In 2018, two of the most popular actors in Hollywood, Jeremy Renner and Jon Hamm, joined forces to create a wild and true account of a decades-long game between friends in the movie, Tag
. Jeremy Renner has become an elite action hero in films where he tends to play soldiers, spies, and military men, while contemporary actor Jon Hamm is better known for comedy roles and drama. However, despite the two actors usually appearing in very different projects, the pair did join forces in 2018 for Tag.
Prior to this, the actors had one other collaboration in a minor crime thriller with a star-studded cast that included Ben Affleck and Blake Lively. However, The Town never got much traction. Tag, on the other hand, has recently climbed the charts in Prime Video’s library of films and stands out as a film well worth watching for anyone who missed it when it came out in 2018. And what makes it even more interesting is the fact that this action comedy is based on a true story.
Tag Is Based On A True Story – What The Trending Movie Is About
The Same Game Of Tag Has Been Going Since 1990
Everyone is familiar with the childhood game of Tag. One player is selected to be ‘it,’ while the others run and hide in order to avoid being tagged. It’s a simple premise that one group of friends took to the absolute extreme when they decided to play an everlasting game through years of high school. However, when high school ended, the friends left the game behind for eight years. Then, when they were gathered together, reminiscing about the fun they used to have, one friend, now a lawyer, decided to draw up a contract and resume the game indefinitely.
Since that fateful day in 1990, the friends have dedicated the month of February each year to their shared game, and in that month, they will go to extremes, flying across the country, dressing up, recruiting friends and family, breaking into each other’s homes, and using any opportunity possible to tag each other. And while the movie does beef up the action, and plays fast and loose with the facts, the sentiment behind the game, and several real scenarios from their now more than 30 years of playing together were adapted beautifully in this story of friendship.
Jeremy Renner & Jon Hamm Are Only Two Members Of Tag’s Impressive Cast
Tag Features An Awesome Ensemble Cast
And of course, in order to portray such an elaborate story, the film needed to call on an exceptional ensemble cast. While none of the characters in the film are exact tributes to the players, they generally have some connection to the real players, except for Jeremy Renner’s character, who has never been tagged due to their incredible athleticism and skill. Aside from Renner, Hamm, Ed Helms, Jake Johnson, and Hannibal Buress make up the rest of the players.
The mixed reviews are a large part of why the movie did not perform particularly well when it came out in 2018.
And of course, the film also stars Isla Fisher and Radshida Jones as two partners to two of the friends who have been playing Tag for decades. This incredible ensemble of comedy elites all add their star power to the film, and while it appears to resonate with some viewers, there are others who have a less than positive view of the film. In fact, the mixed reviews are a large part of why the movie did not perform particularly well when it came out in 2018.
Tag Has A 57% Score On Rotten Tomatoes – Why It’s Still Worth Watching
Over on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s common to see the audience and critics have diverging opinions about the quality of movies. Some critics may read in too deep, while audiences simply enjoy the comedy and fun, but in rare cases, the audience and critics’ opinions are largely aligned, and when it comes to Tag, that appears to be the case. With a critics’ score of 55%, and an audience score of 57%, it seems that Tag is a movie that has really driven people to one extreme or the other.
The reviews largely praise the ambition, the fun, and the absurd premise, while others highlight a lack of thought, low-effort, and largely silly storytelling. But the beauty of the movie comes from the true story it sheds light on. So often, people drift apart, and they begin to focus on the all-consuming things that come with adulthood, but for one group of friends, holding on to a piece of their childhood, and being silly, is exactly the thing that keeps them close to one another, and gives them a reason to connect year after year, as shown in Tag.
