Entourage (El séquito)

Saw this when it was originally released, just saw it again after rewatching the entire series. It definitely holds up and all things considered, it did a great job staying true to the series while jumping to the big screen. Every actor is exactly as they were a few years earlier, which isn't always the case with these kind of movies. The plot was believable and could have easily been the basis of season 9. Arie and Drama as usual steal all the scenes and when it all ended, I was left wanting more of my entourage.

The boys pick up right where the series ended and they don't skip a beat. Ari is quick to offer Vince the lead role in his first picture as studio head. Only problem is Vince has decided the next movie he does he also wants to direct. So with the movie going over budget with the boys focus quite a few problems as usual. Plus turtle is now a multi- multimillionaire just thought I should mention that. Now Vince is having problems with the financers of the movie over a girl. Not only does he want drama replaced he also wants Vinny the star and director replaced, are you willing to put anything on the line to stop that. Great for fans only problem I had with it is that it had to squeeze a season worth of material into a half and hour movie. People who have not seen the show will be able to follow along although they will not get many references that people who watch the show will. There was plans to make a sequel and possibly a trilogy but with low box office success that unfortunately may not be the case. Hopefully they can come up with a budget to at least make a sequel. Plus there's cameos from about anyone you can think of from common to Russell Wilson to Mark Wahlberg to Liam Neeson. Definitely worth checking out especially if you're a fan of the show.

If you haven't seen any of the 'Entourage' TV series (which ran from 2004-2011), then you may occasionally be at a loss during the film. The film starts off with a brief 'where-are-they-now' (on a yacht in the Mediterranean, surrounded by dozens of women, obviously), but doesn't offer much background otherwise, assuming if you're watching it, you already know the four main characters - Vince (Grenier), Eric (Connolly), Turtle (Ferrara) & Drama (Dillon) - plus Ari (Piven), who is almost more essential to the show/film than any of the others.

As usual, there's plenty of guest stars - Wahlberg, Alba, Favreau, Neeson, Grammer, Busey, Saget, Spade, Hammer, various NFL players - which sometimes add something to the film, but often seem unnecessary and seem to be there purely to make it feel like Hollywood. There's a minor plot for each of the entourage - Vince directing his first film; Drama hoping for a breakout role in that film (& getting embroiled in some online retribution); Turtle trying to get date a girl who happens to be a professional wrestler; and Eric doing pregnancy things with his currently separated wife. Nothing revolutionary plot-wise and - besides Royal Blood at the start, Jane's Addiction at the titles and Tame Impala in the middle - there's some very average music throughout.

Ari is slightly calmer and - even though he still screams and says mean things - he comes off as more charming and less abrasive than before. Great to see Piven & Thornton acting together - arguably to only two 'real' actors/stars in the film! Also, credit to Haley Joel Osment, who plays entitled, ignorant hick superbly. The main issue most people will have with this film is its portrayal of Los Angeles - young/skinny women in bikinis (or not), always a party, always sunny, always a brunch. Possibly true, but it does often feel plastic/forced. However, the film isn't bad - it just feels like three episodes rolled into one, with no real sense of tension or resolution at all. It's just a comfortable ride with familiar faces.

Entourage isn't a very good movie. It's hard to even call it a movie because it's basically Entourage season 9 crammed into an hour and a half theatrical film. It picks up right where the show left off and continues with the same subtle banter humor and Ari Gold proving again why he's one of the best characters ever written. People who haven't seen the show will be confused, or at least bored, with the characters because they really have no development throughout this movie. There are simply too many characters to make a movie like this work. A mini-series? Absolutely. It would've been great to flesh out some of these subplots with multiple episodes. But a feature film? It doesn't quite work.

The entourage are up to their usual shenanigans. Vince wants to direct a movie, Drama wants to get his acting break, Turtle wants to go out with Ronda Rousey, and E is having a baby with Sloan. Ari's storyline is by far the most engaging. Being a studio head now, everything is riding on Vince's movie to perform well in order to save Ari's (and Vince's) reputation, and in order to do that he needs to get funds from two financiers from Texas - a father-son duo played to perfection by Billy Bob Thornton and Haley Joel Osment respectively. Oddly enough, I found their scenes to be the most interesting of the movie. Larsen (Thornton) sends his son Travis (Osment) to Hollywood with Ari to see the movie early and to ensure it's worth putting up the extra funds, and Ari LOATHES it. Some of the funniest scenes come from the stress these guys put on Ari and there are a couple classic Ari outbursts. What Thornton and Osment really bring to the movie is a reality check. Larsen only cares about money - he never watches the movies, he's simply an investor, so naturally he and Ari clash when it comes to defending Vince's artistic freedom. It was these moments where Entourage felt more like a movie. There was tension, conflict, and although the Texans are written as the villains, their motives are actually grounded and understandable, especially for a movie as extravagant and gratuitous as this.

To get the most out of Entourage, it must be seen directly after the show. It feels like the show never skipped a step. The writing is on point, the characters are the ones you know and love from before, and it has even more celebrity cameos (probably the most in any movie ever). I'd love to see an Entourage mini-series if they decide to continue this, but I was perfectly satisfied with this movie granting some closure to the group. There's even a priceless shot of the entourage walking down the red carpet with The Who's "Eminence Front" playing in the background. It's perfect.

If you've never seen the show and are expecting a standard raunch comedy, then Entourage might fall flat. However, if you want to make the most out of it, watch the show (it's totally worth it) and then the movie, and it will make the experience better by a tenfold. It's an hour and a half of the gang up to their usual antics, and it's a boatload of fun.

This movie is not up to par on the series. I wasn't blown away after watching but not disappointed either. Still it was nice to see the boys back on the screen and thought the ending was a good fit.