Entourage (Review)

Entourage (2015)

Comedy

Directed By: Doug Ellin

I want to start out by saying that I am a fan of the show, I have watched all eight seasons more than once and thus was very excited for this movie to finally come out. Here in also lies my problem; I had to decide whether I wanted to write this review through the eyes of the fan and as an extension of the show or as a standalone movie through unknowing eyes. After seeing the film I have decided to go with the former. Not only is it a continuation of the show but it feels like it was made for the fans. They didn't try to address the many criticisms that have been made about the show since leaving the air; instead they just keep with the old ways and deliver what the true fans of the show wanted to see. So with that I want to get this out of the way now; if you aren't a fan of the show and was hoping this would be something different, it's not. This is why I am going to write this as a complete fan of the show, since it was really made for us and no one else.

The movie picks up just a few weeks from where the show left off in the finale. A few new things have happened though, you know from the trailer that Vince (Adrian Grenier) and his new wife have already decided to get divorced and that Ari (Jeremy Piven) took the job as studio head. Ari has a new project for Vince but the only way he'll agree to do it is if he's allowed to both star in and direct the film. Cut to eight months later and the film is complete, it’s over budget, and it could kill both Vince and Ari's careers. When they ask for more money to put the final touches on the movie the co-financier of the entire studio sends his son (Haley Joel Osment) out to L.A. to oversee the closing stages of the movie. From here the rest of the movie plays out in true Entourage fashion as the gang try to figure out their next chapters in the life of Hollywood.

They set the tone right away in the first scene when we see all the guys meet on a yacht in the middle of the ocean for an insane party, hosted by Vince. Rather than try and change to appease to the critics who never really liked the show to begin with, Doug Ellin jammed everything the fans loved about the show into one hour and forty-five minute movie. It works surprisingly well too; it doesn't just feel like one super long episode of the show. The story felt like it was meant for a movie and had no problems keeping me interested throughout. Even when the story lags they just throw a bunch of great cameos at you and you're right back in it. This may seem like a cheap trick to the unfamiliar viewer but it’s a staple of the show and the Entourage movie wouldn't be right without them, and let me tell you, there is A LOT of cameos.

This all just adds to the Hollywood aspect of the show that made me love it so much when it came on the air. I live in Buffalo and have never been to California, I have loved movies my entire life and the movie making process has always fascinated me. So say what you will about the show and its characters but I always loved how it focused on the behind the scenes stuff you never really hear about. Unfortunately there is not as much of this in the movie as I maybe would have liked, but it's more than understandable as they basically fit an entire season into one feature length movie. Ellin manages to bring all of our major characters to close so if this is the last hurrah for our fella's than it’s a proper one at that.

We all knew Vince and Ari were going to be the bulk of the story line but I was interested to see how much time the other guys got and if any of them would get their own arcs. Well it turns out almost all of them do (I'm not really counting Turtle because his story line doesn't really go anywhere important, He's just rich still), and it's just enough to leave us satisfied. Eric (Kevin Connolly) has kind of a typical "E" story arc but it seems appropriate for the time and Drama (Kevin Dillon) is just himself, still aching to become the star he always thought he was meant to be. I would have liked a little more done with Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) but it was enough to just have him back and squaring off with Ronda Rousey. On top of that, so many of your favorite side characters from as far back as season one pop up all throughout the movie. I suggest brushing up on your Entourage trivia before heading to your local theater.

As a standalone movie this is not a horrible film by any means but I don't feel it offers much of anything to people unfamiliar with the show. Even if you are someone who watched semi casually and enjoyed it when you saw it, it will be difficult to understand what these characters are going through now and appreciate it without knowing what they've been through before. If you weren't on board with the tone of the final two seasons of the show you don't need to worry either as the movie feels like we're back with the crew from the first four seasons. The movie is for the fans from start to finish and with a show like this it was the only way to do it. If this is the last time we see the gang on screen then I believe Doug Ellin has given them a proper goodbye. 

As always, thanks for reading and if you ever want to talk movies you can find me on twitter @ZachWWMovies. Otherwise, smell ya later!