Entourage

Entourage [2015] is the big screen follow-up to the hit HBO series of the same name.  A-list movie star, Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) and his three best friends E (Kevin Connolly), Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), and Drama (Kevin Dillon) are back with agent-turned-studio head Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven).  Together, they take on a risky project known as Vincent Chase’s directorial debut.  Comedic hijinks ensue as this male version of Sex and the City take on the beast known as Los Angeles.

 

For Fans Eyes Only.  As someone whose never seen a single episode of the TV show, I spent most of the time trying to figure out why I should care about any of these Hollywood jerks.  They’re entitled, obnoxious, and yet they’re the heroes of this story.  Fans of the show probably won’t have this problem, but I didn’t sympathize with any of these people.  Jeremy Piven as Ari Gold is the most fun to watch in a delightfully over-the-top performance.

 

Cameos! Cameos Everywhere!  From Liam Neeson, to Tom Brady, to Mark Wahlberg, there’s no shortage on cameos (the trailer nearly gives everyone away).  Some are funny, some are not, and some are just downright pointless.  It’s even confusing at some spots.  For example, Judy Greer shows up as a casting director.  Not as a cameo, but an actual character.  A strange choice, especially since she’s arguably more famous than any of the leads.

 

The $30 Million Dollar Question.  It feels more like an extended episode of the TV show instead of a full movie.  What qualifies it to be a movie?  Why not a reunion special on HBO or even a 13-episode revival via Netflix?  What does this movie do that couldn’t have been done on the show?  That question kept ringing through my head and, unfortunately, was never answered.  Sure, the budget’s bigger, but the ideas aren’t.  Movies like The Simpsons (2007) or South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut (1999) prove that good movies can be adapted from TV shows by raising the stakes and putting big challenges in front of their characters.  Entourage doesn’t do any of that.