The House Bunny
Release: 08.22.08
Rated PG-13
1 hour, 37 minutes
Full Price ($$$$) < > Matinee ($$$)
Shelley (Anna Faris, Just Friends) lives the glamorous life at the Playboy Mansion with Hef and the girls, but it wasn't always that way. Shelley grew up in an orphanage and longed for the days when she could be part of a family. Life couldn't be better until her Bunny family boots her out on her surgically perfected buttocks. Her luck changes when Zeta House, a sorority at the local college, finds itself in danger of losing its charter because of low membership. The less than popular loners, led by Natalie (Emma Stone, Superbad), are in dire need of fresh ideas. Shelley steps in as their housemother and makes the sisters step up their game.
Confession time: I have been dying to see this film since the first trailer. I laughed heartily every time I saw the manhole scene. You know the one I'm talking about:
Why? Because Anna Faris is awesome! I had lofty expectations that she, with her great comedic timing, would be able to carry even the most simplified of premises, but how simple was it? The House Bunny is a Happy Madison production that follows a predictable outline, relying on the actors to make or break the movie. Great examples of this include Grandma's Boy, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry and, I can now happily add, The House Bunny. These films, despite signaling their outcome during the opening credits, are slightly off-color yet endearing enough that you can't help but smile.
I not only smiled, but laughed steadily. I never fell out of my seat clutching my sides, but I never found myself squirming during awkwardly played scenes like in the other August comedies Step Brothers, Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder. Faris commits to the well-intentioned airhead with gusto. Emma Stone, with her husky Kathleen Turner voice, totally sells being an überdork.
Faris was friggin' funny! Stone was friggin funny! Rumer Willis (Hostage)? Funny! Dana Goodman (You Don't Mess With the Zohan)? Creepy and funny! Kiely Williams (The Cheetah Girls). Brief but funny. Kat Dennings (40 Year-Old Virgin)? Friggin' funny. Katherine McPhee? Surprisingly funny! Kimberly Makkouk. Briefest but funny.
The film features minor roles for 'That Guy' and 'That Gal' Christopher McDonald (Happy Gilmore) and Beverly D'Angelo (Vacation) and you'll catch a few Happy Madison regulars in cameos, too. I was surpised to see Natalie's love interest played by All-American Rejects frontman Tyson Ritter, or Bizarro Tom Welling, as I like to call him. Hugh Hefner mangled a couple of his scenes, but the man's pounded more vag than I can fathom, so I got nothing but love for him. Point is despite the deep and varied cast, everyone contributes scenes that keep the pace peppy.
Dirty Undies
The ladies may not have looked like much in the photo above, but dayum, they clean up nice:
Anna Faris is friggin' hot! Emma Stone is friggin' hot! Kat Dennings is luscious-lips friggin hot! Katherine McPhee is fake-baby-belly friggin' hot! Um, you get the point. Even better, Faris fans get a glimpse of derriere, thanks to some body double complications. We also get to hear Faris shout random obscenities, which always help liven up a PG-13 affair.
The Money Shot
I saw this by my lonesome and folks asked me where the wifey was for this chick flick. I wouldn't call it a chick flick; nor does the premise draw the male demographic. It straddles the line by giving both genders something to enjoy. I wanted to give The House Bunny an out-and-out Full Price, but I had to be honest with myself. Some of the acting is bad, the plot is thin and the resolution is slapped together with a quickness. But Anna Faris got her chance to shine and she made me laugh doing it, so does all that other stuff matter?
Glad to hear you liked it. Despite the bevy of hotties on display (Kats Dennings and McPhee, yum) I'm a little wary of any movie that has a line like "Maybe he's actually interested in a smart girl." Ugh, you think?
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed it, but I can be easy to please, esp with this many hotties prancing around. This is an all girl Big Daddy for the most part so if you can be down with that it's fun.
ReplyDeleteWhat I thought was cool is that Anna Faris has totally proven she can carry a movie between THB and 2007's Smiley Face (which - did that ever see the inside of a theater?) - girl's got funny. Also cool: after having seen schlubby Smiley Face, never would have guessed at such a rockin' bod on her.
ReplyDeleteIMDB says Smiley Face saw limited release in Nov07. Not in my neck of the woods. I heard she had to do lots of working out for THB and she hated it. It was worth it to get that look for the film.
ReplyDeleteI still think my fave xter of hers is Samantha James in Just Friends - awesome!
I hope she start's getting more major roles soon.