Usually when movies adapt TV series, they go the “reboot” route and feature entirely different casts. Occasionally, however, we see the original TV actors follow their properties to the big screen. The gold standard for success in this realm seems to be 2008’s Sex and the City: The Movie, a hit film based on the HBO series.

Perhaps inspired by that example, 2015’s Entourage: The Movie brings another HBO show to the movie screen. Film star Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) comes out of a short, failed marriage anxious to resume his career.

This coincides with the end of a brief retirement by agent Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven), and Ari wants Vincent to star in the first movie Ari will launch as studio head. Vincent agrees on one condition: that he be allowed to direct the film. We follow the production’s up and downs as well as various personal elements related to Vincent, Ari, and Vincent’s longtime pals Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), Eric (Kevin Connolly) and Drama (Kevin Dillon).

Going into the film, I’d never spent any time in the Entourage universe. I didn’t think that would be a problem, and I was right. New viewers shouldn’t worry that they’ll feel out of the loop, as the movie makes the characters and situations easy to comprehend.

Not that the film seems likely to encourage anyone unfamiliar with the series to go back and visit it, as Entourage: The Movie falls almost entirely flat. Part of the problem comes from its structure.

First, the flick opens with the world’s most blatantly expository sequence to “catch up” viewers who didn’t see the series. It’s so clumsy and obvious that it feels like it should start with “previously on Entourage” narration.

That becomes even more accurate because the movie really does feel like an extended episode of the series. The film simply takes the characters and keeps them in the same situations and scenarios one might’ve seen on the show. Why make a movie and not deliver something at least vaguely cinematic?

Actually, I suspect the film does differ from the series in one way: the preponderance of cameos. I assume the show came with those sorts of guest spots, but I also would bet they didn’t dominate the series like they do the movie.

Dear Lord, does this flick come packed with cameos! Some of these work – indeed, a few of the guests deliver the movie’s only entertainment – but we find so many cameos that they get tiresome. It feels like they built a movie around guest stars and didn’t bother to develop anything else.

That leaves us with a loose, lackluster narrative that loses points because the characters seem so forgettable. Perhaps the roles work on the series, but in the movie, they flop.

At times, the cameos actually make the movie confusing. For instance, one scene features Richard Schiff as the director of a film and Judy Greer plays his casting supervisor. Schiff plays himself, whereas Greer portrays a wholly fictional character, but when we see her, we wonder if she also plays herself. With so many cameos on display, it becomes difficult to know what’s real and what’s Memorex.

Of the five leads, three – Vincent, Turtle and Eric – feel anonymous, while Ari and Drama come across as obnoxious and overbearing. Couldn’t they give us at least one character somewhere in the middle? We’re left with three personalities who bore us and two more who annoy us. That’s not a good recipe for 104 minutes of entertainment.

Perhaps Entourage would’ve worked better with more interesting characters, but even then, I think the flatness of the script and story would make it weak. Essentially we get lots of wisecracks, cameos and story notions but almost nothing to maintain our interest. Perhaps the series was fun, but the movie doesn’t succeed.

Footnote: a coda sequence appears during the end credits.

Entourage: The Movie appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.40:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. This becomes a positive presentation.

Sharpness remained strong. A few interiors showed minor softness, but most of the film stayed concise and accurate. Moiré effects and jaggies caused no concerns, and I saw no edge haloes. As expected, the movie lacked print flaws.

In terms of colors, Entourage opted for the standard orange and (mostly) teal. I wasn’t wild about those choices, but the Blu-ray reproduced the hues well. Blacks seemed deep and tight, and shadows appeared smooth and clear. The Blu-ray provided a consistently good presentation.

As for the film’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, it lacked much ambition. The soundscape favored environmental material and rarely broadened beyond those horizons. Music used the surrounds and minor effects showed up there, but this was a low-key soundfield.

Audio quality seemed positive. Speech remained concise and distinctive, without edginess or other issues. Music sounded vivid and full, and effects came across as accurate and dynamic. This wasn’t the most ambitious mix, but it suited the story.

A smattering of extras show up here, and we open with The Gang – Still Rockin’ It. In this 14-minute, 18-second piece, we hear from writer/director Doug Ellin, producers Mark Wahlberg, and actors Jeremy Piven, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Adrian Grenier, and Jerry Ferrara. We learn about the original series and its adaptation to the big screen. The show offers a few good nuggets but mostly feels promotional.

Hollywood, Baby! goes for eight minutes, 28 seconds and offers notes from Grenier, Ellin, Wahlberg, Connolly, Ferrara, Dillon, Piven, first AD Gary Goldman, producer Stephen Levinson, and actors Nina Agdal, Mark Cuban, Bob Saget, Andrew Dice Clay, Jessica Alba, Armie Hammer, Clay Matthews, Russell Wilson and Ronda Rousey. “Hollywood” covers locations, vehicles and cameos. Expect another fluffy featurette that lacks much content.

During the four-minute, 34-second The Making of Hyde, we get thoughts from “actor/director Vincent Chase”, second unit director Mark Mylod, executive producer Wayne Carmona, makeup department head Julie Kristy, production designer Chase Harlan, picture car hauler/driver Chance Robertson, and creature designer Neville Page. As you’ll infer from the reference to “Vincent Chase” as actor/director, this program treats Vincent like he’s a real person and like Hyde is an actual movie. Despite that goofy conceit, the featurette offers some good info and becomes a better “making of” than the two prior pieces.

Six Deleted Scenes fill 18 minutes, 39 seconds. These offer extended versions of existing sequences, so we see more of the pre-screening party, the main narrative’s conclusion, the Golden Globes red carpet, and the mid-credits coda. We also get a longer view of Hyde as Ari watches it and an elongated Drama audition sequence. All of these pieces seem inessential.

With the Gag Reel, we get two minutes and 46 seconds of material. It mostly delivers the standard mistakes and silliness, but it also comes with a few alternate lines. Those make it a little better than average.

Two promotional featurettes finish the set. We get Meet the Newest Member of Entourage (2:16) and Lucas Ellin Is Jonah Gold (1:59). In these, we hear from young actor Lucas Ellin, as he discusses his experiences on the series and in the movie. He doesn’t tell us much.

The set also includes a DVD copy of the movie. It provides the deleted scenes but lacks the other extras.

An HBO series leaps to the big screen with Entourage: The Movie - and it lands with a thud. A messy, dull collection of wisecracks and cameos, the film goes nowhere. The Blu-ray offers very good picture along with adequate audio and a lackluster set of supplements. Maybe established Entourage fans will enjoy this flick, but I doubt it’ll win over any new followers.