Film Review - "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales"

Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Directed by Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg
Starring Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem and Kaya Scodelario

I've never been one to love or hate the Pirates of The Caribbean films. They were always just okay in my eyes. I recently rewatched the original trilogy. The Curse of The Black Pearl is a really good film. Dead Man's Chest had a promising start, but its horribly paced and far too convoluted in building its own mythology. At World's End improves on the flaws of its predecessor, but it gets really bizarre and is still too convoluted. I misplaced my DVD copy of On Stranger Tides but going off memory I enjoyed the straight-forward adventure of it.

Now we're at film number five with Dead Men Tell No Tales and…it's not a bad film. It's really not. But it's got problems and evidence of this franchise's lack of life is really showing.

The film opens up many years after the post credit scene of At World's End. Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites), the son of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan (Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, who make brief returns to the franchise) is seeking to find the Trident of Poseidon, which is said to break any curse at sea, including his father's bond to The Flying Dutchman. Turner seeks the help of his parents former ally Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp). Jack's fallen on hard times himself, with his ship still shrunken-in-a-bottle, and his crew all but abandoned him.

Desperate for a drink, he trades away his magical compass, and that somehow frees the undead Captain Salazar (Bardem) from his prison in the Devil's Triangle. Salazar then begins a quest for vengeance on Sparrow. Meanwhile, Henry rescues Jack and a young astrologist Carina Smyth (Scodelario) from execution and they reluctantly team up and soon its a race to find the trident. Huzzah. Oh and Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) is back, as a captain of the Navy…somehow.

The story is another self-contained adventure like On Stranger Tides, but frankly we've seen it all before. There's some MacGuffin everyone is chasing. The antagonist(s) are a bunch of undead/zombie pirates out for revenge on one Jack Sparrow. There's layers on layers of deals, betrayals, and double crosses (okay definitely not as much as in the second and third films but there are some). If Disney wants this franchise to continue they have to bring something new to the table. Also I have some continuity questions because by the looks of the last time we saw him, Will was doing just fine aboard The Dutchman so…what happened? And shouldn't any of these characters have, I don't know, aged??

One problem that I find across the whole Pirates franchise is, why do these films drag on for so long? Pacing is a foreign concept here, and it takes a little too long to get our heroes on their quest. There are some of the set pieces and action sequences just get way over the top and far too cartoony. Seriously guys a bunch of horses pull a safe through a wall…and then they pull an entire building throughout town…what the what.

Let's talk about the cast. Johnny Depp, it's like he's forgotten how to play this character. Jack is more more mean, more bitter, and less enjoyable. Depp's schtick has gotten stale, and he's just going through the motions. Geoffrey Rush remains a franchise highlight as Barbossa. Javier Bardem gives a corny, over-the-top performance as Salazar. Brenton Thwaites is average but pleasant as our newest male lead, and Kaya Scodelario is lovely and charming as Carina.

Well I've badmouthed the film so much you're probably wondering how I can still say it's not a bad film. Well it's not poorly made for one thing. It's just more of the same. Most of the performances are still pretty entertaining, and while some parts do get a little ridiculous they are still fun, and there are some laughs throughout. The story isn't terrible it's just the same story with the same characters told again in a new film. I can appreciate the film steering away from mythology building an just telling a simple adventure.

If you haven't heard by now Dead Men Tell No Tales, like other Pirates of the Caribbean films has a post-credit scene. I won't speak to it but if this does lead to a sixth film, then the pot's got to be stirred. With Dead Men Tell No Tales having the lowest opening weekend of the franchise, we might be seeing  Jack Sparrow sail off into the sunset.

Film Review - "Wonder Woman"

Wonder Woman

Directed by Patty Jenkins

Starring Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, and Connie Nielsen

Upon the release of Batman VS Superman: Dawn of Justice, many…pretty much everyone agreed that Wonder Woman was a major highlight in an otherwise average film. As time went on (and Suicide Squad came out), it became abundantly clear that Wonder Woman was just the best part of the DC Extended Universe.

Now her own film has hit theaters and that's still true. Wonder Woman, both character and film, are the very best part of this superhero franchise. Now looking at the three films that came before it I know that's not saying much, but Wonder Woman is still by all accounts…wonderful!

The film chronicles the origins of the titular heroine (played again by Gadot), from her early days of training on the Amazonian island Themyscira, to her journey into the outside world, specfically during World War I. 

