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UKWill Ferrell is one of the most well-established actors in Hollywood today. He won the American Comedy Award two times so far. He is known for always bringing an element of humor to any production he is in. The most popular movies he has starred in include, but are not limited to, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Anchorman, Blades of Glory, and the Christmas classic: Elf.
The House Movie Review
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Released in 2017, The House comes to us with high expectations. It features an excellent cast, including Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, Jason Mantzoukas and Ryan Simpkins. It also has a creative storyline. The gambling theme at the core of this film’s storyline is actually what got us interested in doing a review on it in the first place.
The film revolves around a fun-loving family of three: the Johansens. Mr. and Mrs. Johansen have a quirky daughter named Alex, who suddenly lost her full ride scholarship to the university of her dreams. With little savings in their bank accounts, the Johansens have to come up with an alternative way to pay her tuition. The couple teams up with one of their neighbors to create a lucrative casino in his suburban home. The new trio make money quickly, but a series of events cause them to get in over their heads. What will happen to their underground casino?
Despite having the odds on their side with this Emmy-Award winning cast and unique storyline, this movie has gotten very poor reviews from several different critics. We decided to watch this movie for ourselves to form our own opinions on the quality of this film. So, without further ado, here is our extensive review of The House.
About the Movie
The House
- Director
- Andrew Jay Cohen
- Genre
- Comedy
- Length
- 1 hour 28 minutes
- Script Writers
- Andrew Cohen and Brendan O’Brien
- Release Year
- 2017
The Cast
Will Ferrell as Scott Johansen
Amy Poehler as Kate Johansen
Amy Poehler, best known for her role as Leslie on Parks and Recreation, is a very respected actress. She even won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical. She is dynamic, having been chosen to be a part of a variety of different productions. Like Will Ferrell, she too is known for her unique humor. Popular movies you can find her in are Baby Mama, They Came Together, and Are You Here.
Jason Mantzoukas as Frank
Jason Mantzoukas grew up in Massachusetts but is of Greek descent. He is both an actor and producer, known for his role in The Dictator, They Came Together, and The LEGO Batman Movie. He is yet another member of this cast known for his humor.
Ryan Simpkins as Alex Johansen
Ryan Simpkins is an American actress. She has performed in several films including Revolutionary Road, Pride and Glory, and A Single Man. Ryan started her career in Broadway at the early age of 7.
Brief Bio on Robert Rossen (Director)
Andrew Jay Cohen is an American director and screenwriter who has just started to make a name for himself over the past five years. He is best known for writing the 2014 film Neighbors alongside Brendan O’Brien. Other movies he has directed include Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates.
What is it Rated and Why
The House is rated R for excessive fowl language, sexual references, and drug use. You’ll also find some violence and brief nudity in this film. The nudity includes a sex scene and masturbation. Smoking marijuana is a constant presence in this film, and there is even a brief snorting cocaine reference. This is definitely not a movie for young viewers. We wouldn’t recommend having anyone under the age of sixteen watch this movie.
This Film is Rated
Summary of the Movie
Meet the Johansens: a quirky family of three. Scott and Kate are loving parents to their daughter Alex, a recent high school graduate. Alex got accepted into her dream school: Bucknell University. When a scholarship Alex deserves fell through, her parents are forced to either tell their daughter they can’t afford to send her to Bucknell or find another means to pay for her tuition.
Frank, one of Scott’s oldest friends, is going through a difficult divorce. Scott and Kate go to Las Vegas with him to try to cheer him up. The three friends enjoy their time at the casinos so much, they decide to open up their own illegal casino in Frank’s home. They get so much interest from their friends and neighbors that they start to realize there might be a lot of money in this business. There might even be enough money to pay Alex’s tuition.
With so much hype around this new casino, there was bound to be a run in with the law and even some gangsters. Without giving to much away, we ask you to ponder these questions. Will this casino flourish long enough for the Johansens to raise enough money for Alex’s tuition? Will their lives be put at risk in the process? Or will jail time be the punishment for their crimes? To find out exactly what happens, we are going to make you watch this movie for yourself.
Our Favorite Quotes from the Movie
“Oh, no, I don’t want to click it. I’m not going to click it. Why don’t you click it?”
“If they say no to you I say we say no to them. If they don’t want my baby they’re stupid.”
(Opens email from Bucknell University) “I got it in!”
“I knew it!”
“Alex thinks we can afford tuition and we can’t.”
“We got to lie, that’s what parents do, because otherwise the kids are going to realize that we don’t know what we’re doing!
“Welcome. I have a way for you guys to make four years tuition in one month. Underground casino.”
“If you want to make money like Vegas you got to look like Vegas.”
What Others are Saying
- Content Media
- “Such funny people, such weak material, such a shame and a waste. There are stupid comedies that are still funny. Too bad this one isn’t one of them.”
- Roger Ebert
- “The House is the rare raunchy comedy that actually could have stood to be a little longer—and not just by padding the running time with outtakes.”
- Rotten Tomatoes
- “The House squanders a decent premise and a talented cast on thin characterizations and a shortage of comic momentum.”
- Variety
- “The House like too many Hollywood comedies of outrage, turns the extreme into the innocuous.”
Our Rating and Recommendation
Although this movie had immense potential with their outstanding cast, we unfortunately can only give this film a measly 1.5 out of 5 stars. This film has a weak storyline and very little character development. There were certainly some humorous moments throughout this movie, but it seems as if the screenwriters didn’t know how to stop jokes from getting out of hand. This film was also very raunchy, and that took away from its entertainment.
Our Recommendation
Watch this film at your own risk; don’t expect to walk away impressed. Expect to walk away with having wasted an hour and a half on maybe a few quick laughs.
