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Penelope

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Penelope (2008)

52%
40%
82%
N/A
N/A
N/A
52 %
Reviews Counted: 115 Fresh: 60  Rotten:55 Average Rating: 5.6/10
 
Consensus: Though Penelope has a charming cast and an appealing message, it ultimately suffers from faulty narrative and sloppy direction.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Rated: U

Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins

Theatrical Release: 01-02-2008

Synopsis: Like Tim Burton's EDWARD SCISSORHANDS and the TV show PUSHING DAISIES, PENELOPE is a modern fairy tale, complete with candy colors and whimsical cinematography. PENELOPE begins with a generations-old curse by a jilted lover: the next girl in the aristocratic Wilhern family will be born... Like Tim Burton's EDWARD SCISSORHANDS and the TV show PUSHING DAISIES, PENELOPE is a modern fairy tale, complete with candy colors and whimsical cinematography. PENELOPE begins with a generations-old curse by a jilted lover: the next girl in the aristocratic Wilhern family will be born with a pig's snout and ears. Though ages pass, the bad luck finally manifests itself in young Penelope (Christina Ricci) much to the shame of her mother (Christopher Guest favorite Catherine O'Hara). In an effort to break the curse, her mother and father (Richard E. Grant, WITHNAIL AND I) try to bring in a series of blue-blooded suitors. But when they see her face, the men all run screaming. Enter Max (James McAvoy), a down-on-his-luck gambler who connects with Penelope. But when he is exposed as a fraud, the heartbroken girl escapes into the surrounding city. Though she hides her face with a scarf, Penelope gets to experience life outside her family's mansion for the first time. Pig nose and all, Ricci is adorable as the title character, excellent in alternating between naïveté and independence. Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon succeeds in double duty as both a producer and in a small acting role as Penelope's first friend in the big city. But it's McAvoy, a standout in ATONEMENT and THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND, who threatens to steal hearts. The pair's romance is believable, and it makes the film good viewing for fairy tale fans of all ages. The PG rating should appeal to families, as should the film's message about the importance of inner beauty and self confidence. [More]

Genre: Comedies

Starring: Christina Ricci, James McAvoy, Catherine O'Hara, Reese Witherspoon, Peter Dinklage

Director: Mark Palansky
Screenwriter: Leslie Caveny
Producer: Reese Witherspoon, Scott Steindorff, Jennifer Simpson
Composer: Joby Talbot

DVD Info

Release:

Mar 7, 2009

[DVD Details]

DVD Features:

  • O-Sleeve Magical Foil - Keep Case
  • Full Frame 1.33
  • Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround - English
  • Subtitles - English (SDH), Spanish - Optional

Additional Release Material:

  • Making Of
  • Sneak Peek - TWILIGHT Sneak Peek

Reviews

 
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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 >> >|
Arrange By: Name | Fresh | Rotten | Date | Source
 
 
Ratings Image
1.5/5

Is this meant to be dark comedy? It's hard to tell.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/25/08
Anna Smith
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
4/5

The convictions of the cast and an extremely snappy script fill in most of the gaps caused by the wobbly plotlines.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/07/08
Kat Brown
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
3/5

Despite an extremely uneven style, this modern-day fairy tale has plenty of charm.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/11/08
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
Ratings Image
2/4

It's too bad that the second half turned out to be a drag, because I very much enjoyed the first half.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/22/08
Austin Kennedy
Sin Magazine
Ratings Image
C-

A diligent ensemble can't lift the film to anything higher than a shallow fairy tale with only worthy intentions.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/19/08
Bruce Bennett
Spectrum (St. George, Utah)
Ratings Image
N/A

With only a DNA witch's curse pig's snout compromising Ricci's otherwise exceedingly alluring physical assets, it doesn't make a lick of sense that prospective suitors are jumping out of windows after catching a glimpse of her disfigured beak.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/12/08
Prairie Miller
NewsBlaze
Ratings Image
5/10

Penelope is adorable and easy to watch thanks to the charms of its leads Ricci and McAvoy. But it's too much a mainstream Hollywood product and not enough of a spunky indie spirit to really win audiences over.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/09/08
Beth Accomando
KPBS.org
Ratings Image
N/A

Penelope is a sweet trifle, a great kid's movie, and not surprising, given its subject matter a film gay audiences will find familiar and comforting. That's because, more than anything, this is a story of acceptance of one's true self.

Full Review | comment Comment
05/22/08
Richard Knight
Windy City Times
Ratings Image
3/5

It's not eccentric enough to be as otherworldly as it wants to be, but it's too self-consciously quirky to perform on its own merits.

Full Review | comment Comment
05/01/08
Alonso Duralde
MSNBC
Ratings Image
2.5/4

Maybe I've got some subconscious porcine fetish thing going (or something) but I think Christina Ricci looks kind of cute with a pig's snout where her nose should be...

Full Review | comment Comment
04/02/08
David N. Butterworth
rec.arts.movies.reviews
Ratings Image
2.5/4

A sweet but clumsy fable that's pleasing without being particularly distinguished.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/16/08
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing
Ratings Image
3/4

After I saw the intriguing trailers that trailed off a couple years back, I wondered why this movie was wallowing somewhere on a shelf.I'm still not sure. Although I do know one thing: Had this been a Christmas-time release, it would have been seen by lot

Full Review | comment Comment
03/09/08
Linda Cook
Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)
Ratings Image
2/10

Produced according to a formula for squeezing the maximum amount of cloying charm out of the minimum investment.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/07/08
Tim Brayton
Antagony & Ecstasy
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3.5/4

It's Ricci, with her princesslike innocence and Keane-painting eyes, who provides the movie's abundant charm.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/07/08
Sean Means
Salt Lake Tribune
Ratings Image
2.5/4

Despite Christina Ricci's charming performance, Penelope is trapped in a twilight zone between fairy tales and play-it-safe romantic comedies.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/07/08
John Wirt
Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA)
Ratings Image
1/5

Penelope isn't really suitable for anyone. It's a boar.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/06/08
Randy Shulman
Metro Weekly (Washington, DC)
Ratings Image
N/A

The success of Juno has re-set the bar for whimsical tales of headstrong, intelligent young women grappling with life difficulties.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/06/08
Brent Simon
FilmStew.com
Ratings Image
2/5

An adult fairy tale that is badly hobbled by its uncreative handling of its theme of finding one's true self.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/05/08
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice
Ratings Image
3.5/5

A film of some ragged charm -- and one in which there's always something cool to look at in design and filmmaking style. And that's more than a lot of movies can claim.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/05/08
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Ratings Image
3/4

A neat modern fairy tale.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/05/08
Jonathan W. Hickman
Entertainment Insiders
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