When Ally spy Steve Trevor (Pine) crash lands on the shores of the island, he tells Diana and her and people of "The war to end all wars" tearing the world apart at its seams. Diana believes this to be the work and second coming of Ares, The God of War. Against her mother (Nielsen)'s wishes, she leaves the island with Trevor, who agrees to take her to the front lines. Once she arrives at the battle, Diana plans to find and kill Ares, and therefore end the fighting. 

First up, the story itself is fairly basic, and you might be able to predict how Diana's mission will go (or *will* you?!?!?!). But the film has a beautiful message about belief, hope, and love. Good and evil aren't always black and white, it comes down to nature and choice. The film would fail if it didn't have a main character that audiences could connect and root for, and my God do we get one. 

Gal Gadot is Wonder Woman, and gives an iconic, career-defining performance. She plays every part of Diana's character so well, from her "fish out of water" moments, to her simply being a compassionate human being, who sees injustice (see what I did there?) in the world and wants to make it right how ever she can. I think that's why so many people fell in love with her and this film. She's not someone avenging the death of a loved one like Batman, or taking responsibility for her gifts like Spider-Man, she's someone who has the ability to make a difference, and will seek out to do just that.

Not for any reason other than it's right thing to do. It reminds me of…of…of CAPTAIN AMERICA!!!

Alright, alright I'll calm down, but you can see the similarities, in both character and origin films (The First Avenger takes place in WWII, Wonder Woman takes place in WWI…) Anyway, the scene where she fearlessly marches onto No Man's Land. Chills. Pure chills and feels.

Chris Pine gives a charming and humorous performance as Steve Trevor, and the chemistry he has with Gadot is remarkable. Nielsen and Robin Wright as Diana's mother and aunt give small but powerful performances nonetheless. Said Taghmaoui, Ewen Bremmer, and Eugene Brave Rock play the three men who accompany Diana and Steve on their mission, Sameer, Charlie, and The Chief. They all have nice moments throughout the film but when I saw the film a second time I barely remembered them from the first viewing.

The biggest flaw of the film in my opinion is the villains. Danny Huston and Elena Anaya play General Ludendorf and Dr. Posion, and I'm not saying their performances are bad (Well, Huston's German accent is pretty cringe…honestly I still see Stryker from X-Men Origins), but they're mostly just pawns and plot devices. All this talk of Ares I don't think it's a spoiler to say he is in the film. It's hard to talk about him without going into spoilers, so I'll just say his part in the film is, underwhelming.

Two more notes. The music from Rupert Gregson Williams is phenomenal, and yes he does use and build on the theme from Batman VS Superman, and the film looks great. From the shores of Themyscira to the battlefield. My God I didn't know so much color was allowed in a DC film!

So to wrap up, Wonder Woman is a really good, really enjoyable film, that gives us more of a character we already were in awe of after only being with her for fifteen minutes of screen time. Is it perfect? No. Is it a game changer? Not in every case. But it doesn't need to be. Sometimes we just need a superhero film with an incredible main character and a heartfelt message, and that's what we got. It's not just a big step forward for the DC Extended Universe, it's a huge step forward. I'm glad we were finally able to get a Wonder Woman film, a female led-superhero film, directed by a woman that's having enormous success. I think this film is something the world really needed right now.

…..and I'm not just saying that because I met Gal Gadot last year and she touched my arm and I am forever cast under her spell….*sigh*…

Did you know that Danny Huston's General Ludendorf was a real General in WWI?? Seriously look it up. I mean he didn't have those crazy pills but still….that's nuts….

Film Review - "Captain America: Civil War"

Captain America: Civil War
Directed by Anthony & Joe Russo
Starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr, Sebastian Stan, and Chadwick Boseman

Oh my emotions. Watching your favorite superheroes kick the crap out of each other, that takes it out of you. At the same time though, that's what helps make Captain America: Civil War not just one of the best Marvel films of all time, but one of the best superhero films of all time.

Following the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron and an encounter with Crossbones (Frank Grillo) that ends horribly with civilian casualties, the government is calling for The Avengers to be put under the control of a United Nations panel, with the signing of the Sokovia Accords. Naturally, one half of the team is against the Accords, while the other half is for it. The first half is led by Steve Rogers/Captain America (Evans), and the second by Tony Stark/Iron Man (Downey).

