"Penelope" PG

This romantic fable, about a girl born with a pig snout (Christina Ricci), marks the directorial debut of Mark Palansky, whose obvious influence is Tim Burton. This film includes scenes that specifically recall Burton's "Big Fish," but mostly it evokes "Edward Scissorhands" —- a far superior movie. Still, the two are stylistically similar and even share the moral lesson of learning how to be comfortable in one's own skin. Grade: B