Tag (2018) directed by Jeff Tomsic

Five grown men reunite every year to play a game of tag that has been recurring since their childhoods. If this sounds like a silly premise for a movie to you, then you're absolutely right. While there are some good parts and standout characters to pick from this film, Tag fails to deliver a memorable comedy, despite its incredibly talented cast.

There are many issues with this movie that make me want to (almost) get a refund. All of the characters throughout this film were very bland and when they did have any kind of development, it was severely archetypal. The divorced stoner, the dumb family man, the corporate big-shot, etc. were some of the types that were used, even though we've seen these types in comedies a million times already. And to make it worse, none of the performances were good at all. Even though I don't expect phenomenal acting in a comedy, I would have liked to seen a bit more effort put in by the whole cast, as they are all fantastic artists. Unfortunately, the overlying problem with this movie is the humor. All of it was so badly-written and lowbrow humor that merely got chuckles from me or the rest of the audience. I feel like to keep a crowd engaged with a comedy (because plot is never the biggest focus), the writing needs to actually be quick and clever. This movie had plenty of quick laughs, but nothing that I can distinctly remember. All of it was generic sarcasm, which, however, fit the uninteresting characters. I may not remember much of the jokes, but I do vividly recall two that were way overboard. The waterboarding scene and the miscarriage scene were honestly horrendous. Nowhere in the film do any of the guys portray violent tendencies, so using terrorist-level torture on the gym employee was completely unexpected. It did not fit the tone at all, and neither did the disgusting miscarriage joke. It was a good way to make the audience not like the bride, but good lord, there had to be some other way to do that besides joking about the death of an unborn child.

Other things that I did not enjoy were the inclusion of Ed Helms' character getting sick at the end and the treatment of the women characters. Even though this movie is based on a true story, I feel that it could have ended with a happier ending, rather than the reveal that Helms' character had been sick. I understand that it actually happened, but for the sake of this movie being a comedy, those scenes did not help the tone or pacing. I also did not enjoy how the female characters were treated in this movie. Along with every other character, they were very stereotypical: the aggressive wife, the bombshell crush, and the stern reporter. They did not have much substance besides those archetypes and even though they are not the main characters of the film, I did not appreciate their portrayals.

There are still some good parts of this film that make it worth a single watch, however. I loved how original the premise was and the fact that it is based on a true story made it even better. This did make way for a more heartfelt ending, because it truly showed how a simple, childish game could keep these lifelong friends together through the years. The greatest performances in this movie definitely came from Jon Hamm and Hannibal Buress. Buress' style of comedy is great, as expected, but I especially loved Hamm's take on humor. The typically drama actor has never done much comedy, but he was incredible in this movie. The last part of this film that was done very well were the actual chase scenes and choreography. They were very exciting to watch and made a simple game of tag hilarious. I also loved Jeremy Renner's Sherlock-level analysis during the tag sequences. It worked well for his character and added an extra level of fun detail.

Tag is a forgettable comedy, even though the true story behind it is so wildly entertaining. All of the different elements of this film did not work very well together, which made this movie dull at many points. I would recommend waiting until this comes out on Redbox to see it, as it provides enough laughs to keep the audience engaged, but not enough solid substance to make me want to see it a second time.

My Rating: ★★

Ocean's 8 (2018) directed by Gary Ross

In the newest addition to the Ocean's franchise, Sandra Bullock leads a powerhouse cast who once again prove that women are the key to revitalizing a franchise. Ocean's 8 is a solid heist film with an exciting plot and great characters, but the pacing and directing unfortunately held it back from becoming as memorable as it could have been.

This film succeeds in something that many others don't, and for that, I was pleasantly surprised. It succeeds in telling a group of characters' stories together fluently and showing off each actress's talents. Each character had their own individual skill that was showcased and worked well together for the overall plot. Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), Lou (Cate Blanchett), Amita (Mindy Kaling), Tammy (Sarah Paulson), Constance (Awkwafina), Rose Well (Helena Bonham Carter), Nine Ball (Rihanna), and Daphne (Anne Hathaway) were all outstanding in their roles. Their characters were written so well and they functioned as a team exceptionally. There were also some great cameos during the Gala scenes and amazing design with the dresses and fashion throughout the second act.

However well this cast worked together, there were obviously some characters that were valued over the others. Bullock's Debbie was the main protagonist, because without her relation to Danny Ocean (George Clooney), this would have nothing to do with the Ocean's universe. And the writing in the beginning definitely made sure that the audience knew who her brother was. The fact that Debbie was Danny's sister and that Danny was (suspiciously) dead was hammered in near the beginning and it was a bit much. I feel like this film could have respected the audience's intelligence more by letting us put together the fact that they were related and he was dead. But then again, all of the trailers made sure we knew that too. As for the tone of the film, it was a very generic take: a solid plot with a good mix of humor and drama. It was entertaining, but nothing extraordinarily re-watchable. Even though there was nothing particularly special about the cinematography or editing, I appreciated the use of the transitions. Although a bit cheesy, the "cross-stitching" effect worked well with the sly, criminal tone.

