Posted July 31, 2018 by Amy Smith Uncategorized

Film Review: Tag (2018)

Tag (2018) is an action comedy film that is based on a true story of a 30-year old game of tag that was written in a Wall Street Journal article. Directed by Jeff Tomsic, this film has a star-studded cast list including Jeremy Renner, Ed Helms, Jake Johnson and Isla Fisher. The premise of this film is that Jerry (Renner) is about to retire from the 30+ year of tag to settle down in married life, but he has never been tagged in his life and it is up to the other members of the group to take this last opportunity to get him.

This is such a unique concept, and I was quite excited about this film when I saw the first trailer pop up. However, after I was disappointed with the other game-themed comedy this year (Game Night), I was also very hesitant about this. I didn’t want this film to disappoint me either, especially with the cast list that is connected with this film.

Source: Broken Road Productions

I am glad to say though that this works so much better than Game Night in terms of the comedy and the action. All of the cast are very likeable in this film, and are very relatable. They are different to each other, but with the flashbacks we see of their child selves, we can connect how they are connected in all of this. Jeremy Renner and Ed Helms definitely shine in this film, and they have great comedic timing. I particularly love when we get to enter Jerry’s brain in the tag sequences, and the way they are shot adds to the comedic timing.

The main reason why this film works for me is the story. It is simple in it’s concept and presentation, but there are side stories along the way. This is a heart-warming story about friends that have managed to stay close for over 30 years due to this one game of tag. That is something that everybody wants to have for their own lives, and this film will make you want to reach out to your friends and catch up with them.

Source: Broken Road Productions

The direction of this film by Tomsic works really well. It was clear from the start what the film was going to be about, who we were meant to cheer on and what tone the film would be going for. There are some scenes that work brilliantly, yet there are some scenes that could have been cut out or shortened. The humour does get dark at points, but for me it works in the context of the story.

What makes this film a very good film for me is the ending. There is a twist that may be predictable for other people, but I personally didn’t see coming. It wraps up the story nicely, and matches the tones and themes that the film was tackling throughout and fits well to make it consistent and coherent. They also refer back to the original source at the end credits of the film, and show home videos of them playing their game of tag. This is also a nice touch as a lot of the methods they used in real life was replicated in the film, and it feels like they are staying true to the source material.

Source: Broken Road Productions

Is this the best comedy in the past few years? No. Is this an example of sophisticated film-making that will be a major Oscar contender? Of course not. However, this is a fun little film that has a great balance of comedy and action. You end up loving the friendship between all of these characters, and at the end of the film, you may find yourself wanting to connect with your old friends once again. If a film can make you feel like that, then I say that it is successful. If you liked Game Night, or even if you didn’t, I would highly recommend checking this film out.

7/10

Have you seen Tag yet? What did you think of it? Comment down below and I will make sure to check it out.

Until next time, that was some film for thought.