehn, Lucy Punch, Michelle Trachtenberg,
Bob Odenkirk, Angie Everhart

"Take Me Home Tonight: is a generic title for a movie and it fits because the movie has cliches and is sometimes really thin. There is nothing here that is fresh, new or exciting, it has been done before. Then why did I have a slight affection for a movie that I should have detested? First, I am a sucker for movies set in the 70's and 80's and this movie is not as bad as some of the other "American Graffiti" knock offs. I guess it is because I grew up during the 80's so there is nostalgia that gets to me even though the movie is unremarkable. The movie is just forgettable but there are some performances I liked. The movie is about that old nerdy high school kid who is now grown up and sees his high school crush as a young adult. We know all the moves here and what will happen. The man will lie to his crush that he has an important job when he really works at a video store. There will be a wild party where he will hook up with the girl and you know the rest.

I should dislike this movie but there is something here that is innocent and sweet and I really like Topher Grace. He does a very good job at getting us and his crush to like him. The high school crush is played by newcomer Teresa Palmer (Sorcerer's Apprentice) and she is pretty and charming here. I like seeing these two together and the strongest scenes are with just them. Also good here is Anna Faris who is totally subdued here and I like it, she was starting to annoy me with her same old schtick. Chris Pratt (TV's Parks and Recreation)is good as the typical arrogant, preppy bad guy though here he is not the rival of the hero for the crush. Also comedian Demitri Martin steals the movie with a very funny turn as a paraplegic. Someone needs to sign up Martin for his own movie! It was also good seeing Michael Biehn (Terminator) who for some reason never became the 80's heartthrob he should have been.

"Take Me Home Tonight" has the usual 80's soundtrack that if you guessed which songs would be in it you would pretty much be correct. There are a lot of dead spots and jokes that fall flat. There is a very bad and uncomfortable sex scene with Dan Fogler and Angie Everhart. I like Fogler in the movie but compared to Jonah Hill and Jack Black he is small time. The movie is extremely ordinary but I was never bored, I laughed a few times and I really liked Grace and Palmer. This would be a good movie to wait for on DVD and you could have a little 80's movies marathon. Pop in a few John Hughes movies that are way better, then "Hot Tub Time Machine". You have to start with "Take Me Home Tonight" as an appetizer and then watch better movies to see how it is really done. I had heard that the movie was bad so I didn't expect much and I was surprised I didn't hate it. I would take this innocent picture over atrocious, arrogant trash like Adam Sandler's "Just Go With It" any day.

P.S. "Take Me Home Tonight" is a movie that is centered around a big party. It is nowhere near as great as the classics like "Sixteen Candles", "Dazed and Confused" and "American Graffiti". There, I just added more great movies to your movie marathon.