Customer Ratings & Reviews

Ideally, I wanted this movie on Bluray, but still good quality for a DVD since the movie itself is pretty great.

I LOVE this movie! Great cast and it's not your every day fairy tale. I can watch it over and over.

This is the film that will allow you to realize who you really are.

Christina Ricci plays a young lady cursed with a pig face. They didn’t go overboard on the prosthetics. She indeed has a piggy nose, but it’s no different from some other actors & actresses I’ve seen on the big screen. It is just wide and upturned. She was actually kind of cute with the pig snout. Even cuter than she is without it – and that’s not insult. You’ll see it too when you watch the film… Because Penelope has a piggy nose, her mother keeps her locked up in their mansion. She makes her join a dating service in the hopes that she’d get married and break the curse. This is really a cute movie for children. Adults will like it too. The wardrobe is fantastic. They are actually wearing things you’d expect to see in a fairy tale book. The plot itself is not original, but still a good film. Very bright and chirpy! But sometimes the movie is a little too cheesy. Men throw themselves out the window in hysterics, rather then be in the same room as Penelope for even one second. And her face wasn’t even that bad! Everyone’s shocked by Penelope’s piggy nose, but no one reacts to Annie’s horse teeth? She’s played by Reese Witherspoon, and she’s actually really good in here. I was not expecting that. This movie is supposed to be about acceptance and learning to love yourself for who you are. Here’s the negative part of the movie - Penelope promises to kill herself if the curse is never broken. That is so inappropriate for a PG movie about self image! It did add some angst, but I wouldn’t want little girls to watch this and then feel self-conscious and desperate. Why mention suicide in a children’s movie?! And then Penelope gets drunks. Might imply to young children that drinking is cool. But, of course, I was watching Nightmare on Elm Street when I was in kindergarten. It all depends on the parents. Catharine O’Hara as the mother was great! I always complain how they make the mothers so evil in children movies! But O’Hara played her character in such a lovable way! In fact, she’s probably the only character that you could, in truth, describe as “misunderstood.” O’Hara’s so talented and funny! Other actors in here are Nick Frost, Burn Gorman (Owen from Torchwood!), and Peter Dinklage. That suicide line makes me so mad!!!! But despite that, I would still recommend the movie.

Penelope is a modern-day fairytale involving a family curse: as revenge for an unjust death, a witch curses the Wilherns so that their first daughter will be born with the face of a pig. For several generations, only males are born, but when Penelope (Christina Ricci) comes along, the curse is fulfilled, and she's born with a pig's snout. Her parents (Catherine O'Hara from Beetlejuice and and Richard E. Grant channeling Christopher Walken) keep her locked away after faking her death so that the paparazzi will steer clear. Now in her mid-twenties, the sheltered Penelope has several talents, including botany, chess, and music (and Penelope's vintage glam costumes are to die for). She's a voracious reader as well, with a library full of rare, valuable first editions. Every week, her overbearing mother makes her meet several potential suitors (bluebloods) in an attempt to break the curse: in order for that to happen, Penelope must be loved by "one of her own kind." Quirky, with loveable characters and some not-so-loveable ones rounding out the cast, Penelope feels like a lost Tim Burton film; the zany dialogue reminded me of Beetlejuice at points, as did the dark, twisted visuals. The message of "love who you are, not what you look like" is beat over your head about a million times, and Catherine O'Hara as the stage mom is particularly loathsome as she obsesses over plastic surgery for Penelope and other ways to make her daughter "normal." But I found Penelope to be an engaging fairytale, if a little long, in large part due to the sparkling performances of Ricci and McAvoy. Extras include an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Twilight (a new scene, some behind-the-scenes footage, and brief interviews with director Catherine Hardwicke, author Stephenie Meyer, and several of the stars).

I loved this movie so much I paid to see it in the theater twice! Then I made my husband drive me to Best Buy the day it came out on video to pick up the DVD!! It is a must own for any family video collection. My youngest son (4 yrs) loves Sleeping Beauty and he fell in love with this story when we saw it in the theater. Now he asks me to watch it every day. I love it because we can all watch together - from my oldest son & daughter (13 & 11) down to the baby (3) and there's something for each of us to enjoy.

When I watched this film on Starz I have to admit that the only reason I put on was because I was bored and there was nothing else on TV. I expected some cheesy little fairy tale movie, but what I got was a beautiful film with very emotional moments. I cried tears of joy by the end of the movie. Films similiar to this: -Coraline -Nightmare Before Christmas -Slumdog Millionaire

This story is fun for all ages especially good for teenage girls. It really drives the idea that beauty is in the inside. In a world that is obsessed with image, this movie shows that looks can be deceiving. All you have to do is look inside your heart and you will find love. You must first love yourself before you can love others.

I loved, loved, loved this movie. Although it didn't do very well at the box office, I really enjoyed this movie. Christina Ricci is a great actress who doesn't get the credit she deserves.

I really liked this movie. My 7 year old grandaughter loved it too. I really enjoyed Catherine O' Hara she was very funny. I really loved the message it sent to my grandaughter also.