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Parents' Guide to

Penelope

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Offbeat romantic comedy is sweet but lightweight.

Movie PG 2008 101 minutes
Penelope Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 11+

Based on 14 parent reviews

age 14+

Great for teens and up

Great message about loving yourself regardless of appearances. Funny and cute. No serious language.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
age 11+

Really Enjoyed This Movie!

I think this movie is perfect for tweens and maybe a little younger! While the movie had a few bad words and some innuendos, I think it is okay for tweens to start being exposed to these things a little bit while still keeping the majority of the content appropriate. (they really are the tiniest bits in the movie) There are some reviews for this movie I was reading and I think they are overreacting quite a bit. It is really well made and I love how unique it is! I was actually really glad I found it because it really is the perfect balance for my pre-teens. Would highly recommend it to anyone!

This title has:

Great messages
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (14 ):
Kids say (21 ):

Brimming with style and whimsy, PENELOPE is a traditional fable set in a too-exquisite, retro metropolis. It's genuinely lovely to look at -- even that nose, which doesn't actually seem so bad. But although it's amiable -- aided in part by an appealingly rakish McAvoy and a game, though disconcertingly tame, Ricci -- it's a half-baked soufflé that collapses midway. Despite all of its fairy-tale trappings, it's not really any less predictable than any other mainstream romantic comedy.

The supporting cast is generally strong -- O'Hara is delightfully caustic -- though Reese Witherspoon's cameo turn as an "edgy" messenger Penelope befriends doesn't work because, well, she doesn't believably have an edge. As for the film's central question -- can a sweet girl with a pig's snout find true love with one of "her own"? -- the answer is this: What exactly does "one of her own" really mean?

Movie Details

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