You know those crazy stories you hear and think to yourself, “there’s no way that can be true”? In 2013 a Wall Street Journal article captured the attention of quite a few people. It was an unbelievable story of a group of friends that started playing tag with one another when they were just kids in 1990 and they never stopped playing. The Tag Brothers had become famous for their commitment to an active game that spanned more than two decades. Once the right people caught wind of this amazing feat, a new movie was born. Tag looks to touch eager fans while giving them a fun, laughable and memorable time.
Hoagie (Ed Helms), Callahan (Jon Hamm), Randy (Jake Johnson) and Sable (Hannibal Buress) get together every May to resurrect an ongoing game of tag that they’ve been playing for 30 years. This game has consumed them while giving each of them just cause to stay involved in each other’s lives. As this current tag season winds down, the group concocts a plan to get the one thing that has eluded them for all of these years…a chance get Jerry (Jeremy Renner), the one person that has NEVER been tagged. Desperation leads these men to go well beyond the normal means to “win” at this game that has driven them to the brink of insanity. Along the way, these friends reconnect in ways that become more meaningful as time passes. Let the chase begin!
This comedic true story also stars Isla Fisher, Annabelle Wallis, Rashida Jones and Leslie Bibb. The idea of playing this game continuous for so long is crazy on the surface but is it really any different that friends that get together for yearly golfing, hunting or vacation outings? In this case, boys will be boys and that’s where the fun happens. Though, just like any game, things get kind of stale after so much repetitiveness. Tag is no exception to this rule. While being free and fun for a while, indifference sets in when you begin to realize that nothing new and exciting is coming. Yes, the story is cool. Yes, there’s an underlying message on true friendship. Even with all of the niceties, the pace begins to crawl as the watch checking begins.
While not exactly lining up to the actual true life story, Tag does a decent job capturing the essence of what makes this bond so special. As for placing value on investing in this movie, I would put it in the matinee category. There just seems to be an ingredient missing that could have helped hold everything together in a more entertaining way. Thankfully there are some laughs to be had as well as some slight emotional attachment to make this not a total disappoint. You can play along right now in theaters (not really) if you have a hankering for being it.