As this inner conflict unfolds, The Winter Soldier/Steve's old friend Bucky Barnes (Stan) remerges, supposedly the one behind a bombing of the United Nations. Steve and Sam Wilson/The Falcon (Anthony Mackie) take it upon themselves to investigate, now acting outside the law. As the hunt for Bucky unfolds, superheroes both new and familiar are drawn into the conflict, while a mysterious figure named Helmut Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) operates in the shadows. Things will never be the same as disagreement between teammates turns into an all out brawl.

The script here is fantastic, building upon every character's development and storyline threaded through the past dozen films. Everything in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has built to this, and it all comes to head in a glorious spectacle. Every piece of dialogue, every fight scene has emotional weight to it, and the audience really feels it.

The airport sequence is everything everyone has been ranting and raving about. It's an explosive set piece and one of the best action scenes put to film in the superhero genre. The final fight, which I won't spoil, packs one hell of a gut punch, and is a pure edge-of-your-seat thrills.

A film this packed, you think some characters would go underdeveloped, but everyone gets their moment to shine in the film. Paul Rudd brings some big laughs as Ant-Man. Sebastian Stan gets to bring Bucky to some amazing new places, and the comedic pairing of Bucky & Falcon is wonderful. Elizabeth Olsen gets much more to do as Scarlet Witch, and really works the material. Daniel Bruhl as Helmut Zemo is no question, the best villain in the MCU since Tom Hiddelston's Loki.

Then we have our two newest Avengers, Spider-Man and Black Panther, played by Tom Holland and Chadwick Boseman. Tom Holland is now the definitive Spider-Man. Young, hopeful, cocky and ready to play with the big boys, this is the young Peter Parker from the comics come to life. Chadwick Boseman is the coolest of cool as Prince T'Challa, the Black Panther. I can't wait for their standalone films.

Then there's our two leads, Chris Evans as Captain America and Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man. While this film is packed with Avengers, this is still a Captain America story, as Steve Rogers continues to adjust to this modern world and fight for what he believes in. Chris Evans, his fifth outing as the titular hero, possibly gives his best performance of the MCU so far, handling both heavy-hitting set pieces and character moments. Robert Downey Jr., now having played Tony Stark for six films, brings the evolution of the character to dark, emotional new places. This is a different Tony Stark, and its incredibly compelling to watch Downey bring this character to life once more.

Honestly the whole cast is incredible, new and old faces of the franchise, but it'd be tedious to go down the entire roster. Henry Jackman's score is beautiful, featuring some truly moving pieces of music. The film is perfectly paced. It's hard to find any real flaw in the film, and that's not Marvel bias. Sure you could argue the introduction of Spider-Man into the MCU feels shoe-horned, or that Zemo wasn't need to create the conflict of Civil War, but everything is done so well its justified.

Another MCU film has come and gone, and here I am embodying the stereotype of the Marvel fanboy once again. Regardless, I think the voice of the critics and audiences can back me up here. Captain America: Civil War is an explosive, emotional film that is easily one of the best superhero films ever made. It's an easy recommendation. Even if you're not a diehard MCU fan, the film will still appeal to you on some level. I mean you're watching Captain America and Iron Man fight. That's like…watching Batman and Superman….okay maybe not like that….I'm sorry I couldn't resist one little jab…

If you haven't already, check out my take on how we got to Captain America: Civil War, both from Cap's and Tony's point of view.

Disney Sequel Showdown- "The Lion King 1 1/2"

Disney Sequel Showdown: Round #3

The Lion King 1 1/2
Directed By Bradley Raymond
Starring Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Julie Kavner and Jerry Stiller

So this just came back into my head. It's late, I can't sleep, so let's talk about another Disney sequel!

Well I've already knocked two Disney direct-to-video sequels, follows up to Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, I did say there were some decent ones in the canon. The Lion King 1 1/2, despite that ridiculous title, is probably one of, if not the best of the Disney direct-to-video sequels.

Where The Lion King is an adaptation of Hamlet,  The Lion King 1 1/2 is sort of an adaptation of Rosencrantz & Guilderstein Are Dead. The film takes us through the original again, but from Timon and Pumbaa's point-of-view. But before the "Circle of Life" begins, we get to see what life was like for Timon (Lane) back in his meerkat colony, complete with his mother (Kavner) and Uncle Max (Stiller).

