Review of Entourage (2015) by Harry W — 05 Oct 2016

As a large fan of the television series who really desired more at the end of the TV series, Entourage had already elicited strong appeal in my eyes.

Entourage is one of those shows which really demands a film sequel. While I vastly enjoyed the television series, its final season was a big misfire in which the final episode ended on a piss-poor note where Vincent "Vince" Chase impulsively got married to someone he had just met, Ari Gold suddenly quit his job to save his marriage, Eric Murphy got his ex-girlfriend pregnant and managed to reconcile with her and Salvatore "Turtle" Assante turned rich due to Vince surprising him with a deux ex machina. That was one of the least satisfying endings I'd ever seen from a TV show, and I needed better closure. But like any film based on a TV series, Entourage runs the risk of becoming just an extended episode of the television show. In an error of judgement, I could not have imagined, not only did Entourage live up to that prophecy but it also failed to respect the characters that made the series great.

The first problem with Entourage becomes clear very quickly. In an attempt to mend the mistakes, it made within the final season, the film reverses most of its errors without a sensible thought for how it does so. Obviously Vince's impulsive marriage fails after a short period of time, but other results are less-than-satisfying. Johnny "Drama" Chase's new animated TV series got cancelled after a brief run even though he finally got something he earned, Eric Murphy splits with Sloane all over again even though she's pregnant with his child this time, Ari Gold is back to his obsessive working nature as a studio head this time while back in therapy with his wife and even Billy Walsh is back on drugs. The disappointing errors of the preceding television series are given a hamfisted resolution so that the film can return to the former glory of its source material, and the fact that it has to force its way into steps backwards from anything that has developed is truly disappointed. Doug Ellin should have just forged a new story path instead of relying so heavily on nostalgia, but the Entourage film cannot decide whether it wants to go backwards or forwards. Only Turtle is the character with anything half-decent happening as he is pursuing a relationship with Ronda Rousey, and this entire dynamic is one of the most interesting in the film. But unfortunately that is a subplot in the feature.

Left with a film which uses the most pathetic route of repairing the mistakes it made with its final season, Entourage is severely damaged from the start. Even though the film has a decent premise about Vincent Chase creating his directorial debut with an expensive studio film, the constant reminder of all the little flaws within the story universe make it hard to focus simply on the main path of the story. It also means that the general dynamic between the characters seems more recycled and the gimmicks that worked in episodic periods seem forced when stretched into feature length. The mood of Entourage isn't that engaging when the film starts, and when it falls into its episodic formula running at feature length it just becomes a rudimentary experience. The general development over the course of the film is just like in the episodes of the HBO series with random plot points and celebrity cameoes thrown in there without the intention of doing anything with them. This just scatters the experience, and the entire film unfolds like this as it pushes towards another deux ex machina; the film concludes with Eric Murphy reunited with Sloane, Vincent Chase's film being a hige hit and Johnny Drama earning one of the Golden Globe nominations. But Turtle and Ronda Rousey's relationship is given no distinct clarification, and audiences are left with the last shred of dying spirit from an incredible unsatisfactory film.

The returning actors still maintain the personas of their iconic characters with no difficulty, but none of them really make any kind of standout effort. I'd naturally favour Kevin Dillon because Johnny Drama was always my favourite character from the show, but the script relies too heavily on them without giving them anything intelligent or funny to say. It's always a pleasure to see them back in their roles, but the story and dialogue has no appreciation for them, giving them nothing further to develop on and recycling what fans had come to enjoy once upon a time. Now the affair feels tired and the lack of innovation gives no chance for them to shine.

The only cast member I would given any props to is Ronda Rousey. The UFC legend has earned quite a high-profile status in recent years for her legacy in the cage and her genuine passion outside of it. In Entourage she puts a satirical spin on this and shows us a side to her which is both vulnerable and egotistical, showing a greater profile of herself while parodying it at the same time. She presents natural charisma to the part and keeps herself likable throughout the feature, contributing one of the most memorable elements to the film. Ronda Rousey is a definite asset to Entourage, even though she isn't given the screen time she deserves.

And the celebrity cameos from George Takei and Mark Wahlberg prove welcome, though Haley Joel Osment's supporting role creates ambivalence because he is such a one-dimensional poorly written character reinforced with a whiny nature and half-assed impression of Matthew McConaughey. The character is too unlikable for the actor to do anything with or for the audience to respect, so he doesn't earn any praise.

Entourage may create a sense of nostalgia for fans of the TV series and Ronda Rousey makes a likable presence, but the story is woefully misguided in correcting the flaws of its final season and scattered in its focus, developing nothing, going nowhere and concluding in absolute mediocrity.