Give your think box a well deserved break with The House Bunny

Sometimes, Netflix throws you a fun little surprise. I found it with The To Do List, and in the past with films like Just Friends and Ramen Girl. In a way, Netflix is like heaven for films that never really did too well in the real world. Here they can lie, seemingly forever to be discovered by people who couldn't be bothered trying to find something better to watch.

Maybe it’s because of my extremely low expectations that I often end up loving some of these movies. There’s been more than enough that I’ve had to turn off in the first 10 minutes, and even more that have sucked an hour and a half of my life away by being initially promising, then thoroughly creepy (notable examples are Pretty Ugly People, and Little Man).

The House Bunny started badly, as opening credits revealed Adam Sandler to be producer. We stuck with it, and it was generally a fun time. Most of this is down to Anna Farris being awesome. She is Shelly, a joyful playboy bunny who is kicked out of the Playboy Mansion the day after she turns 27, which is apparently 59 in bunny years. I actually watched this movie, hung-over, the day after my 27th birthday. It was clearly meant to be.

Needing some other employment she finds herself the house-mother of a sorority of frumps. Head frump is Emma Stone! One of the best things about watching movies in Netflix heaven, is stars who would never stoop to an Adam Sandler produced comedy now appear, and you feel like you’ve just found out their dirty little secret. Emma Stone is lovely though, as are the other ladies of the house, who include Kat Dennings and Rumer Willis.

The soriety may need to shut its doors due to the fact no one wants to be seen with its members, but Shelley makes them over and like magic they become total hotties. Then they throw an Aztec virgin sacrifice themed party with fake volcano’s, water slides and Easter Island statue reproductions. How a sorority with about less than 10 members gets funded to throw a party that looks like a theme park I'm not sure. It did make me regret not going to a US University.

The film loses steam in the second half, mainly because the funny ladies are chasing an assortment of the most boring men ever to be cast as the romantic interests. They are all so terrible I can’t help thinking it was a deliberate move to draw attention back to Anna Farris and her amazingly complex falling over sequences.

The House Bunny will not demand much from you. The jokes come thick and fast and are hard to miss. The film could possibly be seen as a teeny-weeny bit sexist, though it throws in some “be yourself” stuff at the end, and is funny enough to be forgiven. All in all this is a movie made for post birthday hangovers.

First published on strongfemalelead.wordpress.com