Based on a true story. For one month every year, five highly competitive friends organize no-holds-barred game of tag they've been playing forever - risking their necks, jobs and relationships to take each other down with the battle cry "You're It!"
This time, the game coincides with the wedding of the gang's only undefeated player, which should finally make him an easy target...
Starring Ed Helms, Jeremy Renner, John Hamm, Jake Johnson, Hannibal Buress, Isla Fisher, Leslie Bibb, Rashida Jones, Annabelle Wallis et al.
I mentioned all these people that may be hard to remember just by name, because "Tag" comedy is essentially a team comedy, an effort where the success depends very much on the flow and synergy between actors.
The good news is, since they're all professionals who do this kind of thing all the time, there's no trouble here. Basics are solid.
Even the best-known names, such as Helms, Hamm (of "Mad Men" fame), or Renner are here for the team, nobody's in star position.
Except maybe Helms, a versatile comedian offering his usual mix of sweet, sensitive and funny. The problem with him is that he does the same thing all the time, so any movie will feel a bit more generic just by having him.
But it's not just all comedy. "Tag" is also kind of an action movie, although in unusual way. There is only little amount of actual, you know, action, although the handbag fight is a standout part.
But the clever use of slow motion gives the scenes of grown-ups playing tag a distinct feel of an action movie, with all the amateur parkour and dangerous stunts to get away from being tagged. Nicely done.
For an R-rated adult comedy, "Tag" is also refreshingly obscenity-free. There's only character who has a bit of a foul mouth (a female, by the way) and the amount of dirty jokes is less than average.
We still have a constantly pot-smoking character but no modern comedy would be complete without drug-jokes.
In summary, "Tag" is more about atmosphere and flow than heavy on laugh out loud moments. You may not remember it that well in couple of day's time but it's breezy fun while it lasts.
For a bit of escapist entertainment released during summer season, I've seen a lot worse.
