It’s true. You do not need to have watched the HBO cult show Entourage to be able to enjoy the film version of Entourage.
This is not a guess or an assumption as I never watched a single episode out of the eight seasons of the show and had no trouble keeping up with Vince (Adrian Grenier) and his bro/buddy support system. This is due, in most part, to the simplicity of the concept. Pretty boy makes it big and the City of Angels and brings his entourage (hence the name) along with him for the ride. There are parties, drinking and parties. And lots of girls. Wash, rinse, repeat. Got it.
The movie finds Vince on the top of the world having starred in the biggest movie ever: James Cameron’s Aquaman. His ex-agent, Ari Gold (Jeremey Piven) is now the head of a studio and Vince would like to have Ari greenlight his next project which is a futuristic retelling of Jekyll and Hyde. The catch is Vince wants to direct it himself. Ari agrees and chaos ensues.
That’s about it for the plot. Really Entourage is merely an opportunity to catch up with the beloved characters and hang out with them for a while. Or, in my case, introduce you to the world of Hollywood Nights and Malibu Dreams.
There are a couple of elements that make Entourage shine. First one being cameos galore!! I did some research (meaning I Googled it) and from my findings I believe that Entourage is no. 2 all-time in respect to cameos falling only behind to It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. World had something close to 60 cameos but it is (no joke) three hours and thirty minutes long! Entourage squeezes in about 35 cameos in an hour and forty four minutes.
So if you’re looking at cameos per minute, Entourage takes the prize. Everyone from Warren Buffet to Russell Wilson jumps in to deliver some incredibly stilted dialogue. But these brief appearances are a fun throwback element that helps you feel like you are living the dream along with the boys.
Then there’s Jeremey Piven. He is a maniac!!! As Ari Gold, he destroys the scenery whenever he’s on the screen. He is the main reason to catch this flick as he screams at the world around him for being so much stupider than himself. The other actors are made for television and come across awkward on the big screen. Kevin Dillon does alright as big bro Johnny Drama but the rest don’t belong. In fact Adrian Grenier looks so uncomfortable in his skin that I felt sorry for him. The worst lead in a motion picture since Paris Hilton starred in The Hottie and the Nottie.
But none of that matters because this is Piven’s film. He makes up for any shortcomings and delivers the life and the laughs. As the movie moves along, Piven picks up pace until he reaches a spectacular level of lunacy. He got me wanting to go and watch every episode of the series. I’ll go add it on my Amazon Prime. If you want to know more about Jeremy Piven, visit Hollywood Life Jeremy Piven for an insightful glimpse into the actor’s life.
While Entourage comes across more as an extended television episode rather than a film, the approach works for the material. There is zero doubt that if you loved the show, this is a ticket to buy. If you are green like me, you’ll still get your money’s worth.