A lighthearted and funny take on friendship - by Moataz Al Mousawi - 8/10

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Tag is a movie based on a true story published in The Wall Street Journal about a group of men who spend one month a year playing the popular game of tag. It is Jeff Tomsic's directorial début on the big screen, having only done short films, and TV related work in the past. It features an ensemble cast compromised of Ed Helms, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Hannibal Buress, Jake Johnson, Isla Fisher, Rashida Jones, Leslie Bibb and Annabelle Wallis who play the characters of Hogan Malloy, Bob Callahan, Jerry Pierce, Kevin Sable, Randy Cilliano, Anna Malloy, Cheryl Deakins, Susan Rollins, and Rebecca Crosby respectively. Everyone did their job very well and pulled their own weight in the movie with special praise going to Jeremy Renner. The premise of the movie is pretty much as outrageous and enjoyable as you'd expect it to be. It was executed proficiently, and at no point did Tag feel like it was dragging on for far too long. The thing that helps the movie achieve that is of course all the jokes that were there. That isn't to say everything was hilarious, no not really. However, it had a lot of jokes to tell, and luckily, the majority of them were genuinely funny and entertaining. I have to give admiration to the slapstick action sequences that play out during the movie, and to be more specific, all the slow-mo over the top scenes that show just how crazy good Jeremy Renner's character is at the game. They are easily the highlight of the movie, and the director deserves lots of credit for them. At the heart of it though, Tag is really just a beautiful and fun tribute to the bonds of friendship. I would recommend you check it out with a group of your close friends, and see how your own traditions compare to theirs.

by Moataz Al Mousawi