Tag (2018) Review

 

Tag (2018)

Tag follows a group of childhood friends who have grown up, but never stopped being kids in their years spanning game of tag. 

At one point, I genuinely watched this multiple times a week for months, that’s how much I love this movie. Probably one of the biggest shocks for me coming out of a movie theater was just how enjoyable this was, and still is. I think the premise is what gets you—a movie about a group of adults still playing the game tag. Sounds corny, and I’ll admit, it is. But it’s also based (loosely) on a true story of a group of friends who have managed to do just that—play the same game of tag for over 30 years. 

I’m not normally one for wholesome comedies either (i.e. any animated Disney movie ever), but this finds that crazy middle ground between comedy, action, and heartwarming sincerity that is both extremely engaging and fully able to tug at your heart strings when it needs to.

It takes the classic game of tag and cranks it up to 11 in the form of Jerry, a member of the group who was never tagged, always coming up with creative and parkour-ish ways to escape any situation, something that sounds silly until you see him chloroform, chair surf, and fake a miscarriage to avoid being tagged. What’s important though isn’t the game, it’s what the game is able to do for these friends years later. By playing, it has kept them close, something most of us can’t even say about our own friends post-high school, and allowed them to stay young in a way (something that is important for Hoagie’s sake). 

The cast here is electric, starring Rashida Jones, Leslie Bibb, Isla Fisher, Annabelle Wallis, Hannibal Buress, Ed Helms, Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm, and Jake Johnson. The core of Renner, Hamm, Johnson, Helms, and Buress is simply put, perfect. The way they embody the quirks, banter, and camaraderie of lifelong friends is so well done, with a remarkable amount of chemistry and flow being found among that actors, genuinely make you believe in their friendship. 

Beneath a thinly veiled plot that you definitely shouldn’t take too seriously, Tag, directed by Jeff Tomsic, is an outrageous summer comedy that is a heartfelt and funny reminder to live life to the fullest because you don't stop playing because you grow old; you grow old because you stop playing.

9/10