Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for a promising double-bill of Tag and Incredibles 2.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.
First on my agenda, Tag.
A group of friends continues a game of tag from their high-school days three decades (and counting) into their adult lives.
While Tag's story is "inspired by actual events" rather than "based on a true story," it seems a great deal of it skates hilariously (or alarmingly) close to the truth. Based on a a group of friends from Spokane, Washington, who really have been playing the same game of tag for over 30 years, some of the picture's most outlandish tags are the ones that really happened.
Tag is a comedy, but it's more amusing than laugh-out-loud hilarious. The likable cast includes Jeremy Renner, Ed Helms, and Jon Hamm, yet I found the characters--at best--bland, and--at worst--pretty lousy people, which made it hard to enjoy their exploits. In fact, as I exited the theater, the first thing I did was jump online to check the IMDB/Rotten Tomatoes scores to see if the movie had left anyone else as flat as it had left me. (At this writing, it's got a 7.1 on IMDB and 56% on RT, so I guess it has.) The story is fascinating, and a few cool tunes pop up, but with such a terrific cast it's hard to think it shouldn't be better than it is.
Tag clocks in at 100 minutes and is rated R for "language throughout, crude sexual content, drug use, and brief nudity."
It's good for a few summer afternoon laughs and an eyeful of Jeremy Renner, but otherwise Tag is most definitely not "it."
Of a possible nine Weasleys, Tag gets five and a half.
Next up: the long-awaited sequel Incredibles 2.
In an effort to have the superhero ban lifted, Elastigirl is tapped for some high-profile missions while Mr. Incredible keeps the home fires burning.
Incredibles 2 is a sequel that is well worth the 14-year wait. The characters haven't aged onscreen, but they've aged very well in popular culture, with the stay-at-home-dad angle being a nice touch for 2018. The film's action sequences are exciting and well-choreographed, with nary a one dragging on too long. (Are you paying attention, Avengers?) Incredibles 2 features bright, crisp animation, top-notch voice talent, charming characters, and clever laughs. There's an awful little short called "Bao" that runs before the movie, so, unless you really love the pre-show or you want to grab a favorite seat, give yourself an extra five minutes to get to the theater.
Incredibles 2 runs 118 minutes and is rated PG for "action sequences and some brief, mild language."
Be advised there is one scene featuring a strobe-light effect that may adversely affect some viewers.
Incredibles 2 is a fantastic family film that (at least on first viewing) seems even better than the original. Only time will tell if it ages as well.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, Incredibles 2 gets nine.
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