TAG is exactly what you hope for out of every silly comedy with a star-studded cast sporting a trailer that passes you by. More often than not these films turn into poor excuses for comedian friends to hang out, but sometimes you get a fun summer movie out of it, and TAG is one of those examples. It is not going to blow away expectations a la 21 JUMP STREET, but if you saw the previews and are a fan of the cast, you’ll almost certainly like the movie.
Based on the 2013 Wall Street Journal article by Russell Adams about a real life group of friends who had been playing the children’s game for 23 years, TAG follows a fictionalized version of five of them who espouse the motto “we don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.” Ed Helms leads the cast as Hoagie, the self-proclaimed “heart and soul” of the group who reunites the passive game this year as he believes they finally have a chance to tag the one friend who has never been tagged, that friend being Jerry (Jeremy Renner) and the event being his wedding. Jake Johnson plays the constant stoner Chilli, locked in a lifelong battle for the affection of Cheryl (Rashida Jones) competing with fellow tag member Bob (Jon Hamm). Kevin (Hannibal Buress) rounds out the 5 with the constantly ready quip and calm nature. Along with the five guys, Isla Fisher plays Hoagie’s wife Anna, the hyper competitive rock and assistant, with Leslie Bibb grounding Jeremy Renner’s character similarly. Annabelle Wallis plays the Wall Street Journal reporter that mainly provides reactions shots and a frame story narrative.
The highest praise I can give the film without spoilers is that it surprises you. The action set pieces for each time they attempt to tag Renner’s character are well done, and it is oddly satisfying to watch the group get smarter, with more well thought out plans each time, and the lengths Renner goes to escape are always astounding. While the characters are the bare bones shroud over the actor’s personality you expect out of comedy films, each actor carries enough charisma for that to be fine. In the end director Jeff Tomsic and writers Rob McKittrick and Mark Steilen have put together a well-rounded, entertaining story whose hook in real life only helps emphasize the importance of staying a kid at heart.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
