... this is definitely designed as a romantic fantasy targeted to tweens, but I liked it too.
Penelope is a young wealthy gal who is the recipient of a family curse, born with a pig nose & ears (although you never see her ears hidden under her long hair) The curse can only be reversed once she is truly loved, along the same lines of Snow White/Sleeping Beauty. Right there, we ALL KNOW how the story will play out, so any (adult's) enjoyment of the movie is going to be in the "telling" and I thought it was told quite well.
Christina Ricci absolutely carries the entire film. The Mom is played by incredibly talented Catherine O'Hara who does her best with a relentless nag cartoon role. Father is played by the also wonderful Richard Grant, but he has hardly any lines! The love interest is adorable James McAvoy, and Reese Witherspoon plays Penelope's only friend.
While predictable, the story is fun and more importantly leaves the viewer with a heartfelt message. We see Penelope evolve from cloistered child to young adult taking charge of her own life and her triumph over her "curse". The "message" is a strong and essential one for young tweens to learn from this example....totally opposite from those Disney princesses. Penelope reminded me of Winona Ryder's character in BEETLEJUICE.
Of course, there's a few twists to the predictability of the story, but I can't reveal them here or it would spoil it for you.
This was filmed at Pinewood Studios with great sets & costumes- a visual treat for the eyes for sure. I really liked the props and attention to detail-I doubt many would appreciate Penelope's toy piano was a vintage Schoenhut, but I noticed. The top notch photography looked great and helped with the pace of the rather basic story. My only criticism was the lousy, cloying musical choices.
Those of us who love classic film always wish they'd make them like they used to, and this simple, cute story is right there in my opinion.
Penelope is a young wealthy gal who is the recipient of a family curse, born with a pig nose & ears (although you never see her ears hidden under her long hair) The curse can only be reversed once she is truly loved, along the same lines of Snow White/Sleeping Beauty. Right there, we ALL KNOW how the story will play out, so any (adult's) enjoyment of the movie is going to be in the "telling" and I thought it was told quite well.
Christina Ricci absolutely carries the entire film. The Mom is played by incredibly talented Catherine O'Hara who does her best with a relentless nag cartoon role. Father is played by the also wonderful Richard Grant, but he has hardly any lines! The love interest is adorable James McAvoy, and Reese Witherspoon plays Penelope's only friend.
While predictable, the story is fun and more importantly leaves the viewer with a heartfelt message. We see Penelope evolve from cloistered child to young adult taking charge of her own life and her triumph over her "curse". The "message" is a strong and essential one for young tweens to learn from this example....totally opposite from those Disney princesses. Penelope reminded me of Winona Ryder's character in BEETLEJUICE.
Of course, there's a few twists to the predictability of the story, but I can't reveal them here or it would spoil it for you.
This was filmed at Pinewood Studios with great sets & costumes- a visual treat for the eyes for sure. I really liked the props and attention to detail-I doubt many would appreciate Penelope's toy piano was a vintage Schoenhut, but I noticed. The top notch photography looked great and helped with the pace of the rather basic story. My only criticism was the lousy, cloying musical choices.
Those of us who love classic film always wish they'd make them like they used to, and this simple, cute story is right there in my opinion.