For one month every year, five middle-aged men give full rein to their inner child by resuming the game of tag they have been playing since the age of nine. This year, however, the stakes are higher: Jerry (Jeremy Renner), the only member of the gang never to have been tagged, is apparently planning to quit the game after his impending wedding…
Inspired by a true story, knockabout comedy Tag won’t be for everyone, but its raucous silliness is good fun if it finds you in the right mood. The game cast certainly have terrific rapport – with Ed Helms playing another of his gung-ho nerds as Hoagie, Jon Hamm turning on the smarm as conceited insurance company CEO Bob, Jake Johnson oozing befuddlement as pothead Chilli, and Hannibal Buress nailing laughs as the neurotic Sable. Renner, meanwhile, channels some of his Bourne Legacy action chops as the fleet-footed, combative Jerry.
Things get very crude and rowdy, but the slapstick stunts are impressively vigorous (so much so that Renner actually broke his arms during shooting) and the men’s imperishable camaraderie comes across vividly.
Certificate 15. 100 mins. Director Jeff Tomsic
Tag available on DVD & Digital from Warner Bros.
