Product Details

• Actors: Justin Long, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Rob Corddry, Missi Pyle
• Directors: Talmage Cooley
• Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Lions Gate
• DVD Release Date: November 24, 2009
• Run Time: 99 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002NPY7GI
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #139,806 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Chase Revere (Justin Long) has few friends, gets no attention from girls, and spends the majority of his time dressed in costume giving tours of his small town’s widely ignored historic battlefield. He is ready for a major change in his life, and fast. When he discovers plans for an Indian casino to be built on top of his beloved battlefield, Chase and the town siren Lucy (Emmanuelle Chriqui) launch a comedic offensive against the project.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Glad I Took a Chance, December 21, 2009

By 

Mike Shoreham - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taking Chances (DVD)

When I had heard that the guy who does the "Hi, I'm a Mac" t.v. commercial was in this film, my interest was piqued. Didn't know who the other actors were.... didn't matter: the story, a variation on the David vs Goliath theme, was compelling. It is unfortunate that the cover art of the DVD gives the impression of this being a teenage romantic comedy. The movie itself belies that image - it's a complex, textured story about good and evil, innocence and knowing, honesty and deceit. My only criticism: perhaps the movie tries to take on too many deep contradictions. Even so, "Taking Chances" is worth watching.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A surprisingly great watch!, December 19, 2009

By 

Amanda M - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Taking Chances (DVD)

I bought this film because I think Justin Long is funny and I thought it looked like a cute love story. Now, I was reticent because I thought the cover is cheesy, but I decided to get it anyway. It was so much better than I imagined! And it wasn't just a love story, more of a coming of age film about a young guy who is trying to figure out his place in his town and therefore the world. I laughed out loud, which I rarely do, and I was also really touched by it. It's quite witty, not big slapstick humor. I also thought it captured the current political climate of main street economic struggles and the corruption of government and big business. I strongly recommend it. Pleasant surprise!
Taking Chances

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "History Is the Foundation Stone of Our Past", October 9, 2010

By 

HIRAM "The Widow's Son" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taking Chances (DVD)

While I have no shame in admitting that Justin Long is probably the longest crush I've suffered thus far, his latest vehicle TAKING CHANCES (2009) is a bit of a disappointing film to review. Political satire is not easy, yet it is even harder to evaluate. Just ask Michael Moore.

Set in "Patriotville", South Carolina, TAKING CHANCES is about exactly that: taking a chance on better prospects. Director Talmage Cooley handles this fairly well, for his third-time outing.

The film, hinging around a poor, small, broken South Carolingian town getting an Indian casino, is full of that rare repartee that is witty, near-slapstick (and often ad-lib) that makes these films such a treat. THE SASQUATCH GANG, another of Long's starring roles, came to mind as I watched this. Some knee-slapping, biting back-and-forth brought to mind some of the ridiculous political fart gas that is going around the nation now, without beating it to death. Very well done.

Here, Long plays Chase Revere, presumably a descendant of Paul Revere's and very proud of the history of his town and the "Revolutionary battle" that took place there. According to Chase--who is docent at the local historical museum--the British captured the town but the winter was so harsh that they all agreed to merely pretend the British were holding them captive. They developed a cooperative community and after the war the British simply settled there. Silly, but rather affecting. A real lesson in the lack of America's historical knowledge.

Into Patriotville comes a group of Algonquians, looking for some choice real estate to build the casino. The greedy mayor, sheriff and others concoct a plan to get the Indians to sign a certain legal document that would make the casino belong to the town--without having to pay them the million dollars they have demanded. These guys are so hilarious I would think it's obvious...but I won't spoil it. Add to this mix a fishy Bureau of Indian Affairs agent and you've got...well, a history's mystery!

Much of what I enjoyed of this film visually has to do with the setting, which is (I assume) a lovely little run-down hamlet in South Carolina. Not having time to check if Patriotville is a real place (I doubt that), I just pretended that it was real. Mostly I had fun looking at the beautiful Justin Long and his equally appealing best friend Digger Morris (Aussie-born Keir O'Donnell).

The only deep disappointment I felt about this film was the end. It sort of sagged out very rapidly, and then it was over--not what I expected. Rather pessimistic and humorless, as if everyone had better things to do before finishing this film correctly. A few confusing problems with continuity also ruined what I think might have become a cult classic.

I hadn't heard of this movie before today; I saw it on cable and was excited to see Justin again. Thus we stumble on these rough little gems, but I have to ask myself, Why bother if no one will see it?