Writer: Naseem Randhawa

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Watch this if you liked: “High Fidelity”, “Say Anything” and “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”

A movie that is bound to bring over some nostalgia for being set in the 80's where high school movies like "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" reigned like wildfire, "Take Me Home Tonight", proofs to be an average movie that tries to replicate the good times when its obviously way past its due date.

The film follows Topher Grace (Matt) in yet another awkward role at which he's best at; as a MIT graduate who can't find his place not only in the working world, but in life in general. Things start to get haywire when Matt who has to succumb watching everyone else in his life have a successful career while he works at the video rental store, bumps into his high school crush Tori (played by Theresa Palmer). Undeniably nervous and abashed with his current employment status, Matt finds himself lying about working at Goldman Sachs (a successful investment bank) to impress Tori as she mentions a high school reunion party one of their high school jock friend is throwing later that night. With an entourage comprising of his twin sister Wendy (Anna Faris), best friend Barry (Dan Folger), a stolen car and a hidden stash of cocaine, the night offers more laughs than a disco ball full of reflective pieces.

Topher Grace who has a knack for this kind of nostalgic comedy since his long tenure with TV's "That 70's Show", acts no different than his previous role as Eric, the geeky boy next door with no guts to muster the courage when it comes to talking with girls. Anna Faris who has acted in countless of teen movies over the years especially with the "Scary Movie" series, seems pretty redundant this time in her role as a teenager yet again. Dan Folger as the crazy over-reacting best friend, tries to be the fat guy that helms the majority of the laughs, but sadly leaves us with more feelings of annoyance than humour.

"Take Me Home Tonight" seems to be that 80's John Hughes movie that tried to relive the 'glory days' of the 80's in contemporary times, but instead leaves audience with a strange nauseous feeling of 'glory daze'.

Cinema Online, 11 July 2011