Penelope is the story of a young girl who is doomed by an ancient family curse, so she is born with a pig's snout in place of her nose. Then in classic Beauty and the Beast style, it requires the magic of true love to break the curse. It's a very traditional tale, and there isn't a single surprise in the entire runtime. Yet, there's a magic about the genre of romantic comedy where not only are you OK with predictability, you kind of crave it. Those of us who love these films don't typically want some surprise twist where the couple doesn't end up together, we want the warm fuzzies all over again. There is a little bit of an unexpected plot twist in Penelope, but it doesn't get in the way of the happy ending. Overall, I was content with how the film played out, and it made me smile, so I'd call that a success.
However, while I really love the fairytale vibe of the film, I also thought it was the aspect that I struggled with the most. It was a little over-the-top how most people early in the film reacted to Penelope. Considering she looks like adorable Christina Ricci with only one odd feature, it just feels strange that people are so repulsed they are leaping out of windows. Now, again, I recognize it's part of the fairytale tone they are going for, but fantasy doesn't have to mean cartoony. In fact, the movie itself seems to call out how extreme the behavior is by contrasting it with how Annie and her other friends take it all in stride. I felt like the movie could have been more grounded and still carried through all the story elements without losing any of its charms. I enjoyed Penelope, and would watch again if asked, but it didn't quite rise to be a favorite for me.
However, while I really love the fairytale vibe of the film, I also thought it was the aspect that I struggled with the most. It was a little over-the-top how most people early in the film reacted to Penelope. Considering she looks like adorable Christina Ricci with only one odd feature, it just feels strange that people are so repulsed they are leaping out of windows. Now, again, I recognize it's part of the fairytale tone they are going for, but fantasy doesn't have to mean cartoony. In fact, the movie itself seems to call out how extreme the behavior is by contrasting it with how Annie and her other friends take it all in stride. I felt like the movie could have been more grounded and still carried through all the story elements without losing any of its charms. I enjoyed Penelope, and would watch again if asked, but it didn't quite rise to be a favorite for me.