It’s hard to believe that ten years ago Anna Farris was the little known actress with a supporting role in Scary Movie. Since then she had garnered some popularity in a string of sequels and some big name supporting roles including The Hot Chick, Waiting, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, and my personal favorite Just Friends. Throughout her career we usually see her playing the same ditzy role, an oblivious air head susceptible to slapstick comedy antics, and I have a feeling The House Bunny isn’t going to be far off her norm. But isn’t that what we love about her? Her sarcastic style and half decent ability to act have come a long way since Scary Movie, and The House Bunny marks her first opportunity to headline a movie. Is she capable of carrying a movie on her two feet, or is she better left in the supporting role that we’ve come to love her in.

Film

Anna Farris plays Shelley Darlington, a Playgirl Bunny residing in the Play Boy mansion. Her life of luxury includes constant partying and she has very little knowledge of life outside the mansion. But the day after her twenty-seventh birthday Shelley finds a note from Hugh Hefner asking her to vacate the mansion as she is too old. Reluctantly she heads out into the real world, struggling to find a place to live. Not before long she meets Natalie (Emma Stone) the head figure of Zeta Alpha Zeta, an extremely anti social sorority. Initially the group rejects her until they find out that she can help attract guys to the sorority as the group is extremely social awkward. As time passes Shelley becomes close with the girls of the sorority who help each other develop and grow. Aside from Shelley’s life as a house mother on campus she begins dating Oliver who isn’t quite like any other guy she’s met. Her flirtatious ways don’t work on him and the girls of the sorority have to teach her how to behave in regular situations. As the relationships develop there are several obstacles to overcome including set ups, back stabbing, and good old fashioned heartbreak. The House Bunny follows the quintessential buddy film plot, but brings its own comedic twist too it.

Okay, so the premise isn’t exactly original, but there are some unique elements we haven’t seen before. You really want to care for Shelley as she journeys into the real world and maturity. As she learns the true value of friendship and life outside of the mansion, there are some moralistic points, but the story doesn’t stray too far from its comedic tone. Although Anna Farris did a great job headlining the film it was nice to have a great ensemble of supporting actors all bringing a great feel to the movie, which included; Colin Hanks, Emma Stone, Hugh Hefner, Beverly D’Angelo, and Christopher McDonald.

Ultimately I had some mixed feelings about The House Bunny, on one hand the movie is extremely likeable in its own dippy way, but the story is so trite that you can see it all play out from the beginning. Then again in its defense it’s not trying to be anything more than a stupid comedy, after all it’s a story based on an exiled playboy bunny who takes refuge in a sorority house. So in the respect of getting some good laughs in I like the movie, but the romantic angle between Farris and Colin Hanks (Although the characters weren’t compatible it was nice to see Colin Hank in the film, as usual he did a great job with his character) was a tad bit drab. The two didn’t share any chemistry or common ground and the relationship seemed forced and unnatural. But it was a comedy after all, so who cares, right?

I don’t, so despite some weak side stories I liked The House Bunny. The laughs were pretty constant and sometimes it’s nice to just sit back and watch a silly movie. From some classic one liners to physical comedy, and classic blonde stereotypes, The House Bunny will have something for most audiences to enjoy.

Video

Presented in 1080p 2.35:1 aspect ratio and encoded in MPEG-4, The House Bunny comes to Blu-ray with some glowing results.  I must admit, before popping the disc in I was expecting an oversaturated transfer with unrealistic flesh tones and an overblown color palette, luckily my expectations were wrong.  Colors were vibrant but realistic throughout the entire movie.  Some of the actresses look as if they have spent a bit too much time in the tanning bed, but that hardly the fault of the transfer itself.  Detail was also impressive with a sharp and clear look which created a very deep looking picture.

The print shows no sign of artifacting or dirt on the print, as a film released in 2008 should look.  Overall the transfer looks great and should please its viewers.

Audio

Sony has included a 5.1 TrueHD track with The House Bunny and it does a great job presenting the given material.

Dialogue is crisp coming through the front channels with extreme clarity and no audible balancing issues.  Surround and bass channels were active frequently throughout the film.  Although they never left me saying “WOW” they did provide enough substance to increase the hearing experience.   The soundtrack fits the film well, with songs by Rihanna and Avril Lavigne, giving the overall track more oomph.

Special Features

• Deleted Scenes – 10 deleted scenes all of which are presented in standard definition.  The scenes themselves will provide some entertainment for people who are fans of Anne Farris.  Personally I’m not the biggest Farris fan and didn’t find these scenes too funny.
• Featurettes – We are essentially given a 12 part making of feature spanning the film’s production.  A majority of featurettes gives us interview segments with cast and crew.  The rest of the material focuses on the filming at playboy mansion as well as casting decisions.
• I Know What Boys Like Music Video

Final Thoughts

The House Bunny doesn’t compare with most comedies in regards to being witty, unique, and on the floor laughing. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad movie, and it certainly isn’t. The one liners and asinine behaviour portrayed by Anna Farris is admittedly funny in several instances throughout the movie. So despite a commonplace storyline and a romance much in need of more chemistry I found The House Bunny a worthy viewing. So yes, if you like Anna Farris you won’t be disappointed, and I recommend that the casual comedy lover give The House Bunny a rental. For those of you interested in buying the Blu-ray you will be pleased with both the audio and video transfers. To go along with that there is a befitting amount of features that are a decent fan pleaser.