It's broadly comic, sweetly sentimental and sharply satirical at times -- particularly when it takes on the concept of celebrity -- and both parents and kids should walk away satisfied if not quite elated.
Comment
02/29/08
Penelope (2008)
50
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:121
Fresh:61
Rotten:60
Average Rating:5.5/10
Consensus: Though Penelope has a charming cast and an appealing message, it ultimately suffers from faulty narrative and sloppy direction.
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... [More]
Starring: Christina Ricci, James McAvoy, Catherine O'Hara, Reese Witherspoon
Director: Mark Palansky
Reviews for Penelope
Behold the mysterious ways of Hollywood; a charming fairy tale with a heartening message of self-acceptance, something truly an entire family can enjoy, languishes while dreck like Over Her Dead Body gets rushed into theaters.
02/29/08
This half-baked fairy tale always seems to be on the verge of becoming charming but despite a good cast it never quite succeeds.
02/29/08
There are usually good reasons why a movie gets shelved for more than a year, however well-acted it may be and however well-meaning its message. Many are on view in Penelope.
02/29/08
The message in Leslie Caveny's script is ultimately too dispiriting a cop-out. This story could have gone in a number of more inspiring allegorical directions but winds up your average bedtime story instead.
02/29/08
At its core the movie lacks the sureness and lucidity of even a fractured fairy tale.
02/29/08
Penelope wiggles its way past a quirky premise with the help of a terrific supporting cast and underlying messages about self-esteem, independence and inner beauty.
02/29/08
Cinderella meets The Ugly Duckling in Penelope, a muddled, charm-free fairy tale whose title character is a rich girl born with the snout of a pig.
02/29/08
Top CriticLike its hero and heroine, this movie is not for everyone, but it will be loved by those who know how to appreciate it.
02/29/08
The theme of self-acceptance isn't a new one, but Penelope manages to rehash it with flavor and with real heart.
02/29/08
Unfortunately, Penelope only masquerades as a film about self-acceptance and liking ourselves for who we are.
02/29/08
Although this "Beauty and the Beast" reversal suffers from some miscues and lapses of logic in television writer Leslie Caveny's script, it largely floats on charming performances from leads Ricci and McAvoy...
02/29/08
Some viewers may find its self-conscious eccentricities to be somehow charming but if you put this film in a contest against other contemporary fairy tales, it wouldn't come close to winning%u2013not even by a nose.
02/29/08
You know the outcome right from the start.
02/29/08
...an enjoyable piece of fluff, ably anchored by Ricci in a full 180 from the confident freak that was Wednesday Addams back in the day. Insecure people are going to love this movie
02/29/08
This out-of-nowhere wonder charms from the first frame to the last, and joins Charlie Bartlett on the list of early-2008 films that are both wholesome and intelligent.
02/28/08
Resembling the kind of tale Aesop might spin after one too many vats of homemade Ouzo, Penelope plods along on a desire to endear. All it really does is infuriate.
02/28/08
Penelope manages to be entertaining while at the same time pounding you over the head with its "I'm okay with myself" hammer.
02/28/08
Penelope is true fantasy. It asks the audience to believe that men would not want to do Christina Ricci just because she has a pig nose. I mean, come on, you're going to dump that curvy little body?
02/28/08
This fairy tale feels pleasantly down-to-earth.
02/28/08
Latest News for Penelope
July 12, 2008:
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. 
More...
February 28, 2008:
Box Office Guru Preview: Semi-Pro Set To Slam Dunk The Competition
A triumvirate of films opens this weekend, but all will bow to the power of the mighty Will Ferrell and his latest outrageous comedy, Semi-Pro. More...
February 28, 2008:
Critics Consensus: Semi-Pro is Semi-Good, Boleyn Girl Not Quite Movie Royalty
This week at the movies, we've got hapless hoopsters, snouted socialites, and scandalous siblings. What do the critics have to say? More...
February 28, 2008:
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.
More...
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