October was a good month for fans of Ed Helms movies as both Vacation and Tag got 4K releases. The latter features Helms as part of a talented ensemble and was put out by Warner Bros. Pictures in 2018. Grossing $78 million off a $28 million budget, it was a successful comedy based on an interesting true story that was covered in The Wall Street Journal about a group of men that had been playing a game of tag for over 20 years (something as goofy as the great Monty Python sketch “Olympic Hide-and-Seek Final).
“For one month every year, five highly competitive friends hit the ground running in a no-holds-barred game of tag they’ve been playing since the first grade, risking their necks, their jobs, and their relationships to take each other down with the battle cry: “You’re It!” This year, the game coincides with the wedding of their only undefeated player, which should finally make him an easy target. But he knows they’re coming, and he’s ready. Based on a true story, Tag shows how far some guys will go to be the last man standing,” says the Tag 4K synopsis.
I missed out on Tag upon its release and was immediately interested in checking it out due to how stacked the cast is. The main group is played by Ed Helms, Jake Johnson, Jon Hamm, Hannibal Buress, and Jeremy Renner, with Isla Fisher also tagging along as the wife of Helms’ character. Throw in some great supporting parts by Rashida Jones, Thomas Middleditch, Lil Rel Howery, and Sebastian Maniscalco, and you’ve got hilarious actors in every scene of the film. Although more uptight audiences will surely find some of the humor objectionable — such as the miscarriage and waterboarding jokes — I was pleasantly surprised by how far the movie was willing to take its comedy,
While it clearly never got quite as over the top as the movie version, it’s pretty special that the film is based on a true story. The movie gets a lot of its heart from it, as the characters have been a constant presence in each others’ lives over the years thanks to it. Some elements, such as a late reveal regarding Helms’ character, don’t quite pull on the heart strings as intended, but it’s still a nice story about friendship that’s an easy watch and will have you laughing at how absurd things get throughout the journey.
There’s sadly no commentary track, which is a shame since it would’ve been great to hear the cast talk more about the filming, but there is an array of special features included on the Tag 4K release. There are three different segments: six minutes of deleted scenes, a hilarious eight-minute gag reel that will have you laughing along with the bloopers, and a five-minute featurette featuring the real-life inspirations behind the movie. The latter is really great, especially seeing how some of the real-life scenes were inspired by actual tag disguises and stunts, and it underlines the heart at the core of the story.
Tag 4K Review: Final Verdict
The Tag 4K release is a great way to own the comedy movie. Featuring a ton of familiar faces and a great supporting cast, the film is packed with talented actors who are naturally funny and have a lot to work with. While the special features aren’t anything special, the film looks great on UHD and the extras provide 20 minutes of additional entertainment.
Disclosure: The product was sent by the distributor for our Tag 4K review.