Based on a true story, the movie follows a group of school friends who have been playing the same game of Tag every year during the month of May since 1983. Now, Jerry (Jeremy Renner) - the only member of the group to have never been tagged - plans to quit the game when he gets married at the end of the month. Realising this will be their last chance, Hoagie (Ed Helms) unites the group in a last ditch effort to finally tag him. Along for the ride are Hoagie's wife, the very competitive Anna (Isla Fisher), Jerry's fiancé Susan (Leslie Bibb) and Rebecca Crosby (Annabelle Wallis), a journalist for The Wall Street Journal.
As Hoagie and the gang put their plan into action, the mad-cap antics ensue. All of the cast look as if they're having a blast bringing this incredible true story to life. Yes this is the Hollywood "heightened" version of the story, but it does clearly demonstrate the perils of such a unique game. Throughout the month, players go about their business unaware of when or where a friend may show up to tag them, any alliances that have been formed and most importantly who is currently "it". The result of which is a few clever disguises, a lot of running and some very interesting escape attempts. Jon Hamm's Callahan trying to escape his own conference room by breaking a window is a particularly funny example, especially considering all it got him was a face full of chair!
The real fun begins however, with the entrance of Jeremy Renner's character. Watching Jerry go to ludicrous, acrobatic lengths to avoid any and all physical contact with his friends as they desperately try to tag him is riotous. Renner fractured both his right elbow and left wrist when he fell 20 feet while performing a stunt, his casts had to be digitally removed during post-production. The tag battles are made all the more funny by Renner's parody of his Avengers co-star Robert Downey Jr.'s performance as Sherlock Holmes, carefully considering his opponents' method of attack in slow motion before employing his own defensive moves with Ninja-like efficiency. This in turn leads to more and more extravagant traps and hilarious scenes as wives, girlfriends and just about anyone else are drafted in to provide assistance. In fact, the only time the antics stop is when a member of the group calls a hold in order to make an amendment to the rules.
Despite living at opposite ends of the country, the group from Spokane, Washington are still playing to this day. Friendships that would otherwise have faded are just as strong as they were thirty years ago. It's for this reason that Tag is a movie best seen with friends. Not only is it laugh-out-loud funny throughout - possibly the funniest movie of the summer - it's also quite a heart-warming story about friendship, one that may leave you with the desire to go out and play Tag with your mates.
8/10
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I haven't seen this yet, but it's something I'll probably check out on DVD. I was surprised to hear that it was based on a true story but that makes it a bit more endearing now. Great review!
ReplyDeleteThank you Brittani, let us know what you think when you see it.
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