The thing I like about movies is that there is a movie for every occasion. There are serious dramas, historical epics, slasher flicks, and screwball comedies. Not every film has to be an Oscar winning affair. Sometimes all you need is fun. Tag (2018) is a giant dose of fun.
I. What Is It?
A group of friends have been playing the same game of tag since they were kids. They are all grown up, and one of them has never been "it." One of the friends has designs to change that.II. Fun
This movie is a lot of fun. It touches on a few serious notes, but otherwise is a silly romp from beginning to end.
The script is breezy and offers laughs big and small.
The real joy is watching the cast play. Everyone aboard seems to be having a great time, and that energy permeates the film. The cast's chemistry immediately elevates the material. It is hard not to have a good time with them. It's always nice to see Jake Johnson get work, and Hannibal Buress is a laconic, dry stand out. Jon Hamm is reliably funny, Jeremy Renner proves he has comedic chops, and Ed Helms brings his madcap energy and roots the story with a solid performance.
This is a funny movie: it knows when to churn out deliriously inappropriate jokes and when to turn on the emotion. Even if the film doesn't capitalize on enough of its dramatic potential: Renner's character is an alcoholic who has issues being close to what should be his best friends; Buress' first scene is a counseling session where he admits to having severe trust issues; Johnson's character is a man at rock bottom, having been divorced and mentioning losing his business. The film sets all of these pieces on the board, but never capitalizes on them, and that's a bit of a shame.
The movie features a Danzig needle drop: that's just a good time.
The script is breezy and offers laughs big and small.
The real joy is watching the cast play. Everyone aboard seems to be having a great time, and that energy permeates the film. The cast's chemistry immediately elevates the material. It is hard not to have a good time with them. It's always nice to see Jake Johnson get work, and Hannibal Buress is a laconic, dry stand out. Jon Hamm is reliably funny, Jeremy Renner proves he has comedic chops, and Ed Helms brings his madcap energy and roots the story with a solid performance.
This is a funny movie: it knows when to churn out deliriously inappropriate jokes and when to turn on the emotion. Even if the film doesn't capitalize on enough of its dramatic potential: Renner's character is an alcoholic who has issues being close to what should be his best friends; Buress' first scene is a counseling session where he admits to having severe trust issues; Johnson's character is a man at rock bottom, having been divorced and mentioning losing his business. The film sets all of these pieces on the board, but never capitalizes on them, and that's a bit of a shame.
The movie features a Danzig needle drop: that's just a good time.
III. Overstays its Welcome
This is not a long movie by any stretch, but the film does take a bit too long to get to the heart of the matter, and could easily lose ten minutes or so.
IV. Should You See It?
Miscellany
- The movie is based on a real game of tag between a group of friends from Spokane, WA. The guys were really covered in a piece in the Wall Street Journal (story here).- The booby traps in the woods are a direct callback to Predator (1987). I knew it all felt familiar.
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