The House Bunny 2008

Critics score:
42 / 100

Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes

Nathan Lee, New York Times: Puts a cheerful spin on its many cliches. This particular wheel hasn't been reinvented, but at least it gets a nice fresh coat of bubblegum-pink paint and a star to pilot it with aplomb. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: The result isn't very funny, and its sexual politics are as muddled as you'd expect, but Faris is sweet and likable as the sort of wise dumbbell Judy Holliday used to play. Read more

Joanne Kaufman, Wall Street Journal: House Bunny's Legally Blonde roots show. Read more

Ted Fry, Seattle Times: If another dumb-blonde joke is something you've hoped never to suffer again, make every effort to avoid the protracted punch line that constitutes the bulk of The House Bunny. Read more

Ruth Hessey, MovieTime, ABC Radio National: It takes sexism to a new low, and it manages to attack women in the last place on earth where they continue to outperform men -- in universities. Read more

Scott Tobias, AV Club: 100 percent of the laughs come courtesy of Faris, who's particularly good in the early going, when her babe-in-the-woods act reaches Homer Simpson-like heights of comic obliviousness. As usual, the movie eventually lets her down. Read more

Christy Lemire, Associated Press: The purpose of this comedy is to serve as a showcase for Anna Faris, whose sunny disposition and solid comic timing make The House Bunny more enjoyable than it ought to be. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: It doesn't turn any corners, it's lazy, and it's content to keep playing dumb long after it's really funny. Read more

Amy Nicholson, Boxoffice Magazine: The criminal waste of Faris' comedic gifts should have half of Hollywood locked up. Read more

Michael Ordona, Los Angeles Times: Factory made, nothing new... and really funny. Read more

Adam Graham, Detroit News: Say this for Faris: Even though The House Bunny may be, she's not -- dumb. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: [Faris] gives an A performance in the kind of farce from which she's more than ready to graduate. Read more

Christine Champ, Film.com: Read more

Scott Foundas, L.A. Weekly: Anna Faris has been shaping up as the most inventive screen comedienne of her generation. Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: Somebody, somewhere save Anna Faris. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: This film from the Adam Sandler fun factory starts with a series of obnoxious, dated stereotypes, and never quite flips them into something positive. Read more

Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: Despite a winning performance by Anna Faris, the film falls on its keister so many times that before long the perky pinkness turns bruising black-and-blue. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: [A] hodgepodge of unfunny, sophomoric humor and PG-13 T&A, frosted by a sheen of appallingly nauseous 'drama.' Read more

Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com: The House Bunny gets the difference between being openhearted and empty-headed. Read more

Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: The plot is beyond predictable. Seriously, write down every scene from Legally Blonde and Revenge of the Nerds on index cards, shuffle and then deal your movie. Read more

Dana Stevens, Slate: Let's hope Anna Faris' next project looks past her outer beauty and unleashes her inner weirdo. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: In The House Bunny, Anna Faris steps up to her first full-fledged leading role and falls right on her adorable face. Read more

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail: The transformed Shelley loses some of her Tammy Faye eyeliner but little of her precious dimness, careful not to violate the broad streak of anti-intellectualism that Hollywood has always reflected and reinforced in the American psyche. Read more

Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: The House Bunny may be what some boys like, but there are doubtless moviegoers out there of both sexes who would like to see Faris hop into some decent onscreen material. Read more

Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out: Read more

Anna Smith, Time Out: This aims for 'Legally Blonde'/'Mean Girls' status, but ends up being a throwaway, if entertaining, plea for casting directors to start taking Faris more seriously. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: By imposing a predictable message, it obscures the satire. Read more

John Anderson, Variety: The House Bunny is a blissfully broad comedy that should catapult Anna Faris into a singular kind of stardom. Read more