Tag

Score:  B+

Directed by Jeff Tomsic
Starring Ed Helms, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Annabelle Wallis, et. al.
Running time: 100 minutes
Rated R

Long Story Short:  Tag is an ensemble comedy about adults acting like children; or at least, keeping the competitive fires of their youths alive via the ongoing game in the title.  Ed Helms capably leads a great cast, and the premise allows them to engage in not just verbal sparring but also some nicely- (and hilariously) choreographed physical matches.  It's a bumpy ride at times for both performers and audience, but it's well-made overall.  Recommended.


An HR supervisor interviewing candidates for a custodial position is surprised when he finds a man with a veterinary PhD begging for the job.  Why does "Hoagie" (Helms) want this job so badly?  So that he can get close to the CEO of the company, Bob (Hamm), to... tag him "it".  May has arrived, which is the month that a group of now-middle-aged men reconvene to continue a game of tag that they have kept going since childhood.  A reporter for the Wall Street Journal, Rebecca (Wallis), who was interviewing Bob about his company, sees the intriguing alternative story this situation promises, and tags along.  Soon Hoagie, Bob, "Chilli" (Johnson), and Kevin (Buress) join up and descend on the hometown of Jerry (Renner), who has never before been tagged "it" and is set to be married in a few days.  Does the group have what it takes to finally tag Jerry - and at what cost?

Tag has an ensemble cast loaded with comedic talent, from both familiar and surprising sources.  Ed Helms is at the head of this group, fittingly, as he's the most well known for his funny roles.  His character differs little from what you've seen him in before, but it's perfect for this film about adults playing tag: joyful and naive, and at times either petulant or warmly earnest.  He has this role locked down - he could probably do it in his sleep, but he's fully invested here and is engaging throughout.  His most significant partner-in-play is Jon Hamm's Bob, who despite having become a Man Men-like executive still has a sense of mischief.  He's proved his comic chops plenty of other times, such as goofy TV roles in 30 Rock and Kimmy Schmidt, and he's fun here, too, although he sometimes has trouble with the tricky tonal balancing act the film demands.  Jake Johnson's Chilli and Hannibal Buress's Kevin are secondary, but both of their presence's are welcome.  Johnson is the group's stoner, an exaggerated version of his New Girl role, and delivers most of the edgiest humor (effectively, for the most part); Buress gets the smallest role, but his sober, bemused Kevin provides much-needed balance for the cast.  Jeremy Renner is the least known for his comedy, but again it's appropriate since his Jerry takes the game of tag deadly serious.  He is still funny, but mostly through the way he utterly (and convincingly, physically) decimates his friends in action.  Tag also has impressive female actors - Annabelle Wallis, Isla Fisher, Rashida Jones, and Leslie Bibb, but sadly they are all bit parts (Fisher and Bibb do quite well, anyway).

Tag is a mainstream comedy with a refreshingly original and intriguing premise; the quality is a bit uneven and the tone zigs and zags, but most importantly, it's pretty darn funny.  Big comedies can often be sort of plug-and-play: cast a megastar or ensemble, and rely on their performances to lift tired if reliable storylines.  Fortunately, Tag is considerably more clever than that, based on the real life story of adults who play the children's game.  Perhaps because of this, it takes a little while for the script and the performers to find their footing - though it likely took me, as a viewer, some time to adjust, too.  Once the whole group is together and the plot underway, though, it runs more smoothly.  The humor is very good, though not quite elite, both in the writing and the acting.  It relies on both physical slapstick and improvised banter, which provides crucial variety.  A scene at a pre-wedding party with Hamm, Helms, and company skillfully one-upping each other makes way in the next for riotously (though intense for the characters) choreographed tag battles (Helms disguised as a grandmother going one-on-one with Renner in a mall is the highlight of the movie).  Much like The Hangover, this film also pushes the envelope at times with its humor - sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.  This is in contrast with a more sentimental tone that runs through the film, too - though it is anchored by an oft-repeated but effective line - that also is hit-or-miss.  But the movie resolves this tug of war the right way at the end, I believe, with an interesting twist that emphasizes the group's friendship and still allows for a little more play, too.

***

Tag is one of the bigger mainstream comedy successes of the last few years, and I hope Hollywood makes more in its mold.  Most importantly, take chances with some new, even bizarre ideas, and don't just rely on the reputations and abilities of the star performers.  The unique circumstances and scenes that this will create (as it did in Tag) should also take pressure off the writing, which is so often painfully bland, cliched and/or just not very funny.  It's worth repeating a warning here that this is not exactly a gentle little comedy, but I would argue the film overall has its heart in the right place and none of the humor is mean-spirited.  Give it a try, and I hope there's more like it to come this year.




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