‘Entourage’ Review: HBO Series Brought to the Big Screen

When one of HBO’s most beloved TV shows came to an end in September 2011, the fans longed for a film to extend the story of the four guys from Queens. Especially after that end credits scene in the finale, where major Hollywood agent Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) takes a call from Hollywood studio head John Ellis (Alan Dale) while vacationing with his wife in Italy.

Now, four years later, we get that story. The film picks up only 9 days after the finale, but after the opening credits, it time jumps to 8 months later.

When big-time Hollywood movie star Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) and his wife of nine days Sophia (played by Alice Eve in the series) agree to get an annulment, what does he decide to do? Party on a massive yacht in Ibiza, Spain, with his four best friends of course! Eric “E” (Kevin Connolly) who is also his manager, Johnny “Drama” (Kevin Dillon) his big brother, and Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) come to the rescue, and the group figures out what they are going to do next.

Vince has his heart set on doing another film ASAP, but he also wants to direct it. After calling his former agent Ari (Piven), who is now out of retirement and heading a major movie studio, Ari has his doubts about Vinny directing. After the opening credits, where we hear the famous song “Superhero” by Jane’s Addiction, the story jumps to 8 months later, with Vince’s film already complete and way over budget. E’s former girlfriend Sloan (Emmanuelle Chriqui) is 8 months pregnant and about to give birth any second, Drama is working on auditions for his next career move, and Turtle made it big with starting up the tequila company. Now Vince, Ari, and E need to convince spoiled Texan movie funder Travis (Haley Joel Osment) to give them more cash to complete the film. But it’s not going to be as easy as they think.

Entourage is certainly a film for fans of the show and will probably not appeal to audiences who have not seen the show. It would be impossible to fully understand and get the characters and pick up on all the little Easter eggs if you have never seen the show. Unlike 2014’s Veronica Mars film which was released 7 years after the show ended, that film has more depth to appeal to general audiences. This is both a good and bad thing for Entourage and is probably one of the main reasons it is getting poor reviews. If you loved the show, you will enjoy the movie, if you didn’t like the show and felt like it was the same season after season, the film doesn’t offer a lot more than what the series did.

Jeremy Piven is excellent in reprising his role as Ari Gold, and any chance I can get to see him in this character I’m going to take it. His jokes are still raunchy and insulting, but that’s what made his character famous. What I loved about his character here is that he has evolved somewhat over the last few months, and though he might not ever say it, he loves his former assistant Lloyd (Rex Lee) like a son.

We could have done without the conflicts surrounding E, like I said, the film would have highly benefited if it picked up four years later versus 8 months and Sloan had already given birth. It seemed like Kevin Connolly was whatever about his story line. But Kevin Dillon is just lovely as Drama; I missed his animated facial expressions. Jerry Ferrara seems to have come out of his shell as Turtle, flirting with MMA fighter Ronda Rousey, who plays herself in the film.

The shots of Los Angeles are gorgeous, and if Entourage doesn’t make you want to visit Hollywood, I don’t know what will. Director and series creator Doug Ellin created a story for the fans on the big screen, the cameos are perfect and don’t distract from the story, and the film is just all around a good time. If only we could have been given a little more than what the series has already given us.