Pacing was definitely the biggest issue with this movie, and I don't feel like the director Gary Ross did as good of a job as he could have. This film started off very slowly and it took a long time to get the characters introduced. Like I mentioned before, the writing took way too much time to explain that Debbie was Danny's brother in order to connect this to the other Ocean's films. The second act was the most interesting part to watch, as the women planned and executed the heist at the Met Gala. After that, however, is when I expected it to wrap up, but then James Corden came in. I enjoy Corden in small amounts; I appreciate his energy and positivity in all of his roles, but his character John Frazier was not needed. The entire investigation arc with him did nothing for the overall plot, other than once again reinforce Debbie's connection to the other films. The last part I had an issue with was the reveal that Daphne was working with them the entire time, as it was very obviously predictable. This film is titled Ocean's 8, after all, and there were only seven of them up until the reveal (hmm).

Ocean's 8 is a decently fun film with a great cast and an entertaining story. Even though the pacing is a bit off and it lulls at many points, I would still recommend this movie for the incredible cast and its fresh take on the heist genre.

My Rating: ★★★½

Incredibles 2 (2018) directed by Brad Bird

Fourteen years after the release of the original, everyone's favorite super family (sorry, X-Men) returns in Incredibles 2. Audiences will absolutely enjoy this movie as much as its predecessor because of the many parts that make this film so... ahem... incredible. This is indeed a worthy sequel that our current superhero-ridden American film scene desperately needs.

Incredibles 2 picks up right where Pixar's beloved 2004 animated classic left off: with a villainous new threat to the city known as The Underminer. The Parrs and other superheroes are still seen as criminals, but when Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) is recruited by a pair of philanthropic siblings (Bob Odenkirk and Catherine Keener), they believe they will be able to change the public's perception for good. While Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) struggles to stay out of the spotlight and control the kids, a new threat arises known as Screenslaver who is determined to put an end to supers once and for all.

Like many others, I was initially upset when I found out that this movie occurred directly after the events of the first, but it thankfully provides a smooth transition into the next part of the Parrs' story. Even though the two films were released more than a decade apart, it seemed like no time had passed at all in this universe and the movie even contains more relevant social issues while keeping it entertaining for children - the main focus being Elastigirl, who is certainly the shining star of this film.

Hunter brings so much life to this character, as she is able to portray both the nurturing mother side and the ass-kicking heroine side excellently. Elastigirl's arc provides a great, original premise that is still reminiscent of the first movie yet is geared towards a new, more critical generation of moviegoers. This makes for a great dynamic between Elastigirl and Mr. Incredible, as the latter is constantly being forced to deal with his own masculinity. Having to take care of the kids while his wife is away saving the city was obviously tough for the macho man, but his development and acceptance throughout the course of this movie was progressively pleasant to watch.

Another character with interesting development was baby Jack-Jack (Eli Fucile). We were left on a bit of a cliffhanger from the original Incredibles movie that Jack-Jack had an abundance of peculiar powers, and in this film, those powers are explored even more. Along with the monster that he can turn into, shooting lasers from his eyes, and setting himself on fire, seeing Jack-Jack's naive infancy clash with his crazy abilities made him a hilarious scene-stealer.

The humble daughter Violet (Sarah Vowell) and the reckless son Dash (Huck Milner) unfortunately have less memorable roles in the film, but it's worth noting that the re-casting of Dash (originally voiced by Spencer Fox) was a smart move, though, as Milner has a much more child-like sense of wonder and confidence in his voice. Other fan-favorite characters making a return in the sequel include Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) and Edna Mode (Brad Bird) and they still live up to their previous, legendary reputations.

For an animated feature, editing is never much of a specialty, but this film shatters that expectation. Some of the most comedic moments in the film were made so hilarious due to Stephen Schaffer's quick, efficient editing, which helps add to the overall excitement of the film as well. Brad Bird's (who also directed the film) script is excellent too, as the twisting reveal of the antagonist was hidden quite well. However, Screenslaver did not get as much physical screen time as the character deserved and, throughout the entirety of the film, the villain had a digitally eerie presence that could have been much more fleshed out, but there was still plenty of substance to make the character threatening.

One of the most memorable parts of the first film was its jazzy and high-energy score, which Michael Giacchino once again delivers in this second installment. The best new element of this sequel, though, was its more fluent choreography and action scenes. All of them involved Elastigirl (rightfully so), as her scenes were just purely exhilarating fun. As for the animation, it's just like any other Pixar movie we've seen in recent years: gorgeous.

Incredibles 2 succeeds expectations in almost every possible way, as Disney and Pixar once again prove that they can make a better superhero film than, well, many other studios out there from the past ten years. While sequels that come this late are usually hit or miss, this fantastic family film doesn't just hit but smashes. Oh, and for all of the '90s babies out there: get ready for the nostalgia to really kick in the moment the movie starts.

My Rating: ★★★★½