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List Price: $39.98 | | Label: Hbo Home Video
Salesrank: 233
Released: June 30, 2009 |
| Our Price: $14.40 |
| Used Price: $9.99 |
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MPAA Rating: Unrated
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
For Vince, Eric, Drama, and Turtle, life in Hollywood's fast lane can be an intoxicating ride. In Season Five, can the guys put the Medellin fiasco behind them and orchestrate a career comeback for Vince?
Description of Entourage: The Complete Fifth Season:
Entourage's fifth season leaves our movie star in a pickle: his big Oscar shot, Medellin, is a dismal failure, and Vincent (Adrian Grenier) has burrowed away to Mexico to drown his sorrows in booze and women. How does a once-promising actor get his confidence, legitimacy, and bankability back? That's the key premise this time around, and like some of its previous seasons, is always more interesting when Vince is struggling than when he's on top. Once his crew--manager Eric (Kevin Connolly), big brother Johnny Drama (Kevin Dillon), agent Ari (Jeremy Piven), and driver Turtle (Jerry Ferrara)--convince Vince to get back in the game, he finds many once-welcoming doors closed. He eagerly takes a meeting with Shawshank Redemption director Frank Darabont (playing himself), only to feel insulted when he finds it's for a TV pilot. (His subsequent options? Appearing at a Sweet Sixteen party and doing a Benji movie.) Once a promising script about firefighters (called Smokejumpers) piques Vince's interest, ensuing episodes become a complex chess game of job-hopping, backdoor-dealing, and back-scratching, which is always Entourage's strength. As Vince watches his star fade, Grenier gets a chance to let his sunny optimism crack, even sitting in Ari's office and begging to be told he's a good actor.
The celebrity guest stars are plentiful and more integral this season. Jason Patric--playing himself--lampoons his difficult on-set reputation brilliantly as Vince's co-star in Smokejumpers. (The onetime Speed 2 star brags about being offered the lead in Aquaman 2, but turned it down: "Sequels, water: they're not for me.") Stellan Skarsgard (Good Will Hunting) plays a famous German director who clashes with Vince; Jamie-Lynn Sigler (The Sopranos) cameos as a new love interest for Turtle; Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl) reprises her Season One role as an aspiring singer, and Eric Roberts plays himself (who happens to deal 'shrooms on the side) in a wacky episode involving the guys' drug-fueled night of reflection at Joshua Tree. Even Mark Wahlberg, the show's producer and inspiration, plays himself in a golf scene with former agent Ari (priceless line: "What about when you told me you liked The Truth About Charlie?"). The only unwelcome cameo is in "Seth Green Day," in which the actor turns up for no other reason than to re-surface his war with Eric and annoy everyone to death. Extras include cast commentaries and a behind-the-scenes featurette. --Ellen A. Kim
Stills from Entourage: The Complete Fifth Season (click for larger image)
Entourage: The Complete Fifth Season Reviews:
Better than ever 
2009-12-09 - This show just keeps getting better and better. The only thing that could make this any better is if there was more of it.
entourage season 5
2009-11-27 - This is an awesome series I recommend it to anyone who wants a laugh and see some beautiful women as well.
Flat out, best show on TV.
2009-11-22 - If you don't love Ari's abrasive manner, Vince's game, E's honesty, Drama's drama, and Turtle's hip-hoposity, then this is not the show for you.
Cruising On Success of Past Entourage 
2009-11-14 - This season is decent. I was entertained, but I don't know how good it would be for someone who hasn't seen the rest of the series. Nothing of serious interest occurs in this season, since none of the characters except Drama have a job. They kind of bum around the entire time.
You do start to see a different side of Vince in the later episodes when he gets frustrated that he cannot find a good film to work on. But in general I feel like the characters just kind of ride on what they've already built in past seasons.
Still, it's like Ocean's Eleven. Not much has to happen, but it's fun just to watch the characters talk to each other.
Still Got It Going On
2009-11-02 - I really have to wonder how much of this show feeds off the "reality" of Hollywood. Ideas for storylines (I think I overhead a commentary about basing Vincent driving around to see lines for AQUAMAN on Tobey Maguire driving around to see lines for SPIDERMAN), guest appearances lampooning real stars--the fact that Jamie Lynn Singler is actually dating the actor who plays Turtle who's dating Jamie Lynn Singler is perhaps the bizarrest moment in all of this!
You laugh at a scene and wonder: did they base this on someone real? Who was that difficult German director? Are all studio heads this vindictive?
I liked this season because Vincent Chase is finally being challenged by the very business that's handed him the world. It's all been so easy up to now. Whether making millions of dollars or losing millions of dollars, Vincent has always just shrugged his shoulders, ready to go back to New York City when the party ends. ENTOURAGE is smart enough to know that was never the real option behind this superstar. It's good to see some ambition with him.
But the person I really watch this show for is Jeremy Piven's Ari Gold. He's been my clear favorite for all five seasons. And for all his obscene bluster and crazy energy...he's really a decent guy. He looks out for his family, he works hard for his clients. Even at war, he's difficult to hate when he's not on your side. As long as they don't soften him too much, I'll always come back to see more of Ari's antics.
