The House Bunny (2008)

"The House Bunny" (2008) stars Anna Faris as playboy bunny, Shelly, living at Hefner's infamous mansion. When she's unexpectedly ousted after her 27th birthday she gets a gig as a house mother at a USC sorority where Shelly encourages a group of geeky girls by giving them make-overs, etc. Beverly D'Angelo, Colin Hanks and Hugh Hefner have side roles. The plot is similar to 1984's "Revenge of the Nerds" in that a group of nerdy youths get revenge on their popular crowd persecutors. The difference here, of course, is that the nerds are girls at a sorority rather than guys at a fraternity, not to mention the presence of a playboy bunny as their leader. I wanted to see this movie the second I saw the trailer because it made it look like an entertaining movie and it is, to a point. Amiable Anna easily carries the movie with her winsome, naïve personality while Emma Stone is equally effective as the leader of the geeks. Kat Denning, Katharine McPhee and a couple of the other actresses who play the nerdy girls are also good. It's a well-made, likable dramedy with -- thankfully -- no raunch. The problem is the script and the corresponding flow of the story. It never really engaged me and, as such, the movie never rose above mildly amusing. Another problem is that the filmmakers failed to take advantage of the female resources at their disposal, except for Faris. Dennings is underutilized and McPhee is pregnant the entire movie, which was unnecessary because there's no appreciable payoff to that particular subplot.If you want to see a really good dramedy about sorority girls check out 2005's "Man of the House." The film runs 97 minutes and was shot in Los Angeles, including Playboy Mansion and USC. GRADE: C

Shelley (Anna Faris) is a sweet clueless Bunny living in the Playboy Mansion. All she ever wants is to be a centerfold. However, she's kicked out of the mansion after turning 27. She takes a job as the house mom for a sorority of misfits. In order to stay open, the sorority needs more pledges.Anna Faris is hilariously stupid. Her exorcist low voice is crazy. Colin Hanks doesn't have enough to do other than look stunned. He's a stiff. As for the sorority, Emma Stone looks adorable as the geeky leader. They've uglied up Kat Dennings, and put Rumer Willis in a brace. Katharine McPhee is pregnant. Basically, they put a bunch of beautiful girls and given each one a weird thing to have. Then there's the questionable message that stumbles from time and time. In the 'Revenge of the Nerds', the nerds use their special skills to win. In this one, the girls need to pretty up to win. It's basically a makeover movie which isn't that funny. Luckily Shelley's unconventional makeover is much funnier and the girls learn a lesson about being themselves.

.....then to ever see this vile excuse for a comedy ever again....I watched this movie in the hope that it was going to be a send up of typical gender stereotyping and make a mockery of the sexist ideals perpetuated through the media and Hollywood. Unfortunately this was not the case. I feel robbed of 2 hours of my life, initially it did look as though the film was going to prove to be what I had hoped when Shelley is evicted from the playboy mansion. However, I soon realised the movie was about to take an almighty nose dive and proved to be far worse than my worst nightmares. I almost could not believe what I was seeing when Shelly managed to become 'house mother' to the group of unoriginal 'misfits', another example of Hollywood throwing a pair of geeky glasses on a beautiful young woman, some piercings and oversized clothes on another joined by and allegedly unattractive and overweight girl and you have got your cringe worthy mix of All - American mis-fits, soon to be made over by their very own fairy god mother, Shelly. In an attempt to try and gain more female pledges the idiotic, nauseating character shelly decides the girls need to make themselves 'The Hottest girls on campus' in order to win pledges and boys attention, cue five minutes of makeover movie time and they are quickly transformed into what Hollywood deems beautiful and yet in reality look like a group of cheap street walkers. The irony of Shelly being dubbed Vapid, is ironic given how completely vapid the story and script of this film is. Add in the fact that Shelly is somehow full of amazing ideas to save these girls whilst running round in a thong and wonderbra, later to start attending college to become more intelligent whilst writing with a fluffy pen and piling up books in the library whilst wearing a pink mini skirt and you have the makings of one of the most mortifying 'comedies' I have ever seen. It is not only embarrassing, it's offensive, I mean, come on! What I found more shocking is that this movie is written by two women, this misogynistic, vapid, and altogether flawed 'comedy' is merely another example of how utterly insipid Hollywood movie making actually is, this unoriginal, offensive pathetic excuse for a movie is not only a waste of time, but it is actually quite worrying that things with such blatant sexism, gender stereotyping and irresponsible portrayals of how women should act to get male attention exist in today's society. When Shelly get's made under to look more intelligent, it only makes things worse, the idea that you are either hot and stupid or clever and ugly is the oldest, more unoriginal stereotype in the book - ARGHHHH! Do people actually still think like this? URGH there are not enough words to describe my hatred for this film, what's more is how these women allowed themselves to be involved in it and willingly exploit themselves, whether they thought they were 'sending themselves up' i don't know, it was all I could do not to reach for the fork from my dinner plate and gouge my eyes out. The writers of this film are another example of women perpetuating and promoting self exploitation amongst women - the whole message of this film is tired, weak, and above all BORING!!! Come on Hollywood, are you really that easily pleased? Yuk.

The House Bunny is a possibly decent R-rated comedy trapped in PG-13 hell. Seriously, a Playboy bunny in a sorority house...PG-13? Not to say that this had to be an all-out raunch-fest stuffed with endless vulgarity and nudity. But this is a movie which desperately needs a little edge to it. Instead it constantly approaches the line of good taste and then scurries back to safety. For this movie to work it had to go over the line now and again. As it is things are played way too safe.Of course even if the movie did take a few more chances it was still never going to be any kind of great cinematic revelation. All you're hoping for is a few laughs and the movie fails to deliver them. The story follows Shelley who has been recently evicted from the Playboy mansion for the high crime of being, at 27, too old. She ends up as house mother to the Zeta sorority girls. The Zetas are, to put it bluntly, losers. Shelley has to whip them into shape lest they lose their charter and their house to the mean girls from Phi Iota Mu. Once that story sets itself up there's no drama, it's obvious where the movie's headed. You wouldn't mind the inevitability if the movie gave you solid laughs. But it doesn't. Anna Faris is game in the role of Shelley but she has so little to work with. The script is lousy, the jokes fall flat, the supporting characters offer very little help. Emma Stone is really the only other performer to come away with any credit at all. She plays Natalie, the most normal of the loser Zeta girls. The rest of them are just absurd, and not in a funny way but rather in a stupid way. The two male love interests, one for Shelley and one for Natalie, are total duds. Hugh Hefner proves to be such a terrible actor that he can't even convincingly portray Hugh Hefner. Faris has enough charm, charisma and comic chops to save the movie from being truly wretched. But the movie, afraid to take risks, never really had a chance to succeed. Loosen up, embrace the Playboy storyline, go for that R-rating. Instead all we get is an endless series of tame, lame dumb blonde jokes. This movie was never going to be great. But it surely could have been better than this.