The House (2017)

“The House” stars Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, Jason Mantzoukas, and Nick Kroll.  Released on June 30, 2017, the film is about a couple who started an illegal casino in order to pay for their daughter’s college fund.

The film features the directorial debut of Andrew J. Cohen, who co-wrote Neighbors, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates.  This year’s summer movie season hasn’t been too bright on certain live-action comedies so far, with Snatched and Rough Night failing to impress critics and make big money at the box office.  What’s even worse is that the film I’m reviewing now is looking to continue that streak.  Why am I reviewing this film, you ask?  Well, it’s because I cannot say no to Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler.  All I can say is this, it’s what you expected from the marketing, which can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your mood.

Pros:
The cast delivered some decent performances, including Ferrell and Poehler.

Some of the comedic moments were funny and tolerable, but the other moments can be a bit over-the-top or flat.

Cons:
The plot has a lot of dumb moments, which may or may not take you out of the film’s message.

Cohen’s direction needs some improvement.

The story and the characters were pretty weak.    

Final thoughts: “The House” took a gamble of turning its simple, yet ridiculous, plot into a laugh-fest, but it ultimately came up way short.  I did find some things that made the film tolerable for me, such as the cast and their comedic shenanigans.  Unfortunately, its amount of dumbness and a weak storyline may keep fans of smarter comedies away from the gambling business.  If you don’t care that much about the plot and just want to laugh yourself silly, then by all means, go see it.  If you do care about the story, then you might want to look somewhere else.

C-