Penelope DVD Review

The second movie, originally released on the heels of The Hottie And The Nottie, to pair a dazzling damsel with a freako sidekick, Penelope’s got even less credibility than Paris Hilton’s vanity piece floating the idea that beauty’s only skin deep (yeah right, Paris). Mainly because while Hottie’s ugly-duckling best friend is decked out in special-effects bad teeth and oozing zits from head to toe, Penelope’s designated dog is, well, Christina Ricci.

With only a pig’s snout-a witch’s DNA curse inflicted on her British family long ago-compromising Ricci’s otherwise exceedingly alluring physical assets, it doesn’t make a lick of sense that prospective suitors are jumping out of windows after catching a glimpse of her disfigured beak. Reese Witherspoon, who produced Penelope but perhaps not so coincidentally made the same decision as Hilton to go for the glamorous girlfriend role, allows her less-fortunate pal to take center stage, but nearly pushes herself out of the story in the process.

Somehow the hip and flippant text and the general tall-tale hamming it up on the part of Ricci’s brooding, inferiority-complex Miss Piggy just never seem to gel. Not to mention, haven’t they ever heard of nose jobs in the UK?

Summit Home Entertainment

Rated PG

2 stars

DVD Features: Behind-The-Scenes Featurette; Sneak peek at Twilight; O-Sleeve Magical Foil Keep Case.