Tag Review
R: Language throughout, crude sexual content, drug use and brief nudityWarner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, Broken Road Productions1 Hr and 40 minutesDir: Jeff Tomsic | Writers: Rob McKittrick, Mark SteilenCast: Ed Helms, Jake Johnson, Annabelle Wallis, Hannibal Buress, Isla Fisher, Rashida Jones, Jon Hamm, Leslie Bibb, Jeremy Renner, Lil Rel Howery, Thomas Middleditch Was Renner attached to this out of spite for not being in “Infinity War”? Seriously, when somebody (most likely Kevin Feige) told Jeremy Renner that he wouldn’t be appearing in “Infinity War” I can just envision him throwing a tantrum and retaliating by stating, “You know what?! I will be in ‘Tag’.” Cut to nearly two months later after the release of “Infinity War” and Renner is pretty much playing Hawkeye in an R-rated comedy where these grown adults are playing Tag.
At nine years old, a group of tight-knit friends--Hoagie, Jerry, Bob, Chili and Kevin--created a game of tag that they played through the month of May. After thirty years, it was the thing that brought them together, even when their lives took them in different directions. However, this might be the last, as it seems like Jerry--who's never been tagged--might quit.THE GOODThese Warner Bros. summer comedies can go one of two ways; you can either be middle of the road or just stink terribly. Last year we had “The House” which I personally enjoyed. The year before that was “Central Intelligence” which was okay. Then, 2015 gave us “Vacation“.
And the year before that was “Tammy” which was also very--
Yeah, WB loves releasing R-rated comedies during the summer and the last good one was in 2011 which was “Horrible Bosses". With “Tag”, there is a surprise amount of creativity that was well thought out, especially for its absurdly odd premise. The best I can say about “Tag” against the rest of the other mentioned films is that there is a style. For some reason, this year Warner Bros. comedies has really upped their game in terms of production quality. “Game Night” featured sequences that were creative given their throw away plot and was decently written.
“Tag” has more style than solid script, but manages to (I can’t believe I’m saying this) use its artistry to be creative. Also THERE IS A SCRIPT! Thankfully this is not one of those comedies that try to float by doing with nothing but ad-libbing. The majority of the time, when the team is playing tag, director Jeff Tomsic successfully makes the viewer a part of the fun where shots are constructed to follow whoever is either “it” or being chased from being “it”. These sequences work the most whenever the group of friends attempt to tag Jerry; they would slo-mo and have inner monologues where Jerry explains every move [as if he's Sherlock Holmes] before he dodges and avoids his friends’ attacks which leads to hilarious sequences of Jeremy Renner being a badass. While it is used mostly as a running gag (pun intended) they never fail to be both comedic and engaging. He makes the game of Tag feel less like a game and more like an experience through his visuals. Even the final shot the film ends on is beautifully mesmerizing and is something you wouldn’t expect out of a standard studio comedy.The cast features a mix of dramatic actors and comedic actors, and to an extent they’re all playing their types which, for the most part, works. When the boys are together, they have a balanced energetic chemistry.THE BADAs far as these typical Warner Bros. R-rated summer comedies go, this is one of their most inventive ones yet. That being said, it still falls under the same trappings of the bunch when it comes to humor.At the end of the day, they are playing their character types. In some cases it works, but sometimes not really.
Jon Hamm is playing the businessman who cracks a couple of jokes now and then. (Also, poor Jon Hamm. The guy wants to be a comedic actor so bad but he hasn’t stricken his golden role yet.)Ed Helms is the conductor of the game who is taking everything too seriously. (Can we stop having Ed Helms be the helm of comedy movies because… he’s not that funny.)Hannibal Buress is the easy going laid back guy who says the most philosophical things in deadpan. (Of course he gets the most laughs throughout.)Jeremy Renner is the badass. (Pretty much playing Clint Barton.)Isla Fisher is hyper and insane. (Just think of her character in “Wedding Crashers” but on coke.)The only person who isn’t playing their type is Jake Johnson, whose character is a pothead but also very dumb and insensitive.Now, while they are all playing their type, imagine that on an over-the-top, extremely obnoxious level and apply it to playing the game of Tag. Yea, it just doesn’t work. The extent these characters go to in order to just physically put their hands on someone and shouting “you’re it” is absurd which the film does embrace. But some of that absurdity just becomes unbelievable at a point that you would expect someone to end up dead. So what if this is inspired by a true story? At least keep the narrative grounded. Why did “Game Night” work? Because all of the characters were both relatable and likable, including the weird ones who managed to steal the show. Here, nobody is likable and are actually mean spirited. This group of friends go to such great lengths to tag Jerry that they brutally hurt each other, and often others who aren’t even associated with the game.There is an incredibly unfunny sequence involving the group going to the gym Jerry owns and interrogating a trainer, played by Thomas Middleditch, and the only way to get him to spill information about Jerry’s whereabouts is to rope him up and intend to waterboard him but, at the same time, he’s constantly shouting about him possibly receiving a blowjob.
Jerry isn’t off the hook either because he takes this game excessively serious, more than his friends who are already going to drastic lengths. The man makes literal elaborate traps, physically puts his friends in danger, knocks ‘em unconscious by using chloroform… But that's not even the most excessive action he does. Later on in the film, Jerry does something so vile that it might be as offensive as “Show Dogs” having an arc centered around the lead getting sexually abused and it being played for laughs. What makes it even worse is that the writers then play that action up for laughs and it’s very uncomfortable. Because of this, there is no character you can latch onto because they’re all obnoxiously selfish assholes. You can believe they’re friends because of how equally insane they all are but they don’t have any decent human qualities.While this cast is having fun, there is one who does not need to be part of the narrative at all and that is Annabelle Wallis as the reporter from the Wall Street Journal following the boys to attack Jerry. At a certain point she just becomes a tag-along character that would be cut to once in a while for a reaction shot or a cheap joke. Just because the film is based on a Wall Street Journal article doesn’t mean there has to be a character thrown into the story, especially since she adds nothing but accompaniment.LAST STATEMENT“Tag” may embrace its absurd premise and the story it’s based on with a talented ensemble which has, but it’s way too mean spirited and cartoonish to be the “it” comedy to see this summer.Rating: 2.5/5 | 53%Super Scene: Jerry vs. everyone at AA
