"Mark Palansky goes for Tim Burton-by-Jean-Pierre Jeunot whimsicality with Penelope, a storybook fable that never overplays its cutesiness but also fails to figure out what it wants to be." - Nick Schager

Somewhat effective fairy tale.

Loved it! She looks beautiful WITH the nose though, so all the people having so much trouble with it seems a bit weird... Nice plot (though predictable) and characters (though some a bit shallow)

I like how a slightly piggish snout sets men into a frenzy of horror.

Crap.

Gets a high score because of all the great cameos! I was cheering all the way every time I discovered a new cameo on screen. Also loved the film's whimsical nature, the Tim Burton-ish look & feel, and its charm. Though there were a few weak points (the older sister who was never mentioned nor seen again, for instance.)

This is a nice modern day fairy tale. Christina Ricci is good in the lead performance. I also enjoyed Peter Dinklage's supporting performance. I recommend this film if you like fairy tale stories.

Sucks and creepy

Don't think a pig nose is going to keep me from thinking Ricci is smoking hot.

Cute.

8/17/08 - I watched this on Demand from Comcast. It was really well done with a great cast and complex plot.

Christina Ricci plays up her cute side in this whimsical, fun and light film, one that can easily be enjoyed by anyone who is still held captive by their imagination.

A bizarre story that you can not take seriously.

An enchanting story and a charming message are diluted by poor pacing, resulting in an unbalanced script sprinkled with great ideas. It's frustrating to see what could have been very near perfection shine through the flawed final product. Regardless, Christina Ricci's performance is fantastic: she's both witty and vulnerable, making Penelope a very real and well-rounded heroine.

Like the Harry Potter franchise, Penelope is based on a children's book. However, unlike Potter, the Big Screen version drains the tale of its magic. There are two major problems with this movie. First, Penelope's appearance isn't as grotesque as her suitors express it to be. Second, the opening scenes establishing her relationship with her "prince charming" aren't believable and fail miserably due to a weak screenplay. Plain and Simple; the tale should have been animated and told by PIXAR.

Passes the time.

A generally entertaining fairy tale that falls into a bit of a slump before the end, although it's hard to tell why only half of the British contingent of the cast are putting on American accents (and why the half of those who can't pull it off weren't told not to).