Penelope

Film Threat Jamie Tipps

An extraordinarily charming movie.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

There are some flat moments, to be sure, and Palansky's direction can be a bit unsteady and awkward, but he doesn't wallow in the eccentricities or the modestly self-empowering moral. This fairy tale feels pleasantly down-to-earth.

TV Guide Ken Fox

A sweet, unassuming surprise.

Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer

This half-baked fairy tale always seems to be on the verge of becoming charming but despite a good cast it never quite succeeds.

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea

Aimed at tweenage girls and mushy romantics of all age and stripe, Penelope has a quick gait and a nice comic tone.

Chicago Reader Andrea Gronvall

More tart than sweet, this contemporary fairy tale provides a worthy vehicle for the fearless Christina Ricci.

Washington Post John Anderson

Anyone willing to tolerate the tortured premise of the story will be paid off handsomely by several winning performances and a moral that makes most of the absurdity worthwhile.

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

The result is an entertaining comedy for young girls and older girls who still like a good romantic fable.

Portland Oregonian Marc Mohan

Reese Witherspoon, whose production company made Penelope, contributes an inflated cameo that feels forced.

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

An endearing premise and fanciful spirit aren't quite enough to rescue a film that has more heart than smarts.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

It's not the best of modern fairy tales but it's sincere and Christina Ricci's earnest and vulnerable performance touches the heart. Penelope is flawed but not irredeemably so.

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

I wish it were truly special instead of an interesting near-miss.

USA Today Claudia Puig

Though the film has a strong cast, humor and a satirical take on celebrity culture, the story is spotty.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey

A first film from director Mark Palansky, written by sitcom veteran Leslie Caveny (Everybody Loves Raymond, Mad About You), and the two are obviously indebted to the fanciful imagination of Tim Burton.

Village Voice Nick Pinkerton

Ricci is appealingly human, and some acknowledgement of the importance of female friendship, in addition to romance, is faintly touching.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Tasha Robinson

First-time director Mark Palansky is trying for a deft, hip, modern fairy-tale feel, but the odd material, sprawling story, and complicated tonal balancing act get away from him, and the film winds up as a poorly paced tug-of-war between sweet quirk and sloppy camp.

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

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.

Variety David Rooney

The whimsical ugly-duckling fable becomes more uneven as it proceeds, straining too hard to manufacture its quirky charms.

Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow

I found the sight of McAvoy as a piano player in jazzy-seedy duds a lot more disconcerting than Ricci's porcine prosthesis.

Los Angeles Times Gene Seymour

There's no real rigor or craft applied to this story -- just mood, tone, neo-gothic imagery and frantic attitude. If only Penelope knew what it truly wished to be and how to go about it. Which is probably what this overly coy fantasy's modestly appealing title character wishes as well.

San Francisco Chronicle Walter Addiego

Surprisingly pedestrian.

Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek

Too heavy on applied charm and too flimsy when it comes to plot. The picture has a hapless, meandering quality that's tolerable at first but ultimately becomes maddening, as if it were a cartoon narrative recounted by a distracted 4-year-old.

Austin Chronicle Josh Rosenblatt

It’s as if Caveny had so many ideas that she simply couldn’t bear to leave any of them crumpled up on her office floor.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

Penelope is dead on arrival.

Boston Globe Wesley Morris

This story could have gone in a number of more inspiring allegorical directions but winds up your average bedtime story instead.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

Under Mark Palansky's uninspired direction, magic eludes Penelope in scene after scene.

The New York Times Stephen Holden

A hopeless jumble of visual and linguistic styles.

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

Penelope was in a trough of trouble before the oink on the script was dry.

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

Is there anything more dull than an ineptly cynical fairy tale?