Matt Franklin is on a fast track to nowhere. A recent MIT graduate, Matt has taken up employment at the local Suncoast Video, buying his time as he attempts to figure out what he wants to make of his life. But when his high school crush enters the store and invites him to a party, he quickly concocts a lie that puts him in the driver's seat to promotion at Goldman Sachs. Needless to say, its gonna be a long night!
Topher Grace does a good job at playing the 'odd' guy from high school. His impeccable comedic timing makes his character here similar to the one he played in 'That 70s Show' which had just wrapped shooting before Grace shot this film. (Yes, Take Me Home Tonight was originally made in 2007 and shelved for a then unknown 2011 release date.) The similarity between the characters halts Grace's claim at versatility, though for the sake of this film, it bears no effect at all.
As for his co-star, things were just as rocky. It must be noted that while her acting wasn't bad whatsoever, her makeup artists really messed with her physical presence. Let's just say that the poster image shot of the glamouring actress is not a still of her character Wendy. The fact they had her hooking up with one of the school's most popular guys is highly far fetched, and a bit confusing now that I think about it, especially when put her next to the beautifully crafted Tori Frederking (aka Teresa Palmer).
But the film isn't all about the characters or the way they look (for the most part). Instead, I spent more time focusing on the music (which was greatly disappointing) and the jokes. I was a bit frustrated that there weren't any horrific 80s references (other than a blown up Whitney Houston advertisement), and the presence of bleached ty-dy clothing was nearly non-existent. The door stood wide open for countless laughs, and although I did chuckle some, it wasn't nearly as much as I could have. I mean, they didn't even play the Eddie Money track that shares the same name as the film's title. I just assumed that was a given.
Overall the story is humorous, though sadly one dimensional. We know the ending before we ever begin, and while we would all love to put ourselves in the shoes of Matt, we know that in reality it rarely, if ever happens. And while Take Me Home Tonight doesn't thrive itself on its believability, to some degree we all want to see something of relavence. The film is good, and would make for a series of great drinking games, however, as an 80s comedy, it had the potential to be much more!
