Penelope | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

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53%

Tomatometer

128 Reviews

73%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Born with the snout of a pig, young Penelope Wilhern (Christina Ricci) spends life a virtual prisoner in her home. Believing that the only way to break the curse is to marry one of her own kind, she meets a number of suitors, but all reject her. Two devious men, one with a grudge against the family, hire a man (James McAvoy) to pose as a suitor, but complications arise when he begins to fall in love with Penelope, and she makes a bid for freedom.

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Penelope

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Critics Consensus

Though Penelope has a charming cast and an appealing message, it ultimately suffers from faulty narrative and sloppy direction.

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Critics Reviews

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

I can truthfully say that watching this abysmal fantasy-comedy is less rewarding than being slapped across the face with a large wet fish.

Rated: 1/5

Oct 18, 2008

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Wendy Ide

Times (UK)

A modern-day fairytale, the film is tarted up like a hyperactive five-year-old's lurid fantasy of interior decor.

Rated: 2/5

Oct 18, 2008

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Anna Smith

Film4

Is this meant to be dark comedy? It's hard to tell.

Rated: 1.5/5

Jun 25, 2008

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Penelope is a delightful and imaginative little movie, adorned with plenty of good-intentioned morals.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 6, 2023

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

A rather childish blend of comedy, romance, and the predictable unearthing of morals and prejudices.

Rated: 3/10

Nov 28, 2020

Full Review

Michael Dequina

TheMovieReport.com

This quirky, snarky contemporary fairy tale could have been a family blockbuster.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 12, 2012

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Audience Reviews

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Augusta D The kind of whimsical that gives you butterflies every time you watch it. If you like Amèlie or other similarly fairytale-esque films, you’ll enjoy this. Christina Ricci and James McAvoy have undeniable chemistry. It’s a movie I watch again and again! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/23/24 Full Review Victoria T Its fairly generic, I almost felt like I'd seen it before. The cast was good but overall it was just... fine. Rated 2.5/5 Stars • Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 07/24/24 Full Review Dinos K A romantic modern fairy tale, good acting from McAvoy (he convinced me as a gambler). Little "Wednesday" was cute Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/30/23 Full Review Kalissa H It was silly and unrealistic--not just because of the snout--most of the time. Despite that, for some reason I enjoyed it. It does have a great message about loving yourself, so that is a positive. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/28/23 Full Review Emmy R Discovered this movie a few years ago…it's now one of my top favorite movies. It has a great message, phenomenal acting, and a unique story. Strongly recommend! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/25/23 Full Review Audience Member It satirises what ugliness is but feels unaware that Penelope isnt actually that ugly. Its kind of offensive because of that. Rated 1/5 Stars • Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

Mark Palansky Director Christina Ricci Penelope Wilhern James McAvoy Johnny Catherine O'Hara Jessica Wilhern Peter Dinklage Lemon Richard E. Grant Franklin Wilhern

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Penelope

Penelope: Official Clip - I Like Myself The Way I Am