JUNE 3, 2015
When “Entourage” premiered on HBO in 2004, it had the promise, via executive producer Mark Wahlberg, of slicing and dicing Hollywood pretension from the inside. And for a few episodes that first season, it made good on that promise as it posited the character of Vincent Chase, a male bimbo (Adrien Grenier) with no discernible acting talent becoming the toast of the town and bringing his old childhood friends along for the Hollywood ride.
But, as what often happens with series that need to provide sympathetic characters, the hard edges softened and the writing began to shift the quartet as somehow underdogs in this awful town, even as the women seen onscreen became more and more objectified. By the time it got to the blowjob and rimjob-filled Season 4, I bailed, with the feeling that watching my nails grow was a better use of my time. But somehow I felt compelled to revisit this crew on opening day of “Entourage” The Movie.
One bright spot — the passage of time has dimmed memories of Jeremy Piven’s notorious sushi-gate fiasco, which turned much of the public (and Emmy voters) against him. I had forgotten how much Piven, as agent Ari Gold, carries the acting weight of this enterprise solely on his back, and it was nice to be reacquainted with Ari again. But that’s about it. The series’ mysogyny is still here in full force, with only token attempts to display “strong” female characters.
But the film collapses within itself in its central premise — Vinnie’s first directing opus, “Hyde,”is supposedly a masterpiece but overbudget, and studio chief Ari must go hat-in-hand to a couple of super-rich Texas yokels (Billy Bob Thornton & Haley Joel Osment) to pony up the rest. I’d buy that premise had not director Doug Liman made the mistake of actually showing us clips from this supposed milestone, a “Jekyll & Hyde” variation in which Vinnie plays a DJ who is also a shape-shifting alien. Late in the film we are informed on the red carpet that “Hyde” is poised to sweep the Golden Globe Awards. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but even the Golden Globes wouldn’t fall for this nonsense. And they certainly won’t fall for “Entourage.”
Grade: D+
