Penelope (U)
Momentum Pictures, £17.99

Stars - Christina Ricci, James McAvoy, Catherine O’Hara, Reese Witherspoon

In the wake of the wonderful Enchanted – a spoof of classic Disney hits – fairy tales are back.

The makers of Penelope, starring the often-brilliant Christina Ricci, clearly realised this and decided to take advantage of it.

An age-old curse cast by a witch means aristocrat Penelope (Ricci) is born not with a dainty nose, but a less than pretty pig’s snout.

In order to get rid of the snout she must find true love. So her parents invite a string of suitors to visit her.

However, the men in question are only after the hefty dowry her parents have put up, and do not really love her.

At the same time the fame of Penelope is such that tabloid reporter Lemon (Peter Dinklage) is desperate for an exclusive snap of her.

Aware of what her parents are up to, the go-getting hack hires Max (James McAvoy) to pose as a would-be lover.

It is hoped Max will get a picture of the facially challenged woman, and Lemon will get the scoop. However – rather predictably – he starts to fall for her.

Not willing to hurt her or expose his morally questionable aims, he leaves Penelope and disappears.

Annoyed with this, Penelope decides to take matters into her own hands. She leaves the confines of her parents and ventures into the world. Along the way Penelope meets her first friend, free-spirited rock chic Annie (Reese Witherspoon), who teaches her to be happy with or without a pretty nose.

With her new attitude will she find love? Have a guess…

As well as Enchanted, Penelope also has echoes of that other money-spinner Shrek. Updating older fairy tales is big news at the moment and it is easy to see why.

Penelope – up-to-date, trendy and fun – is very enjoyable. This is partly due to its wonderful cast.

Oscar winner Witherspoon seemingly only stars in hits, be they critically acclaimed flicks like Walk the Line and Pleasantville, or big-sellers like Legally Blond and Sweet Home Alabama.

Meanwhile Ricci – whose best-known role is still probably as Wednesday in The Adams Family – is also a fantastic actress.

Brit McAvoy, who started his TV life in Shameless, has been doing well in Hollywood lately.

Having starred in Starter For 10 and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, he really made a name for himself starring opposite Keira Knightley in Atonement.

Penelope – while not going to set any film critics pens alight – is an enjoyable family film which is easy to watch.

Seen it? Let us know what you thought.