Tag

Movie, 2018, R

Premise - Based on true events, an adult group of childhood friends have been playing the same game of tag for 30 years. Every month of May, whoever is "it" can tag any one of the other friends (no tag backs), and whoever is the last "it" at the end of May 31st has to live in shame for the rest of the year. The one friend who has never been tagged for 30 years is now getting married in the month of May, which creates the perfect setup to finally make him "it".

Review - Let's be real, I watched this movie for Jake Johnson. There are multiple movies for which I have said this exact same thing. He plays, expectedly, a slobby stoner who still has a charming way with women. But, of course, he plays 1/5th of the part in an ensemble film, for which the plot relies on the camaraderie between all of the characters, so luckily I found a liking for all of them (especially Sable, what a weirdo).

The weakest point of this film is, by far, the screenwriting. Very subpar. But I like the concept enough, and the cast was enjoyable. I loved Isla Fisher as one of the main characters' wives. Though she's not officially in the game, the ferocity and competitiveness with which she helps her husband and the other boys is so endearing, that you know they love her just as much as the other players. It's just that the rules of the game haven't been changed since they were nine.

It's a sweet film. It's somewhat Hangover-esque in that there's a group of guy friends in which one of them is about to get married, the ultimate mark of growing up, yet somehow they're still stuck in this ridiculously immature situation. I just found it to be overly ridiculous at times, and would have appreciated the film more of they made kept all of the ridiculousness within a realm of realism. I loved the part at the end of the film where they show footage of the real players tagging each other over the years in crazy ways. They tag each other in the shower, disguise themselves in costumes, and that's all great. But when the film goes as far as to make one of the players into someone with superhuman physical strength and reflexes, it lost me a little.

The film's other weak point is how stereotypical and one-dimensional the characters were. They tried to incorporate some variety into the characters (a CEO, a divorced pot smoker, etc), there was so much potential to come up with various personalities and situations that would have been hilarious for tag. The wedding situation was good, though overdone (see my Hangover comparison), and there could have been more clever instances of tagging each other in professional or "mature" settings. The reporter character was also bland, a very lazy writing of a female character where she just kind of hangs around the guys and stares in disbelief at how immature and dumb they are, and then joins in at the end for no reason.

All this said, would I watch it again? Yeah, probably. It's a very nostalgic and touching comedy. Makes me want to keep my childhood friends close, as that bond is irreplaceable. And like I said, I like Jake Johnson a LOT. (71/100)

Quote - "You've kind of missed the point. I mean, it's not about trying to get away from each other. It's actually about having a reason to be around each other." 

What to watch for - Jake Johnson?

If you liked this movie, I recommend The Hangover!

Based on the Wall Street Journal article written about a true story
Directed by Jeff Tomsic
Distributed by Warner Bros.