Blu-ray Review Tag (2018) Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[Todd Erwin]

Todd Erwin submitted a new blog post

Tag (2018) Blu-ray Review

Continue reading the Original Blog Post.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Great review.

I saw this in theaters with MoviePass with zero expectations and not thinking I’d like it, but came away pleasantly surprised. It’s a fun story, well told, which actors that are enjoyable to see sharing the screen.

I also really appreciated that it felt like a complete story. So many movies today, even if they’re not part of an existing franchise, feel like they’re more like pilots for potential a series of films rather than a thing unto itself, as if they’re saying, “hey, if you like this, we’re standing at the ready to make three more of ‘em for you.” Or even worse, teasing new story threads more interesting than anything in the actual film. So “Tag” was a refreshing change of pace in that it actually had a beginning, middle and ending. It felt like the filmmakers left it all on the field - and I mean that in the best way possible.

 

[Todd Erwin]

Great review.

I saw this in theaters with MoviePass with zero expectations and not thinking I’d like it, but came away pleasantly surprised. It’s a fun story, well told, which actors that are enjoyable to see sharing the screen.

I also really appreciated that it felt like a complete story. So many movies today, even if they’re not part of an existing franchise, feel like they’re more like pilots for potential a series of films rather than a thing unto itself, as if they’re saying, “hey, if you like this, we’re standing at the ready to make three more of ‘em for you.” Or even worse, teasing new story threads more interesting than anything in the actual film. So “Tag” was a refreshing change of pace in that it actually had a beginning, middle and ending. It felt like the filmmakers left it all on the field - and I mean that in the best way possible.

Curious what your thoughts were about that third act.....

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Curious what your thoughts were about that third act.....

Do you mean... (spoilered for those who haven’t seen it)

Spoiler

the revelation that the Ed Helms character had terminal cancer, but was keeping it to himself because he just wanted one last time to do what he loved with his friends without it being different?

I really didn’t see that coming, and I liked it. It reminded me a little bit of “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” where you think John Candy’s character is just a one-note, can’t-take-a-hint obnoxious salesman, and then you realize his character is so much more, and that there are deeper reasons behind Candy’s outlandish behavior than just the filmmakers trying to get laughs without any consideration to the characters feeling real.

It wasn’t the same character situation in Tag but I think the sentiment was similar. It added depth to the character and the situations and made it feel more real to me. One of the things I haven’t enjoyed with some other films made lately with some of these cast members or promoted in simular fashions is how the characters have the potential to never feel like real people. Their exploits are wacky and fun, but the characters have no inner life, and you can’t picture them existing in the real world or even picture their lives outside the scenes shown, because they just don’t seem like real people. I think “Tag” starts out potentially being too outlandish but really does ground the characters, which made them feel like real people to me.

I really expected to not enjoy this movie, and instead left the theater thinking, “they need to make more movies like this.”