“Take Me Home Tonight†is a comedy that at times, would have made John Hughes proud.
Behind great music and a cool cast, it’s got everything a good comedy should have.
Nevertheless, with a story that feels all a bit too familiar, the film isn’t as much the old school blast it could have been.
Former “That ‘70s Show†star Topher Grace plays main character Matt Franklin, the smartest guy in his old High School who never got a chance to ask out his crush, Tori Frederking [played by the beautiful and witty Teresa Palmer]. That inability to take the initiative has translated into the rest of his life and after four years at MIT, he finds himself back at home and working at a Suncoast Video store.
Charming and believable, Grace is the perfect loser with potential. After watching this film, it’s fair to say that Grace has redeemed himself after a horrible performance in “Spider-Man 3†and forgettable appearances in “Valentines Day†and “Predators.†His chemistry with the sultry Palmer is undeniable as well and plays a key role in the overall success of the film.
In spite of this, it’s ultimately his sidekick that ends up stealing the show. Dan Fogler [Balls of Fury] is on top of his game as Franklin’s best friend Barry Nathan. While Grace, Ann Farris [who is solid as Franklin’s sister] and Palmer have essentially endearing, yet cookie-cutter roles in the film, Fogler is a lightning rod for unpredictability. It’s this facet that makes the movie more than an every other ‘80s-inspired comedy.
Two scenes in particular are incredibly memorable, where Fogler bites off more than he can chew with the still sexy Angie Everhart and another that sees him in a dance-off. Aside from that, his character has plenty of one-liners that spice up the funny, but not hilarious coming of age story. Supporting actor Demetri Martin is also a laugh-riot, despite only a few minutes of time on-screen and brings more laughs than most of the main characters.
It’s not that Grace doesn’t have his moments; it’s just that he feeds so well off of Fogler and Martin in their scenes together. Without them, something’s just missing. Feeling vanilla at times, the ‘80s-inspired coming of age film has been done in the past. The biggest problem is that there’s never any doubt that Grace won’t get the girl in the end. We know that everything is going to be okay. We know that the characters are going to change and remember this night forever.
The film’s potential and promise ultimately lies in the few scenes where Fogler runs around and gets into shenanigans. The bottom line is if you find the guy funny, you’ll end up enjoying the film much more than you will if you don’t. Better than the overall sum of its parts, “Take me Home Tonight†is hilarious at times, but terribly derivative at others.
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