Reviewer's grade: B+
"The House Bunny" made me laugh out loud several times. I break out laughing about as often as the pope during Mass. The difference is not the director, but Anna Faris as Shelley, who lives in the Playboy Mansion with Hugh Hefner (playing himself). The day after her 27th birthday, Shelley receives a note she thinks is from Hef telling her she's too old and she has two hours to move out. She talks herself into the job of house mother at the Zeta Alpha Zeta sorority, the least popular sorority on campus.
The ingredient that makes all this seem new is Faris, who is bar none the funniest woman in movies right now. Everything works as it should. The picture just skirts being a parody of losers triumphant movies; Faris scoots it that direction, but someone "? blame the director "? pulls it back to the mainstream.
Maybe next time out, Faris will get the director her talent deserves. When that happens, watch out. PG-13
"?Doug Bentin
