0
0
When HBO’s hit series Entourage ended its eight-season run in 2011, loyal fans were reluctant to let it go. So, four years later, the original cast is back by popular demand for a big-screen reunion that follows the lovable misfits on their latest adventures through the politics, parties, and drama of life in Hollywood.
Entourage picks up the story where the TV show left off. After his marriage ends just days into the honeymoon, Adrian Grenier’s Vincent Chase is eager to take on a new project. Fortunately, his former agent, Jeremy Piven’s Ari Gold, has decided to come out of retirement, accepting a new job as studio head. So, for his first project, Ari agrees to let Vince direct and star in a big-budget movie called Hyde. But when Vince goes over budget, Ari is forced to beg the studio’s biggest investor for more money, only to butt heads with the investor’s son, Travis (Haley Joel Osment).
For devoted fans of the series, the Entourage movie offers a chance to get caught up with some old friends while enjoying more of their antics. Each of the main characters gets his own story—and as Ari and Vince get caught up in the politics of movie-making, Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) and Eric (Kevin Connolly) find themselves dealing with some moderately interesting relationship drama and Johnny Drama (Kevin Dillon) tries to get his acting career back on track. There’s a lot going on here—and, at times, it struggles to make the transition to the big screen, often feeling more like a series of episodes than a cohesive film. But while some of the side stories tend to get lost in the shuffle, they still allow each character a moment or two in the spotlight.
Still, you don’t have to be a long-time fan of the TV series to enjoy this entertaining journey through the business of making movies. The film establishes the characters and their stories quickly, introducing most of them with a little help from a Piers Morgan profile—and the cast’s easy-going chemistry takes over from there. The rest of the film, then, is a fun-filled blur of big-name cameos, bikini-clad girls, and all kinds of Hollywood shenanigans. And it even offers an amusing look behind the scenes of the movie industry in the process.
Of course, there’s nothing new or especially exciting about this big-screen reunion—it’s generally just more of the same. But it’s sure to satisfy devoted fans of the series—and even newcomers will appreciate the comedy and camaraderie of this parody of the Hollywood lifestyle.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
