Tag banks on the premise of this group of guys all playing a game of Tag that has lasted 20+ years. There isn't much of a story developed other than a couple of events to escalate (Jerry's wedding and potential retirement doesn't develop things, it only serves as a catalyst to throw the game into overdrive) and this is one of the few movies where I appreciated that. Tag is at its best when the characters are dropping one-liners at each other's expense or playing the game itself. Its when they try to bring in other elements to the story that Tag gets bogged down. The streamlining of the plot helped the movie operate at a quicker pace and I enjoyed that part of Tag.
The action scenes in this movie are improbable and stretch plausibility. The scene in the woods encompasses this the best. But there is one standout aspect to them. Jeremy Renner's character of Jerry is a generational talent at the game of tag and he can anticipate the strategies and movements of his friends before they even happen. The scenes featuring Jerry are a sneaky satire of the Guy Ritchie/Robert Downey Jr. Sherlock Holmes movies and even though I really dig those movies, the scenes were hysterical. They had a fun flow to them and despite the rest of the ensemble acting like goofballs to sell how awesome Renner's character is, they were some of the best parts of Tag.
Tag brought together a mix of established comedians/comediennes and a few unexpected dramatic actors/actresses to cut loose. Ed Helms is playing a very Ed Helms character as Hogan, he's a little more animated than usual but he's a veteran and performs capably. The same goes for Jake Johnson as Randy 'Chilly' Chillano. I liked him here, he tends to be someone who needs good material to be effective, but he did his job. Jon Hamm seems like an odd choice (considering his age and his dramatic background) but it was also fun to see him do something unexpected in this. He also had his moments where he was just as funny as everyone else. My 2 favourites members of the cast were Hannibal Buress as Kevin Sable and Jeremy Renner as Jerry. Buress isn't stretching but his dialogue and his delivery were on point and he probably had me laughing the hardest out of anyone. Jeremy Renner also looked like he was having a blast cutting loose in this. He's usually very stern and low-key and he was great as this guy whose ability transcends this game. I also want to compliment Isla Fisher and Leslie Bibb as Anna Malloy and Susan Rollins respectively. They were both very funny in their own right (especially Isla) and it would be great to see them both take on more comedic projects like this.
Tag has more than enough stuff to enjoy but it did have some problems that brought the movie down a little. Most of the subplots fall flat on their face. I couldn't have cared less about Annabelle Wallis' character Rebecca or the fact that she was covering this unusual story. Callahan and Chilly fighting over Cheryl (Rashida Jones) comes across as half-baked and felt like it should have been cut out of the movie. They gave Isla Fisher and Leslie Bibb great moments, I just wish Annabelle and Rashida could have some strong material to work with as well. I also thought the ending got a little melodramatic, I definitely liked where the movie was coming from emotionally but the drama surrounding Hogan felt tacked on and just out of left field (especially since the movie has no problem mocking chancy material throughout).
Lastly, I liked the message/underlying theme that Tag is promoting. Whether you think a group of grown men playing tag is awesome or shockingly immature, the message of lasting friendship was heart warming. As the movie addresses, when you're young, you think you're going to have the same group of friends forever. This is almost never the case, but I liked the camaraderie this group had and I can see why someone looked at this story and was inspired by it.
I got some big laughs out of Tag and that was enough to make it a worthwhile trip to the theatre. This won't be a transcendent comedy where I watch it regularly but I'm happy I took a chance on it. If you're looking for something to get a few belly laughs out of and don't mind seeing something a little on the immature side, give this a shot. My actual rating for Tag is 7.5/10 rounding up to an 8/10.
