Tag

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If you're looking for a bit of light hearted fun this summer without the need for the blockbuster aspect, I have to admit that 'Tag' is a pretty good place to turn to. It plays on nostalgia a little bit, but also drives home the point that life is short, and it's important to stay having fun. The most interesting part of it all - it's based on a true story.

Four friends since elementary school, Jerry (Jeremy Renner), Hogan (Ed Helms), Bob (John Hamm), Randy, aka "Chili" (Jake Johnson) and Kevin (Hannibal Buress) have been playing one long game of Tag for the past 30 years. What it boils down to as adults is an annual tradition in which every full month of May is open season for the game. These guys go out of their ways to tag whoever they want to tag and keep the game going.

However, Jerry has never once been tagged over the decades because he's just too damned good and vicious about the game. He's too fast to catch up to, he has an unfair sense of his surroundings, and if he's cornered, he does whatever it takes to get out of it. This year, Jerry is getting married though, and it looks like this is the last chance for these guys to finally, once and for all, tag him. Of course, this also sort of puts Jerry in the middle of things between his friendships with his old classmates and his wife to be as well.

All the while, they are actually getting followed by a reporter (Annabelle Wallis) who was originally there to report on Bob's overall success within his company. Instead, her story turns to this fascinating game these guys have been playing over these past 30 years.

Also added to this cast of characters is Hogan's wife, Anna (Isla Fisher) who is about as fierce a competitor one could imagine. She's there to be the super hyper cheerleader, and may be either too much, or flat out hilarious. Either way, she's bound to deliver a genuine laugh or two as a side character.

This is pretty much plain and simply throw your brain out the window fun, and I'm not sure it's the big hit comedy of the summer. However, it's a nice, light, comedic piece of film in between a whole slew of blockbusters. And hey, I have to hand it to the filmmakers for coming up with something so simple yet so original. Even if it wasn't based on a true story, I think one could still have a lot of fun with this one. 

​3/5

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