Blu-Ray Review: Anna Faris Shines in ‘The House Bunny’ But Average Blu-Ray

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CHICAGO – “The House Bunny” never quite comes together as a consistent comedy but its charismatic and talented star, Anna Faris, and an ensemble willing to follow her bubbly lead should help viewers get over the rough spots in the screenplay.

Sony mistreats fans of the film with a purely average Blu-Ray, but renters are likely to be surprisingly satisfied with the film itself, even if there’s not much to the home release besides it.

Anna Faris doesn’t get nearly the credit she deserves for being a completely fearless comedienne with nearly perfect comic timing. She may not always choose the best projects for her talents (“Just Friends,” Waiting…,” “My Super Ex-Girlfriend”), but she’s almost always the best thing about those career missteps. Her comic thumbprint is all over “The House Bunny,” a movie not only conceived and spearheaded by her but one that instantly feels like it couldn’t exist with anyone else in the lead.

Faris stars as the airheaded-but-sweet Shelley, a Playboy bunny who never got the centerfold that she always dreamed of getting. At the age of 27, which is 59 in bunny years, she’s given the boot from the Playboy mansion and struggles to find a home. What better place to recreate the cameraderie she found with her fellow bunnies at Hef’s mansion than at a sorority house? Shelley finds herself mentoring the dorkiest house on campus and trying to save it from being closed due to lack of interest. Of course, she teaches the girls there (including Emma Stone, Kat Dennings, Katherine McPhee, and Rumer Willis) a little bit of bunny confidence while they show her that she’s more than a pretty face.

Rising stars Emma Stone (“Superbad”) and Kat Dennings (“Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist”) add weight to a supporting cast that could have just been a series of unmemorable cliches, but the star of “The House Bunny” is Ms. Faris, giving yet another unique and charming performance.

Sadly, the script by Karen McCullah Lutz & Kirsten Smith isn’t nearly as witty as it could have been and the story feels overcrowded. In particular, a romance with Colin Hanks seems rushed and unsatisfying and we didn’t need a plotline for each of the sorority girls. But every time “The House Bunny” threatens to come apart at the seams, the centerfold saves the day.

The Blu-Ray release for “The House Bunny” is presented in 1080p with a 2.40:1 widescreeen aspect ratio. The film looks remarkably vivid with an appropriate mix of color and light. It’s crisp, clean, but never too bright or plastic-looking. It’s a great video transfer. The audio isn’t notable either way - good or bad - in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 in English, French, and Portuguese. There are also 5.1 tracks (just not TrueHD) in Spanish and Thai.

The let-down related to “The House Bunny” is in the special features. Sony has released their possible cult comedy hit with just a handful of very short features - “The Girls Upstairs,” “Look Who Dropped By,” and “Anna Faris: House Mom” - deleted scenes, and a music video for “American Idol” contestant turned actress Katherine McPhee’s “I Know What Boys Like”. It’s a very lackluster collection of special features. Of course, intense behind-the-scenes featurettes for a movie like “The House Bunny” would be surprising but Anna Faris fans would have loved a commentary or something more unique than basic EPK material.

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com