ENTOURAGE Review by Josef Rodriguez.

It’s been about four years since HBO’s Entourage went off the air and, whether or not you were a fan, there’s no denying that, over 96 episodes, creator Doug Ellin helped develop one of the most successful shows to ever hit the air, even more so now that the boys are back with their own feature-length film, a continuation of the Entourage tale that picks up right where the series left off almost half a decade ago.

ENTOURAGE

Recently separated from his bride of roughly a week or so, Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) reunites with the boys – E (Kevin Connolly), Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), and Drama (Kevin Dillon) – to get back on set. But this time, and much to the behest of agent-turned-studio-head Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven), he wants to direct. Given $100 million dollars, Chase and his pals galavant around Los Angeles while making a number of career-defining decisions everyday on set. Meanwhile, E struggles to maintain a healthy relationship with ex-girlfriend and current mother of his child, Sloan (Emmanuelle Chriqui), while Turtle’s budding romance with UFC fighter Ronda Rousey (herself) proves to be more difficult than he imagined.

Anyone going to see Entourage and expecting to like it should know exactly what they’re getting into. Fans of the show are going to have a blast, all others should proceed with caution. Aside from the fact that many are calling the film misogynistic wish fulfillment of the most base male fantasies, on purely a content level, non-fans are going to have a hard time connecting many of the plot threads, character moments, and in-jokes that are peppered throughout.

ENTOURAGE

Visually, the film looks no different than its HBO counterpart, with serviceable cinematography and sound design to carry it from scene to scene. The performances, especially by scene stealer Ari Gold, are all pretty top notch, with Ronda Rousey doing some noticeably iffier work. She, unlike Gina Carano, has had a little more trouble adjusting to the big screen, especially now that she’s taking roles that don’t really require her to fight, and her weaknesses as an actress come through pretty clearly even when she’s only responsible for delivering a couple of lines (see Furious 7).

However, none of this really matters if you’re already an Entourage fan. Ellin and Co. don’t exactly reinvent the wheel with their big-screen debut, but it’s probably better that way. Entourage has never been a beacon of realism, morality, or good taste. It’s just fun, and, at least in this department, the movie spares no expense. If the idea of watching Vincent Chase party his days away while directing an award-winning film seems like a reasonably good time, then Entourage is most definitely the movie for you.

ENTOURAGE is now playing in theaters nationwide.