MPAA Rated – R
It’s 1:37 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right
| Take Me Home Tonight Movie Stats & Links |
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| Starring: | Topher Grace, Anna Faris, Dan Fogler, Teresa Palmer |
| MPAA Rated: | R |
| Released By: | Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment |
| Release Date: | July 19, 2011 |
| Kiddie Movie: | Send them to bed! |
| Date Movie: | My wife said it was “Cute.” |
| Gratuitous Sex: | It’s got a lot, complete with boobs and some weird voyourism in a bathroom. |
| Gratuitous Violence: | Nothing gratuitous. |
| Action: | Nah. |
| Laughs: | Lots of chuckles from start to finish. |
| Memorable Scene: | Nothing totally stood out. |
| Memorable Quote: | Nah. |
| Directed By: | Michael Dowse |
Sometimes a movie is perfect for a certain age group, and from the variety of reviews I’ve seen of “Take Me Home Tonight,” you can probably gauge if the reviewer was in high school in the mid-eighties, maybe went to college during that same time period, also could have been a geek during said eighties and always wanted to ask out the hot chick in high school but never had their “in.” That person will probably love “Take Me Home Tonight,” while most everyone else might have a hard time relating and/or laughing. I am that person who lived the 80’s, and I laughed a lot, but I do understand if you don’t get it.
“Take Me Home Tonight” gives us Topher Grace as Matt, and he’s got a sister, Wendy, played by Anna Faris. Yup, it’s the eighties, Matt is in love with Tori (Teresa Palmer), but he’s a geek heading to MIT and she’s the cool chick. Alas, college comes and goes, Matt finds himself still trying to discover his path in life, a path that now includes working at Suncoast Video, but upon seeing Tori again, it’s time for Matt to step up his game, and what better place to step up a game than at a weekend semi-reunion party at the cool kid’s house. Yup, everyone is old enough to drink legally now, and Matt is on a quest to get Tori’s phone number.
So, sort of like “American Pie,” we have a get-together where lots of people are trying to maybe impress someone else, or just get through it. On the ride is Matt’s friend, Barry (Dan Fogler), recently fired from his job but finding some cocaine in a car he “borrowed” from his previous employer. With that we get a movie with drugs, boobs, sex, a look at high finance (It seems Tori made good, finding herself in the finance world which sets the stage for the second part of the movie as the party-goers end up in Beverly Hills), and oddly, something I could kind of relate to, and laughed a lot.
Look, the movie isn’t the funniest thing out there, and Chris Pratt plays a nice version of Stifler ala “American Pie,” but there is enough to keep the movie going that can make you chuckle from start to finish, that is if you can relate to the time-period of the movie. Seriously, I can see someone being 55 years old thinking this movie is stupid, I can also see the twenty-something’s not really getting it, but for those of us old enough to remember how you always were trying to compete, how sometimes you did stupid stuff but now you grew up and live a little more vicariously through movies, and love classic 80’s music, you’ll probable enjoy “Take Me Home Tonight.”
I nice, little, solid comedy with some romance for people who can relate to graduating in the eighties, I’ll give “Take Me Home Tonight” 3 1/2 stars out of 5, though I can understand if you think it sucks.
As far as the Blu-ray bonus stuff, this isn’t a movie destined for a four disc box set, but the extras are nice enough with some deleted scenes (sure, most were better off deleted), and for music fans, it’s an eighties plethora of memories with quick access to songs during the movie, and a little cast get-together for good measure.
Go ahead, rent the Blu-ray, and put yourself back in the eighties where you sometimes wish you still were.