Tag

Loved the idea, based on a true story, the advertising was interesting and the cast is a talented one (Jeremy Renner, Isla Fisher and John Hamm particularly have shown themselves to be more than capable in a lot of things). 'Tag' had the potential right off the bat to be a fun and intriguing film, regardless of its mixed critical reception.

'Tag' turned out to be just that, fun and intriguing with some over-the-top excitement and a few tender moments. It is far from perfect and it is not great or one of those unforgettable films of the ages films, with content that is not going to be for all tastes, but it did make me smile and laugh and a lot of effort went into it. Neither one of the best films of the year or the worst, instead it's somewhere in the middle which is not too bad a position to be in.

It looks good, slick, stylish and sometimes clever, never incoherent. The music appeals on the ear and is hardly ill fitting. The direction shows an ease with the material and allows the cast and their chemistry to shine. Much of 'Tag' goes at a lively pace and the cast are stellar mostly, Jeremy Renner and Isla Fisher being particularly good.

A good deal of the film is very funny and often hilarious. Am actually not always a fan of lowbrow comedy, am more a sophisticated, witty and subtle (and also dark and screwball) sort of person myself, but there are times where it's done well thanks to the wit, the sharp timing and the comic timing of the cast and 'Tag' is one of those examples. A few touching tender moments too and it makes the game of tag interesting and exciting.

However, 'Tag' is not perfect. The flimsiness of the story does show in moments of slack pacing in some extraneous scenes (namely the dramatic ones). The film sometimes goes overboard on the sentimentality, the tacked on (or that's how it felt) ending, as well as the over-the-topness.

While most of the cast are fine, Leslie Bibb's overacting does get too much quite badly that it gets tiresome. Didn't see the need for Jake Johnson's character when nothing is done with him, merely an example of a just there stereotype. Do agree that some of the content is distasteful, am not surprised actually at the offense the miscarriage jokes/parts have garnered (can be known to find things found controversial blown out of proportion in film, not this time with it being one of the worst things one can go through).

Summing up, an uneven film but an enjoyable one. 6/10 Bethany Cox

I think a lot of people missed the idea of the movie, this is not the usual comedy where you laugh out loud, this is a funny-ish made serious movie about long lasting friendships, about life and its struggles and that family and friends is what you should care about the most

Based on a true story. For one month every year, five highly competitive friends organize no-holds-barred game of tag they've been playing forever - risking their necks, jobs and relationships to take each other down with the battle cry "You're It!"

This time, the game coincides with the wedding of the gang's only undefeated player, which should finally make him an easy target...

Starring Ed Helms, Jeremy Renner, John Hamm, Jake Johnson, Hannibal Buress, Isla Fisher, Leslie Bibb, Rashida Jones, Annabelle Wallis et al.

I mentioned all these people that may be hard to remember just by name, because "Tag" comedy is essentially a team comedy, an effort where the success depends very much on the flow and synergy between actors.

The good news is, since they're all professionals who do this kind of thing all the time, there's no trouble here. Basics are solid.

Even the best-known names, such as Helms, Hamm (of "Mad Men" fame), or Renner are here for the team, nobody's in star position.

Except maybe Helms, a versatile comedian offering his usual mix of sweet, sensitive and funny. The problem with him is that he does the same thing all the time, so any movie will feel a bit more generic just by having him.

But it's not just all comedy. "Tag" is also kind of an action movie, although in unusual way. There is only little amount of actual, you know, action, although the handbag fight is a standout part.

But the clever use of slow motion gives the scenes of grown-ups playing tag a distinct feel of an action movie, with all the amateur parkour and dangerous stunts to get away from being tagged. Nicely done.

For an R-rated adult comedy, "Tag" is also refreshingly obscenity-free. There's only character who has a bit of a foul mouth (a female, by the way) and the amount of dirty jokes is less than average.

We still have a constantly pot-smoking character but no modern comedy would be complete without drug-jokes.

In summary, "Tag" is more about atmosphere and flow than heavy on laugh out loud moments. You may not remember it that well in couple of day's time but it's breezy fun while it lasts.

For a bit of escapist entertainment released during summer season, I've seen a lot worse.

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.

I went into this with low expectations. Honestly, an entire film about adults playing the game of tag?

I was pleasantly surprised how funny this film was! I haven't laughed this hard in a LONG time! It is a fast paced comedy that wears its R rating proudly - it is rude, crude and funny!!

This film is all about excellent acting, great direction and wonderful editing. The plot is paper thin but I was never bored..

Don't let the plot dissuade you from seeing this. I actually laughed so hard I missed a lot of the jokes! will probably buy this on bluray so I can catch up with what I missed.

Enjoy. 8/10