MOVIE REVIEW: TAG

One month every year, five highly competitive friends hit the ground running for a no-holds-barred game of tag -- risking their necks, their jobs and their relationships to take one another down. This time, the game coincides with the wedding of the only undefeated player. What should be an easy target soon becomes an all-out war as he knows they're coming to get him. 

Director: Jeff Tomsic 

Cast: Ed Helms, Jake Johnson, Hannibal Buress, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Annabelle Wallis, Isla Fisher, Rashida Jones, Leslie Bibb

Release Date: June 15, 2018

 

Rated R for language throughout, crude sexual content, drug use and brief nudity 

Runtime: 1 hr. 40 min. 

Genres: Comedy

Review:

Tag is one of those goofy comedies that shouldn’t work because of the flimsy premise but it succeeds more often than not.  Jeff Tomsic creates a fun little film that moves along at a steady pace with the “tag” sequences standing out for ingenuity.  The film’s biggest asset is it’s collection of stars.  They all share good comedic timing and chemistry together.  The jokes go off in fairly rapid fire manner with the movie never lingering too much on anything to avoid stagnation.  Its breezy style makes it easier to overlook some of the horrible things these friends do to each other.  Still it makes for a funny movie that’s got a beating heart underneath it’s crude exterior.  There are a few dead spots here and there but nothing damning even though they could have used female members of the cast a bit more.  Same complaints aside, Tag is a surprisingly funny film that doesn’t disappoint. 

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: THE SOCIAL NETWORK

IN THEATERS

THE SOCIAL NETWORK



The remarkable story behind Facebook comes to the big screen with this Columbia Pictures production scripted by The West Wing's Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher (Fight Club, Zodiac). The year was 2003. Computer programming wizard Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) was a Harvard undergrad when he laid the foundation for a social networking website that would revolutionize the way we communicate. Six years later the ambitious entrepreneur made his first million -- but that was just the beginning. Despite all of Zuckerberg's wealth and success, his personal life began to suffer as he became marred in legal disputes, and discovered that many of the 500 million people he had friended during his rise to the top were eager to see him fall. Justin Timberlake co-stars as Napster co-creator Sean Parker, with Andrew Garfield filling the role of ousted Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin. The Social Network is based on the book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: David Fincher

Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, Andrew Garfield, Rashida Jones.

Release Date: Oct 01, 2010

Rated: Language, drug and alcohol use and sexual content

Runtime: 2 hr. 1 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

My favorite filmmakers can make me watch films about subjects I’d never give another thought about. Most recently Paul Thomas Anderson had me thoroughly intrigued with turn of the century oil prospectors and now David Fincher has me terribly interested in the creation and founding of Facebook. I’ll be honest, when I heard that a movie about Facebook was in the works, I was terribly skeptical but when Fincher was tapped to direct and with Aaron Sorkin doing the script my interest was piqued. Within the first 10 minutes of the film, any concerns I may have had about the film were laid to rest with a rapid fire character establishing segment that covers more ground than some characters. Sorkin’s script sizzles throughout and Fincher’s direction is incredibly impressive, throw in a subtle but engaging musical score provided by Trent Reznor. Jesse Eisenberg is top notch in the lead role adding multiple layers to his character outside of his general nervous guy routine. Eisenberg makes Zuckerberg come across as terribly detached and cold but insanely intelligent and quick witted. Andrew Garfield is equally impressive as the overly compassionate and naïve Eduardo Saverin, he should probably receive a supporting Oscar nod for his work here, serving as a wonderful ying to Zuckerberg’s yang. Armie Hammer does double duty as the Winklevoss twin which is done with such technical precision that you’d never know it was 1 guy playing both roles. Justin Timberlake boarders on cartoonish as Napster founder Sean Parker showing up for a portion of the third act but disappears before the finale. Rooney Mara is the closest thing to a female character in the film and she has a total of 2 scenes. It’s a minor issue and doesn’t detract from Fincher’s work as he captures an energy and moment, even if the truth is somewhat fictionalized, of an era.

A

Movie Reviews: I LOVE YOU MAN

Sunday, March 22, 2009
Movie Reviews: I LOVE YOU MAN
IN THEATERS

I LOVE YOU MAN

As his wedding day approaches, Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) realizes he has no one to act as his best man. Through a series of ''man-dates,'' he finds Sydney Fife (Jason Segel), and the pair become instant friends. But as Peter's ''bro-mance'' with Sydney grows stronger, it threatens his relationship with his fiancee (Rashida Jones), forcing Peter to make a choice.

Cast: Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg, J.K. Simmons



Director: John Hamburg



Opened March 20, 2009.



Runtime: 1 hr. 50 min.



Rated R for pervasive language, including crude and sexual references



Genres: Comedy, Slice of Life

Review:

I Love You Man is charming bromance comedy that can drag at times but is more than aptly held up by it two leads. This film feels like a Judd Apatow production compete with some of his favorite supporting players but Apatow had nothing to do with this, John Hamburg (Along Came Polly) directs this with a relaxed hand. The film moves a pedestrian pace as it presents its admittedly contrived pretext with Rudd in the spotlight. Paul Rudd is solid here playing the opposite of his usual wise ass persona. Instead Rudd gives us a charming dweeb whose awkwardness is embarrassing and funny to watch but endearing at the same time. His character is like the ego in Freud’s psyche model with metro sexual tendencies. The counter to this ego is Jason Segel whose character is just as much a real life ....Id..... Segal delivers lines of man code dogma with such ease that it’s hard to not to see why his character would be such a great friend. Rudd and Segal share wonderful onscreen chemistry and really seem to enjoy working with each other. The supporting cast is rounded out with a bevy of terribly talented comedic actors and actress such as Rashida Jones Jamie Pressley, Andy Samberg and J.K. Simmons. All of which are just spot on in supporting turns. John Favreau in particular shines as Jamie Pressley’s A hole of a husband. The script is solid and full of raunchy banter that’s sure to get more than a handful of laughs and one gross out sequence that’s so quick and unexpected that it might take you a second to start laughing. Pacing is a slight problem and the film feels a tad longer than it’s actual run time, still, I Love You Man delivers plenty of laughs throughout.

B+