Review: Entourage

HBO is known for having a wide arrange of very successful television series and one of those shows would be that of Entourage which is loosely based on Mark Wahlberg's life and a heavily dramatized view into what it is like in Hollywood. Entourage was also famous for having a certain style and being a bit brash. HBO rarely makes their television properties into big budget films, the only exception has been Sex and the City and now Entourage. The show tailed off a bit towards the end of it's run in 2011 and left a few things unanswered leaving it a bit necessary for a follow-up in a movie, but more than anything, fans would not turn down more. Doug Ellin, the creator of the show and Mark Wahlberg both heavily campaigned for a film following the end of the show's run.

The plot follows Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) and his loyal entourage, Eric Murphy (Kevin Connolly), Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) and Johnny Chase (Kevin Dillion) as they help him recover from a short lived marriage. Vinny bounces back quickly and is told of a new project by Eric and his ex-agent Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) but Vinny says he will do it under the sole condition of that he will also direct it. Ari, is reluctant as he is now a studio head behind the film but has always trusted Vinny so he gives in to his demand. Months pass by and Ari begins to get concerned as the budget grows without any assurances that the film is actually close to being completed or without seeing any of it. Vinny convinces Ari to increase the budget, but Ari has to run it by the financiers in Texas, Larsen McCreadle (Billy Bob Thornton). Meanwhile, Eric has a bit of drama of his own in the form of relationship drama with his ex-girlfriend, Sloane (Emmanuelle Chriqui) who is pregnant with his child.

The film plays out exactly like the show normally did while hitting on familiar plot points, but that is exactly what made the show work at the same time. It was also a bit nostalgic as a fan of the show to see that they kept the original credits segment set to "Superhero." Not to mention the shear outrageous amount of cameos in the film, with the highlight of them all probably coming from rapper T.I. The film's familiar plot points are that of Eric and Sloane's will they won't they romance, Vinny's struggle to keep his career afloat with whatever new project he is on while his brother struggles to have a career. For instance, just like in every season, Ari has his typical line of, "If Vince fails, he will not come back from this." Ari also deals with similar issues from previous seasons such as his constant bouts with anger and his marriage and how the two constantly conflict with his job. People that were not a fan of the show might not enjoy the film, but certainly fans will as it is more of the same thing that they had always enjoyed.

The highlight of the show and the film is once again Jeremy Piven's portrayal of eccentric Ari Gold. His lines and the delivery he has in the film is always a good laugh as is his chemistry with Kevin Connolly's Eric. It is yet again always funny to see the two of them poke and prod at each other. The other big source of entertainment comes from the constant jokes at the expense of Johnny Chase. As for all the performances, it is yet again all the same. Connolly and Piven are the standouts of the show while Grenier, Ferrera and Dillion do admirable jobs in their roles. Haley Joel Osment as the main financier's son is a welcome surprise as we haven't seen Osment on screen in a long time. Doug Ellin does a good job with the script and even behind the camera as usual. Entourage definitely makes for a good summer film as it is filled with some good laughs and a good film to sit back and enjoy with your friends.