Tag follows a group of friends who have been playing the same game tag for over 30 years. The five highly competitive friends annually travel across the country, willing to go to whatever lengths lengths necessary to tag one another so they can keep the game and their friendship alive. However, when the untaggable Jerry is looking to settle down and get married, the group see it as their golden opportunity to finally pin him down and tag him once and for all.
Tag's premise is as about as zany as it gets, so it may surprise you to learn Tag is actually based on a true story (stick around through the beginning of the credits to see some footage of the real life friend group that inspired this film). Jeff Tomsic directs Tag as his first feature film while Mark Steilen wrote the screen story based on the Wall Street Journal article "It Takes Planning, Caution to Avoid Being It" in addition to penning the screenplay alongside Rob McKittrick. As a comedy first and foremost, Tag needed to deliver plenty of laughs to be deemed a worthwhile venture, and I feel it was successful on that front as I hardly stopped laughing once the over-the-top hilarity ensued.
The extremes which these adult men are willing to go to in order to tag one another is funny in-of-itself, but Tomsic continually escalates the action to another level when things go full slo-mo and Jerry analyzes his friend's sloppy tactics with an inner monologue before thwarting their futile efforts to tag him. Just combine the fast reflexes of Neo, Spider-Man, and Guy Richie's interpretation of Sherlock Holmes and you've got Jeremy Renner's Jerry. Renner may have played a super-spy, government agent, and an Avenger elsewhere, but Jerry would probably wipe the floor in a brawl with Aaron Cross, William Brandt, and Hawkeye because the skillset of those characters doesn't come close to Jerry's. And that's precisely what made Tag such an enjoyable movie-going experience. It over-exaggerates the events to such an absurd degree that you'll have a difficult time keeping a straight face. The physical comedy is far-and-away what will leave you rolling over in laughter, but Steilen and McKittrick's script is full of some clever zingers as well.
While the core concept of Tag is really ridiculous and ripe for comedy, I was glad to see the writers didn't forget to bestow Tag with a beating heart amidst all the insanity. At its core, Tag is about the value of friendship and how games ultimately bring friends closer together and I found that message ideal for such a crazy comedy. The cast's commitment to the absurdity makes a huge difference though, as the silly premise is certainly elevated by their willingness to let their inner child come out and play. Renner got so into it that he wound up breaking both his arms on set, wearing green sleeves for his arms to be digitally recreated with CGI in post-production. I kept my eyes open for any noticeably uncanny arms along the lines of Henry Cavill's mustache-less mouth in Justice League, but I didn't catch anything so I suppose that's a good thing? Regardless, these behind-the-scenes CG-stories just keep getting stranger and stranger.
The ensemble functions as a tight-knit group and have convincing enough chemistry for you to believe these characters grew up together. Ed Helms, Jon Hamm, Jake Johnson, and Hannibal Buress each attribute the proper personality to their respective roles and bounce lines off one another quite well. Helms is the every man, Hamm plays the cool business tycoon, Johnson is down-on-his-luck stoner, and Buress is the calm, collected awkward one. Though even outside the bro group, Isla Fisher manages to be a highlight as Hoagie's hyper-competitive wife.
However, it's fittingly Jeremy Renner who runs away as the Most Valuable Player in this game. Renner delights in playing the all-star player and he bestows Jerry with a mischievous attitude viewers will relish in watching!
Despite the all ages appeal of the game its based on, it should be known that Tag is not a film for the family. While it doesn't push the envelope of the "R" rating, the film's still raunchy. Regardless of that, Tag is truly a riotous time at the theater and the funniest film I've seen all year! Now that you've read this review, you're officially "it." I humbly request you see the film and tag someone else with your opinion to keep the game going!... And no tag backs of course!
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