Jean-Paul’s Rating: 4/5 stars

Bottom Line: You would think that a movie about a kid’s game being played by adults would be bad. You would be wrong.

Yes, this is a movie about a bunch of grown men playing tag. Yes, you should be wondering who in their right mind would create a movie about such a thing. Yes, it seems impossible that a movie with such a premise would ever be even remotely close to good. And yet, here we are. “Tag” is a super fun and funny movie that also has heart. Whodathunkit?

The movie starts with Hogan Malloy (Ed Helms) infiltrating his friend Bob Calahan’s (Jon Hamm) company and interrupts Bob’s interview with Wall Street Journal reporter Rebecca Crosby (Annabelle Wallis) in order to tag him and to get him in to the plot to get the gang together to tag the ever elusive Jerry Pierce (Jeremy Renner) who has never once been tagged it. Rebecca decides to drop her story about Bob’s company and follow this crew in their quest. The cast is rounded off by Randy Cillano (Jake Johnson) and Kevin Sable (Hannibal Buress) as the tag crew and Hogan’s extra competitive wife, Anna Mallory (Isla Fisher). All are a delight and have a great chemistry where you can actually believe that they were childhood friends.

Besides the laughs, of which there are plenty, this movie also has heart. It’s kind of emotionally manipulative the way it has heart, but it has heart nonetheless. Behind it all is the not-Ben Franklin quote, ““We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” Friendships are things to be treasured. Miles may separate you. Cities may separate you. States may separate you. Continents may separate you. Never forget who your friends are. They are the family you choose. Reach out to them today. Give me a moment, I’m all verklempt!

Yay for fun, silly movies! We can all use a bit more fun and a lot more silliness in our life and “Tag” fits the bill nicely. Get all your friends together and see this movie and rediscover what it is to go out and play! By sitting there. In the dark. In a theater. Watching a movie. I can’t remember where I was going with this.