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.
