I’m all about waxing nostalgic about the ’80s. Sure, I was barely 5 when they were over, but still. It was the decade in which I was born, and I delight in remembering the quirky, weird, tacky yet awesome things that made the ’80s what they were (even if some of these recollections are prompted by a VH-1 “I Love the ’80s” marathon). And I heart any movie that can tackle my birth decade and do it well (my favorite: “The Wedding Singer”).
However, I’m not too sure “Take Me Home Tonight” will be able to do this. It may have the ’80s references and fashions that could make it fun to watch, but I don’t know if it’s going to have the heart to make it a true ’80s homage classic.
I had higher hopes when I reviewed the trailer back in December. Topher Grace plays Matt, an MIT grade who quits his big-time job to work in a video store. Matt deals with those post-grad “who am I?” feelings while also trying to impress the hottest girl from his high school at a Labor Day weekend party.
I was looking forward to watching these clips, but I found them lackluster. In “The Proposal,” Kyle (Chris Pratt) proposes at his big party to his girlfriend (and Matt’s sister) Wendy (Anna Faris). Nothing stands out here, which bummed me out … ever since I got hooked on “Parks and Recreation,” I adore Pratt. I’m hoping he has other great lines in the film, and maybe this was just the wrong scene to showcase.
But “You Don’t Need To Walk” is even worse. Matt, hesitant to say where he really works, is trying to convince an acquaintance from high school that he has a job at Goldman Sachs. Turns out, that’s where the other dude actually works. But along with this info, we also get a handful of wheelchair jokes, because Matt’s pal’s in a wheelchair. Not very gnarly of the writers, in my opinion. Did they have to resort to making lowbrow handicapped jokes?
Still want Grace and Co. to take you home? “Take Me Home Tonight” will be released on March 4.
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