SYNOPSIS: As the summer of 1988 winds down, three friends on the verge of adulthood attend an out-of-control party in celebration of their last night of unbridled youth. Starring Topher Grace, Anna Faris, Dan Fogler and Teresa Palmer, Take Me Home Tonight is a raunchy, romantic and ultimately touching blast from the past set to an awesome soundtrack of timeless rock and hip-hop hits.

Recent MIT grad Matt Franklin (Topher Grace) should be working for a Fortune 500 company and starting his upward climb to full-fledged yuppie-hood. Instead, the directionless 23-year-old confounds family and friends by taking a part-time job behind the counter of a video store at the Sherman Oaks Galleria.

But Matt’s silent protest against maturity comes to a screeching halt once his unrequited high school crush, Tori Frederking (Teresa Palmer), walks into the store. When she invites him to an epic, end-of-summer party, Matt thinks he finally might have a chance with the girl of his dreams. With his cynical twin sister Wendy (Anna Faris) and best friend Barry (Dan Fogler), Matt embarks on a once-in-a-lifetime evening. From stealing a car to a marriage proposal to an indescribable, no-holds-barred dance-off, these friends share experiences that will change the course of their lives on one unforgettable night in the Go-Go ’80s.

REVIEW: Please don’t tell me that the 80s are making a comeback. I was there, I lived it, it was my teenage years and I wouldn’t mind erasing it from my memory banks . . . well almost. I think the 70s were cool and funky but the 80s tried too hard to make its own identity and I’m not so sure it is a good one. Nevertheless, I’ve got to admit that the 80s look and sound is very well captured in this movie and it’s not as tacky as in The Wedding Singer, for example. I mean, sure, The Wedding Singer was meant to be tacky and exaggerated, so in comparison this one does look more realistic. The music used in the film was really good, or at least for someone like me that can recognize it. The title of the film itself is a good indication of that. The wardrobe, the hairstyles, and the props were all very 80s. I grew up on this stuff. Unfortunately for the movie though, this was arguably the best part of it. Overall, the movie was cute but it was also slow, weak, and very cliché. There were some redeeming moments, but not enough of them. This film tries to be a lot of things but it doesn’t quite excel in any of them. This movie is a romantic comedy/drama but it was weak in all three. I didn’t find the movie to be all that romantic, there were some funny moments but I wouldn’t call it a laugh out loud hit, and the drama lacked substance and depth. Heck, some of the similar movies from the 80s had more substance and depth than this one and that is saying a lot.

The film does have a well assembled cast except for the fact that Dan Fogler doesn’t quite look like a guy only a handful of years out of high school. He does do a good job of playing the best buddy sidekick though. Other than the well portrayed 80s aspect of the movie, the next best thing is Topher Grace in the lead role. Regardless of the weaknesses of the movie, he does deliver a decent performance. Teresa Palmer was perfectly cast for her role as the love interest and all around hottie of the movie. Fortunately, she’s a hottie with some depth and not just a pretty face. I was a little concerned with Anna Faris while watching the movie. She plays Topher’s twin sister and although she also does a decent job with her character, this was far from the Anna Faris we are accustomed to seeing on the big screen. I was expecting more of a comic relief role which is her expertise, but there wasn’t much comedy associated to her character. It was a little confusing. It was nice to see Michelle Trachtenberg in action again. I hadn’t seen her since 17 Again. She is one of the reasons why I love the movie EuroTrip. Lucy Punch has got herself a niche in playing the psycho chick roles such as in Hot Fuzz, Dinner for Schmucks, and this one too. She is freaky and it’s a good thing for her. This is Director Michael Dowse’s first major mainstream motion picture and it is a respectable production. Even though it has its weaknesses, it is not cheap.