After botching up a stint on sentry duty involving some familiar hyenas, Timon leaves home to find his place in the world. Along the way, he meets his future best friend Pumbaa (Sabella), who joins him on his quest to find their own patch of paradise. From there, the events of the first film run its course, but again it's their side of the story. We see what they were doing during some of the original's key scenes, including some that we didn't even know they were around for.

Perhaps Lion King 1 1/2's greatest strength is that it doesn't take itself seriously, right down to it's Mystery Science Theater 3000 set up of Timon and Pumbaa watching the film in a theater. It's a sequel to one of the greatest animated films of all time, but it's not going try to match it. It's going to be it's own thing. That was a coming-of-age story of a young prince, this is a buddy comedy/satire, that actually has a lot of laughs at the expense of the former.

All that aside, there is still an emotional Disney core, and that comes from the relationship of our two leads. It's always nice to see filmmakers successfully take sidekicks, and make them three-dimensional characters. Of course, you know they didn't do that on their own. Timon and Pumbaa have been around for years, were already loved by the public, and had two other films and a tv show before this. While this is a Timon & Pumbaa film, Timon is the star. It's his hero journey, and while Pumbaa does go through his own emotional arc, it spawns from Timon's.

The animation here is rather good despite this being a direct-to-video release (This was around the time these films started getting higher in quality, and were no longer being recycled episodes from a cancelled tv show stapled together. Looking at you, Belle's Magical World and Cinderella II).
The music is fine, featuring some catchy original songs, reprises of ones from The Lion King, and some from outside sources that are used for jokes and pop culture references.

I'm not surprised that nearly every cast member from the original film returned for this, with the exception of Rowan Atkinson as Zazu (Seriously what the hell was he doing that he couldn't be bothered?). I mean this was a sequel to what was at the time, Disney's most successful animated film (This was all B.F….Before Frozen.) Anyway, they're all great. Disney always knew how to put together a good voice cast for a film. New additions Julie Kavner and Jerry Stiller as Ma & Uncle Max provide a good amount of laughs, even though you can clearly tell that Kavner is the voice of Marge Simpson, and that Jerry Stiller is…well Jerry Stiller.

So to recap, if one should ever find themselves in a situation where you had to watch a Disney sequel, this is without a doubt your best option. I myself do actually get the urge to rewatch it from time to time, because it's just a fun, harmless film. The Lion King 1 1/2 is not one of those sequels that's better than the originals. Lord no. For what it is though, it's a fine film, and that's really nothing to fuss about. Hakuna Matata.

Film Review- "Kung Fu Panda 3"

Kung Fu Panda 3
Directed by Alessandro Carloni and Jennifer Yuh
Starring Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, Dustin Hoffman, and JK Simmons

Dreamworks Animation has always been hit and miss with their films. For a while back there, frankly the only good films they were putting out were Shrek and stuff they were distributing for Aardman Animation. Then in 2008 came the first Kung Fu Panda, and it sort of ushered in a new era of quality for the studio.

Six years later, and the quality of their output is still all over the spectrum. Blame it on financial troubles of the studio, poor creative decisions or some combination of both. Along side the How To Train Your Dragon's , the Kung Fu Panda film series remains their best work. Five years after the stellar Kung Fu Panda 2, comes the next installment, Kung Fu Panda 3. While the film only enforces my previous statement, I still found it to be the weakest of the three Kung Fu Panda's.

The film opens in the Spirit Realm, which apparently is where Master Oogway (Randall Duk Kim) went in the middle of the first film. Oogway is confronted by his old friend-turned-nemesis Kai (Simmons), who has stolen the chi from all the kung fu masters in the Spirit Realm. After stealing Oogway's chi, Kai gains the power to return to the mortal realm, where he plans to steal...even more kung fu masters' chi! Of course before he leaves, Oogway foretells of another warrior destined to defeat Kai. (Guess who it is?!?)

Back in the mortal realm, Master Shifu (Hoffman) tells his students he is ready to retire, and has chosen Dragon Warrior Po (Black) as his replacement. Po proves to be a horrible teacher. Shifu tells him if he wants to be a good teacher, he has to come to understand what it means to be him, to be the Dragon Warrior. Po's plate only gets heavier when his biological father (Cranston) returns and offers to take him back to a secret panda village, and teach him what it really means to be a panda. Then on top of that, Po must prepare to face Kai.

