Overview: While a movie centered around a Playboy bunny would not typically be on the list to review here at TJOSM, the theater full of junior-high kids on opening night made us think better than to give this one a pass. Still in the top 5 at the box office after 3 weeks, it seems to have some mysterious staying power and its barely enforced PG-13 rating attracts a younger crowd. Reminiscent of hit chick flicks Legally Blonde and Clueless, The House Bunny stars Anna Faris as Shelley, a ditzy Playboy bunny who is kicked out of the mansion (supposedly for being too old at 27) and basically stumbles into the position of House Mother at a struggling sorority.
 
The Lowdown: The heart of the movie lies with the relationship between Shelley and the girls of Zeta Alpha Zeta, a college sorority on the brink of losing its funding because the girls are social outcasts and lack new pledges. Shelley determines to teach the girls how to be more liked by guys, so that the sorority will be more popular, and more students will want to pledge Zeta Alpha Zeta. Shelley gives all of the girls makeovers and encourages them to flirt with boys. In the meantime, Shelley meets a love interest who is ironically less into her looks and more into her mind. After a disastrous date with him, the girls in the sorority are able to help Shelley in the areas where she is lacking.

There are definitely some funny moments in the movie, as well as some great scenes where the underdog prevails and the 'mean girls' in the rival sorority are put in their place. A lot of the humor relies on innuendo ... needless to say that the young audience laughs at different parts than those whose ages do not end in "teen." Overall, the acting chops of Anna Faris as well as Emma Stone (Natalie) and Rumer Willis (Joanne) outshine the movie as a whole. I can't imagine that it will go on to live in girls' DVD collections as its predecessors Legally Blonde and Clueless.

Teachable Moments: One could possibly be quite creative and pull some lessons about self-esteem and friendship from some of the heartfelt scenes between Shelley and the girls as well as the climactic scene where the sorority receives the number of pledges needed to survive. However, none of it is even remotely spiritual or deep.

Viewer Discretion: The opening scene of the movie takes place at the Playboy mansion where, not surprisingly, there are many bikini-clad girls. Shelley is nude in one scene, shown from the waist up, and from behind to stay PG-13. Even more than most similarly rated movies, this one especially pushes the envelope since Playboy is central to the storyline. There is also an abundance of underage alcohol consumption.

General Appeal: The combination of hot young actors and typical blonde humor seems to appeal to an even younger crowd than this writer would have imagined; so, it's not far-fetched to say that the audience for The House Bunny, while mainly female, could range from 11 on up to women in their thirties and forties.

The Final Grade: Entertainment value: B-; ministry value: C-