Tag, by Russell Adams, Mark Steilen - 6 out of 10

Tag, by Russell Adams, Mark Steilen
6 out of 10


Perhaps amazingly, some critics have loved a comedy that almost totally fails, according to the undersigned.

The Guardian thought this 'a solid summer film', Austin Chronicle said is 'a hilariously silly comedy', although RogerEbert.com states more sensibly maybe that 'it's a vulgar celebration of White Male American Dumbness...'

Indeed, even if this feature is based on an absurd, but true story, it is nonetheless quite often grotesque.
Or wonderfully enjoyable, according to a few more than the aforementioned publications.

There are some good points, such as the idea that...

We grow old because we stop playing, it's not that we stop playing when we grow old'

There is something very interesting, refreshing, quite inspiring in that.
Unless, of course, we mean by that Tag.

I guess the idea of staying young by being playful, zestful, full of life, ready to have fun, maybe even run with a few friends once in a while, Tag would be alright to some extent, at a camp, a summer retreat for a few minutes, or an hour.
But to spend the month of May every year, chasing former school friends to touch that so that they are It, sounds and is preposterous, pathetic if you ask me.

Yes, we can understand and appreciate that this is a somewhat laudable concept in that it keeps the bonds between people who might otherwise lose something Precious.
When asked in positive psychology studies, the happiest people have given the recipe, the element that they share with each other:

Strong bonds with family and friends.

Thus, Tag could be just the surface, the superficial, of ridiculous activity that hides a much more important secret.
They are happy because they keep together and if they play Tag, or sail, fish or walk the trails somewhere is irrelevant or anyway secondary.

Therefore I should change the whole take on this wondrous, philosophical movie.
It praises friendship, it is a glory to togetherness, in that view.

But I don't!
And it is just a silly, failed movie, if you ask me.