Director Andrew Jay Cohen
Genre Comedy
Cast Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, Jason Mantzoukas, Allison Tolman
Rating R
Release Date June 30th, 2017
“A dad convinces his friends to start an illegal casino in his basement after he and his wife spend their daughter’s college fund.”
The House is an R-rated comedy about a few adults desperate for cash, who decide to start an underground casino in their house. It is the feature-film directorial debut for writer turned director Andrew Jay Cohen, who previously penned the scripts for Neighbors 1 & 2, as well as Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates. The House has an incredibly talented cast from the world of comedy, including Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, Jason Mantzoukas, Nick Kroll, Allison Tolman, and Ryan Simpkins.
Despite a relatively rudimentary plot, The House boasts a talented cast well equipped to churn out R-rated laughs with ease. I made my way to the theater with exceptionally tempered expectations thanks to a severe tongue lashing from critics, as well as a few friends telling me to proceed with caution. As a diehard Will Ferrell fan I decided to run the risk, and I'm glad that I did! Right from the opening scene The House had me laughing out loud pretty consistently right through the hour and a half runtime. The plot is paper thin, full of holes, and corny in a number of ways, but in all honesty who cares? Unlike Baywatch that suffered from a weak script thanks to audiences feeling like they deserved more, The House makes it clear from the beginning that the plot was designed to support the laughs and overall comedic chops of its cast, nothing less, and nothing more. I felt like I accepted this so early on that I was able to enjoy the ride, much like seeing a movie for the second time with expectations out of the way altogether. My lady, as well as the rest of the theater as far as I could tell, shared the same sentiment. Director Andrew Jay Cohen proves he has a future in the directing world with a successful debut (in my eyes at least).
The cast of The House is absolutely spot on, teaming up a few Saturday Night Live alums with two of the best characters in the FX series, The League. As I mentioned before, Will Ferrell can do no wrong in my mind. I actually find it hard to believe that certain people have such an issue with him as an actor. Sure he is a little over the top at times and can rub people the wrong way, but this guy is a true talent and he gives 110% to each and every role he plays. I think he is at his best when he plays the trademark Will Ferrell role of a straight-laced guy with a checkered past, similar to his iconic "Frank The Tank" character in the hilarious 2003 comedy Old School. His character in The House isn't quite streaking through the quads, but he still gets out of hand at times. Amy Poehler reignites the undeniable chemistry she has with Ferrell and delivers a fantastic performance. Without further ado, my favorite character in the film is easily Jason Mantzoukas, best known for his character Rafi in the FX series, The League. Mantzoukas embodies what it means to command the screen thanks to his limitless energy and captivating personality. He is so much fun to watch, and even during the scenes where you feel like maybe you should feel bad for the guy, you still can't help but laugh. He works extremely well alongside Ferrell and Poehler and I would be surprised if they don’t team up again soon. Mantzoukas co-star from The League, Nick Kroll, is a nice addition as well and it was fun to see these two go back and forth on the big screen.
Critics are notorious for ripping R-rated comedies to shreds, almost out of principle it seems at times, and The House is easily one of the least deserving of the "hate train". Sometimes you need to simply enjoy something for what it is and appreciate everything it does well, and this is film full of laughs that does NOT take itself seriously, and I am more than fine with that approach. I walked out of the theater with a big smile on my face, repeating some of my favorite lines from the movie during the drive home. The House is certainly not perfect, but it is a summer comedy that I can comfortably recommend, and I am looking forward to checking out the deleted scenes once the Blu-ray releases in a few months.
