Entourage the Movie comes out in UK cinemas this week. Vincent Chase and his boys are back, but now on the big screen. The critics have not been kind, the opening numbers in the US over the weekend have been disappointing and Jurassic World has just come out in the cinemas too.
Often compared to Sex and the City, Entourage depends on the public's fascination with Hollywood. The movie has been called misogynist and that seems to be the press' focus. I am looking forward to watching the movie. I am a fan of the series and was sad to see the series end. In fact, I've just re-watched all eight seasons of Entourage which is now available on Sky box sets. It's funny how many faces you now recognise.
It is true that the show is disturbing for all of its misogynist tendencies. The depiction of women has been deplorable, but then the representation of Hollywood and actors hasn't been particularly favourable either. I don't believe that Entourage is great for women in general but then I do believe that there is a lot of television out there which is not. These shows primarily target a male audience and perpetuate stereotypes. However, despite this, I still enjoyed watching it because I see it as light entertainment. I don't believe everything I see on it and I do like that it is about friendship, positive attitudes and finding success. I realise that it is a dramedy, so the characters are exaggerated - Ari Gold will stream vitriolic offensive abuse, Eric will be mocked for being a serious relationship guy and Vince's ego will help and hinder him in both his career and girls.
What doesn't work is that the movie is defending itself for being misogynist. It was a misogynist television show that fell out of favour. It became very politically incorrect and the show tried to address this by dialling everything back and not reconsidering what were the strengths, weakness and opportunities. Character development suffered and the scripts did too. What struck me about the first few seasons was how well crafted and constructed the scripts were. I cared about the characters and the story. Vincent Chase's swagger was reminiscent of John Travolta and the cameos were loads of fun. It was a feel good experience watching them.
Entourage the franchise has much going for it, but it needs to be injected with a certain freshness. I wondered how much input there was from women. The show has so much potential. They could have introduced a rival female entourage to counter and balance the male entourage. They could have brought the families and the boys' mothers into more plotlines. If they kept working on the jokes and story, the series could have continued for years and its stars might all have remained in the spotlight. The show failed to integrate the new world of the internet, social media and reality television. I wonder where the movie will take them and hope that it isn't a massive flop because they built some solid stories and characters over the eight years, which I hope will not disappear forever.
Jeremy Piven's career remains solid with Mr Selfridge. Notably, seasons 7 and 8 of Entourage built Ari Gold's dimensionality, exploring him from many angles and left the impression he is a brilliant actor. However, the cast had a certain chemistry and that is not something you see much on television any more. There is a distinct lack of quality dramedy. HBO has done well to produce several popular television shows. Well done on Entourage.
Entourage opens in UK cinemas on 19 June.
You may also be interested in:
- The Guardian interview with the cast of Entourage about the movie
- Rotten Tomatoes for more views on Entourage the Movie