So while I do think this is a good story, I do wish they had taken one or two more passes at the script. The theme of Po discovering who he is, it's a bit of a rehash of his character arc in the previous film. I can see both sides of it though. While Kung Fu Panda 2 was Po discovering who he is, Kung Fu Panda 3 is more about what it means to be him. The former deals with more with the Po side of things, while the latter deals with the Dragon Warrior side. That's all well and good, I just wish the script in 3 did more to set it apart from 2.

The animation in this series has always been spectacular, and this film does not disappoint. The animators really craft a beyond beautiful Spirit Realm, which are the visual highlights of the film, and the Ancient China setting looks as good as ever. The fight scenes in the Spirit Realm look awesome, but ones taking place in other parts of the film never manage to match the grand scale of those in the previous films. The music is once again epic, particularly the theme for our villain, Kai.

The returning voice cast are more than comfortable in their roles by now, and all do great work, so let's focus on the new additions. Bryan Cranston as Po's father Li Shan…I mean it's Bryan Cranston. Has the man ever turned in a bad performance? JK Simmons is hard to recognize as Kai, except for a few moments, but sadly he's the worst of the series' three villains. His motivation and backstory sadly do not reach the compelling, emotional heights of Tai Lung or Lord Shen. Then there's Kate Hudson, playing like, kind of a new love interest for Po? Which is fine but she's just kinda there.

So while probably not worth the five year wait, Kung Fu Panda 3 is still a well-crafted film, and manages to still be one of Dreamworks Animation's best films in recent years. Never reaching the epic-ness of the first or the emotional gravitas of the second, it still retains the fun (If I could borrow from the film's dialogue) awesomeness of its predecessors. It provides a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, if this does prove to be the last film in the series. Fans of Kung Fu Panda and animation alike will not be disappointed, and I think will agree that this will go down in history as one of the best animated film series of our time.

Film Review- "Deadpool"

Deadpool
Directed by Tim Miller
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarain, and Ed Skrein


Like most of the general film-going population, I know that X-Men Origins: Wolverine was not a good movie. Back in 2009 though, I was not as Marvel savvy as I am now, and that was my first taste of the character of Deadpool. As time went on, I learned that iteration of the character was not the Deadpool fans know, love, and wanted to see. The more I learned about the character, the more I saw the idea of film adaptation really working. My reservations towards Ryan Reynolds notwithstanding of course, and the fact that Fox was refusing to green light production.

Then in August 2014 someone leaked the test footage, and I went, "Yes. I like that. Give me more of that!" Fox gave into the fans and a year or so later, after some really stellar trailers and one of the best marketing campaigns for a film I've ever seen, Deadpool is now in theaters. Folks, I can confidently say this is probably the best Marvel movie that-wasn't-made-by-Marvel yet.

Just as mercenary Wade Wilson (Reynolds) prepares to take the next step with his girlfriend Vanessa (Baccarain), he is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Shortly after that, he is offered a chance to be a part of a shady but experimental program that could cure him. Wilson agrees after some hesitation, only to find the program is not what it seems. He is injected with a serum and put through a series of excrutiating tests to trigger his mutant genes. He soon develops the ability to heal from everything ("They didn't just give me the cure to el cancer. They give me the cure to el everything!") but his body is also left horribly scarred.

After escaping a fierce confrontation at the program headquarters, Wilson dons his infamous red suit and sets out for revenge against the program director Francis/Ajax (Skerin), despite the interjection of  two X-Men, Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Stefan Kapicic and Brianna Hidlebrand).

What sounds like a fairly simple origin story is brought to a whole new level with heaping amounts of crude, laugh-out-loud humor and non-stop action. The filmmakers were really given the chance to make a proper adaptation of Deadpool, packed with pop-culture references and fourth-wall breaking. There is real heart to this film too. The relationship between Wade and Vanessa is at its core, and makes it more than just a raunchy superhero comedy.

