Tag
Synopsis: One month every year, five highly competitive friends hit the ground running for a no-holds-barred game of tag -- risking their necks, their jobs and their relationships to take one another down. This time, the game coincides with the wedding of the only undefeated player. What should be an easy target soon becomes an all-out war as he knows they're coming to get him.
Movie Review:
"Tag" Is directed by first time director Jeff Tomsic and is based on true events about 5 friends who have been playing the game of Tag for almost 30 years beginning on the month of May. So the friends decide to team up and try to catch the undefeated player, Jerry Ponce. What really works in this film is the hilarious and talented cast and their overwhelming chemistry with each another. Ed Helms who I have been hard on in the past is actually very funny in this movie and I believe it's his best role since the first "Hangover" film. John Hamm who always plays the corporate businessman is an entertaining and relatable character. Jake Johnson who plays Randy, a stoner with a mid-life crisis, might be the weakest aspect of the film; he has a minor subplot near the middle of the film and meets someone from his past played by Reshida Jones, which I felt unnecessary and a waste. Annabelle Wallis plays one of the reporters from the Wall Street Journal who writes this obscure story. I have been a big fan of hers and it was refreshing to see her in a comedy and do such a good job. The two leads who stole the show were Isla Fisher and Jeremy Renner who were the funniest and best parts about the whole film. Every scene they were in was comedic gold. Isla fisher plays Ed Helms's wife who flips from crazy to caring in an instant. Fisher's comedic timing is effortless and just fun to watch her on screen. Jeremy Renner plays Jerry, the one who has never been tagged. When the rest of the cast tries to tag Jerry, it was filmed in slow motion and those scenes are the best parts of the film. There are a few flaws with the film. It takes a while to get going until it introduces Jeremy Renner's character and then the film really found its footing. Also, there are some jokes that missed and fell completely flat and at times were offensive. And I felt that the ending could have been funnier. "Tag" is still a great comedy with heartfelt moments about friendship, a talented and funny cast, and entertaining action scenes (Jeremy Renner and Ilsa Fisher make this film worthwhile). I am giving "Tag" a 3 out of 5 stars.
Director: Jeff Tomsic
Cast: Ed Helms, Jake Johnson, Annebelle Wallis, Hannibel Buress, Isla Fisher, Reshida Jones, Leslie Bibb, with John Hamm and Jeremy Renner
Runtime: 100 minutes