This Will Ferrell/Amy Poehler comedy fails on almost every level. In suburban Fox Meadow, Scott (Farrell) and Kate (Poehler) Johansen are justifiably proud of their daughter Alex (Ryan Simpkins), who just gained entrance into Bucknell, earning a full, town-funded scholarship. Problem is: sneaky Bob (Nick Kroll), the corrupt councilman, diverts the designated funds to build an elaborate municipal swimming pool, leaving no money for Alex, which throws Scott and Kate into a panic. Their best friend Frank (Jason Mantzoukas), whose estranged wife (Michaela Watkins) dumped him over his gambling addiction, comes up with a purportedly brilliant idea. Why not open an illegal, secret casino in Frank's spacious, almost-empty house? Frank claims they can make at least a half-million dollars during the summer, and that the split will provide more than enough money for Alex's tuition. Viewers may well wonder where they get the working capital to finance an elaborate, fully-staffed casino with a blackjack table, craps tables, a roulette wheel, surveillance cameras, dealers and bartenders. And they might wonder why bumbling Officer Chandler (Rob Huebel) represents the only law enforcement around. Working from an absurdly implausible script that he co-wrote, Andrew Jay Cohen makes an inauspicious directing debut in this stale, sophomoric farce that is both a terrible waste of time and talent. Not recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a gag reel (10 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are the behind-the-scenes featurettes “If You Build the House They Will Come” (14 min.) and “Playing with a Loaded Deck” (13 min.), extended and alternate scenes (80 min.), deleted scenes (16 min.), “Line-O-Ramas” alternate takes (9 min.), and bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an awful comedy.] (S. Granger)
The House
Warner, 88 min., R, DVD: $28.98, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $35.99, Oct. 10 Volume 32, Issue 5
The House
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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