*May Contain Spoilers*

 

June 29, 2015

 

This film by the same name of the hit HBO show plays out like a really long episode of Entourage. It’s a good film if you were a fan of the show. But it’s also good even if you never watched, as the beginning does a quick summary of everything you need to know about Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) and his crew. It’s also a good film if you want to play name that celebrity, as there are a ton of fun cameos throughout the movie.

 

It’s nine days after Vince got married, and he’s already celebrating his divorce. Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), E (Kevin Connolly) and Drama (Kevin Dillon) head to Vince’s yacht party to console him and make sure he’s OK. Turns out he’s not doing terribly and wants to do something new and exciting. He reaches out to Ari Gold (Jeremy Pivan), who has come out of retirement to head a studio to see what’s out there for him. Once Ari tells him he has a great script, Vince tells him he not only wants to star it in it, but also direct.

 

Eight months later, the film Hyde is in post-production and $15 million over budget. In order to get the film finished, Vince and E ask Ari for another $10 million. Despite the studio execs and financers breathing down his neck to get the film done within budget, Ari agrees with the guys and heads to Texas to speak with the co-financiers, Larsen (Billy Bob Thornton) and his son Travis (Haley Joel Osment). Before agreeing to write Ari a check, Larsen sends Travis back to Los Angeles to view the film at Vince’s screening. However, right before the film is set to be viewed, he cancels in fear of people not liking it. Instead, he gives a few copies to Ari and Travis to view on their own time.

 

Meanwhile, Vince is getting closer with Emily Ratajkowski, much to Travis’ dismay. After viewing the film, Ari loves it. But while Travis likes it, he wants to cut all of Drama’s parts, as well as Vince’s parts, which is essentially the whole film. The guys figure out that Travis is pissed that Vince is with Emily. Once Ari gets wind that Travis’ beef with Vince is over a girl, he bursts into a meeting and insists the film get made. While Larsen agrees that his son was childish, Ari’s behavior was inappropriate and he will only agree to fund the rest of the film if Ari steps down from the studio. Ari agrees and the film goes on to be a huge success, including a Golden Globe for Drama.

 

Of course, throughout the film, there’s lady drama. Turtle wants to get close to female boxer Ronda Rousey. However, things get a little messy when he misreads her singals and thinks she wants him to help her brand herself. Drama gets into a mess when he flirts with and has a little iPhone sex with a woman he meets at Vince’s screening.

 

And perhaps my favorite storyline was E’s. His now ex Sloan (Emmanuelle Chriqui) is pregnant and about to give birth any day now. However, he’s seeing a new girl who keeps him very satisfied. The new girl breaks up with him when she gets jealous of Sloan. Upset about the breakup, E decides to hook up with someone at Vince’s party. The next day he goes to Lamaze class with Sloan when she suggests they hook up because she’s horny. When he tells her he’s been with a few women, she gets upset and brings up the past and why they broke up in the first place. And just when she suggests they try to work it out, again, he gets a call from his ex that she’s pregnant. And what happens next is so not like E, it’s hysterical.

 

While it’s not a huge blockbuster hit, it wasn’t terrible. As I said, it plays out like a really long episode of the show. The same hijinks play out, including the running joke that Turtle has a ton of money but no one knows just exactly how much he got from the Avion venture. I liked how each of the guys got an equal part in the film and it didn’t just center around Ari and Vince, which the show sometimes did.

Taking a page from the 21 Jump Street reboot films, the sequel to our favorite a capella group, the Barden Bellas, is exactly the same as the first, except this time around they take the group international in order to save their collegiate status.