Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
2.5/4
Cute and whimsical, but needs a bit more edge
Tino - wrote on 05/16/2008
Penelope is supposed to be a modern day fairy tale, with all of the whimsy and warmth of the old Disney cartoons. It's a funny and quirky film, that aims for the feel and charm of a little indie flick, but sometimes looks like a big budget romantic comedy. The film really banks off of the performances of all of its cast. Christina stars as the lead role, that has to find love to break the curse created by her ancestors. James McAvoy is the lead male, with demons of his own, who is supposed to break this curse. Catherine O'Hara plays her over-bearing mother, whom keeps her daughter locked up for years to 'protect' her. And Reese Witherspoon is Penelope's worldly-traveled and experienced new friend. The characters are all interesting, yet sometimes annoying and unbelievable, especially …
Rating of
3/4
Endearing
Franz Patrick - wrote on 05/14/2008
I was pleasantly surprised by this film because I knew it was supposed to be released around 2006. Usually, when films are held back for such a long time, it means that it's not strong enough to have an audience. I really liked this film because it works for both kids and adults. The comedy is bona fide and the acting is not bad at all. In fact, it resonates at times which made it all the more endearing. I saw this with a few friends: three of us liked it and the other two did not. I guess one has to come into this film with an open mind. Sure, the whole pig-nose thing is not realistic but it's supposed to say something about inner beauty (which hopefully all of us can relate to). Films don't always have to be realistic to be considered "good." It's nice to see Christina Ricci and Reese …