I've said before that Ryan Reynolds can be a great actor but he wastes his time making the wrong films. I'm not saying that right now. He was born to play Deadpool, and naturally, is the highlight of the film. Everything he says, everything he does, is pure gold. Morena Baccarain brings a lot of spice to the role of Vanessa, a role that could very well have been just a bland love interest, if not for the combination of her and the screenwriter's talents. She's given plenty of jokes to crack as well, and has great chemistry with Reynolds. Skerin is perfectly despicable as Francis/Ajax. Kapicic and Hidelbrand are given some juicy material in their X-Men supporting roles, while never overshadowing our hero, and finally TJ Miller gets some laugh's as Wade's buddy Weasel.

If I did have to pick one flaw with the film, it would be that some of the origin story flashbacks tend to be a little slow, as is expected with most of these superhero films. Thankfully, this problem is minuscule  compared to the rest of this awesome film.

Deadpool has definitely met expectations after all the years of anticipation and hype. In a world where the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe stand tall and proud, this outside-the-house production leaves a real lasting mark on the superhero genre. A truly faithful adaptation, and a real work of passion by its creative team, I feel as though we already have one of the best films of the 2016. I know it's only February! How crazy is that??

Oh yeah, and I'm still going to do a Top Films of 2015. Still got some more to see….Oh and just so we're clear they're my top films of 2015….Mine. Not yours…

...chikka chikkahhh.

Film Review- "Entourage"

Entourage
Directed by Doug Ellin
Starring Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, and Jeremy Piven

All those stereotypes that you've heard about the tv series, that it's "Sex & The City" for men, that it's for the "less intelligent", are more true than you think. I know this because I watched "Entourage", and I'm a little embarassed to admit that. I mean I know, and I don't think I have to tell you, that it's not the smartest series ever crafted. The show definitely had its moments, though.

The characters were likable, but all had periods where they were downright annoying. When the humor was on point, it could be straight laugh-out-loud. When it wasn't busy being a bro's fantasy of the life of the rich and famous, it's satirical look at Hollywood life was pretty entertaining.

So, my opinions on the film? They're pretty much the same I have for the show (For the purposes of this review, some small spoilers follow for the show and film).

The film Entourage, begins nine days after the show's series finale, by completely undoing all the final season did. That's not necessarily a bad thing, considering the final season was a bit "meh". Then, we jump forward eight months. Vince (Grenier) is starring and, for the first time directing, a film called 'Hyde'. The film is also Ari's (Piven) first production as studio head at Warner Bros. Vince has gone over-budget, and he and E (Connolly), need more money from Ari. Ari is obviously stressed, especially considering Vince won't show him the rough cut of the film. To add to that, in order for Ari to secure more money for production, they must woo a stern studio financier (Billy Bob Thorton) and is unbearable son (Haley Joel Osment).

Meanwhile, E is preparing for the birth of his and Sloan's (Emmanuelle Chiriqui) baby (They're broken up again by the way. Shocking.), Drama (Kevin Dillon) is stressing over his "small but pivotal" supporting role in Vince's film, and Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) is trying to romance Rhonda Rousey. Oh, and Lloyd (Rex Lee) is getting married and wants Ari to give him away, while Ari and his wife (Perrey Reeves) are back in couples therapy.

There's a lot going on in this film. Almost a season's worth of story…like they literally tried to cram a season worth of material into a two and a half-hour film. As you can imagine, the scripts suffers because of this. It's drive-by storytelling. Five minutes were seeing what's up with Vince, then were cutting to see what Drama's up to for a few minutes, and then it's time for some Ari, you get the picture. There's not a lot of time for the audience to sit back and digest what's going on.

That and, there's no real stakes in this film. It almost plays out like every season of the show. The boys are in production on a film, they get into some trouble, and by the credits roll Ari's solved it all for them. Not that exciting. But I guess the fans aren't here for Drama (Pun intended. I had to.)

I'm not going to go into the cast's performances or the humor, because it is exactly like the show, if not raunchier. If you liked the film, you'll enjoy yourself. Though I have to say, much like the show, the best part of the film is Jeremy Piven as Ari Gold. "Entourage" was always known for its parade for celebrity cameos, and there's plenty here. Some are great, and some fall flat.

If you liked "Entourage" the show, chances are you'll like Entourage the film, and find it an almost satisfying conclusion to the story. Well a supposed conclusion. I mean they made a Sex & The City 2, and if Entourage is the male equivalent, do the math. Again, I though the show had its moments, and so did the film. I don't regret seeing it, but I don't think I'll be rewatching for a long time. If you have a problem with that, we can hug it out, bitch.