Annie

I saw Annie and it was fantastic! I know how some people say NOT to remake a classic, but Annie is the exception. I did not like the Karate Kid remake, but Annie 2014 gets an A+ from me!! Quvenzhané Wallis did a wonderful job in the lead role of Annie. You really feel for her character and care what happens to her. The musical numbers were great. I actually liked Jamie Foxx's character Will Stacks and I am NOT a Jamie Foxx fan. But I feel that he was meant to play the role with his background in singing, dancing, and acting. Cameron Diaz took her "Bad Teacher" character up a few notches and created a diabolical villain!! She is so mean, nasty, and heartless. It was special to see how the characters progressed throughout the film and at the end. People can change! The soundtrack has an Urban NY flavor to it that I love!! I'm going to buy the CD or DL it ASAP!! Not fair to compare 2014 to 1982 as the times are extremely different now as opposed to then. But if I had to choose 1982 or 2014. I'd definitely go with 2014!! It is a shame if racism is lowering the rating of Annie 2014. Critics can criticize this version of Annie, but it had a lot of HEART.

... and always form my own opinion. I took my 6 year old niece to see this movie today, and it was a perfect "feel-good" family holiday film. The original Annie came out in June of 1982 when I myself was 6, and I remember how much I loved the story and the singing, watching it (and singing along!) quite a few times in my childhood. Well, we sat down together last night to watch the original, and we BOTH had a hard time staying engaged throughout the whole thing. FDR and the New Deal? War bonds? Because the 1982 plot was set in the period of the comic's popularity, not the actual filming date of the movie, there were a lot of references that never did make sense to me growing up. The new movie, set in modern New York City, was relatable for today's kids (criticize all you want, but there are NOT ENOUGH positive non-Disney human characters out there, no matter how much people call it pandering). The script had its share of small flaws, and no one can ever outdo Burnett and Finney, but Wallis was adorable and very likable in the lead role... her personality was believable and not over the top, and oh yeah, she's black, though I don't think my niece noticed.

-Annie is a modern adaptation of the Broadway Musical in which an orphan (foster child in this) who lives with the somewhat evil Mrs. Hannigan when, one day, she meets Mr. Warbucks (Will Stacks in this), a rich business man who takes Annie in and truly starts to learn what it is to have family.

-This adaptation of Annie is definitely a little ambitions, but I think they pulled it off well! I am a big fan of the 1994 film and I like this version about as much as that! -The story itself is different from the original somewhat, but the modern update called for some changes and I liked them.

-The pace was good, but there is a slow point in the film that is noticeable.

-The supporting characters, everyone but Annie, are a bit cheesy. And kinda goofy, but they are not too much over-the-top. There are a few elements like the characters that did feel geared towards younger audiences.

-The acting is good though. I noticed that both Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz both acted will in their over-the-top characters. I will say the true star was Annie though. I can't spell her name, but she outshined Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz in most of the scenes. Good work! -Now the music is pretty great! I liked the updated music and, although not every original song was in it, I really liked the new songs they added! -The film is also very funny! I laughed at most of the jokes made and them adding jokes poking fun at musicals was very smart.

-It is rated PG for some mild language. Nowhere near as bad as like Rango.

-So Annie has a few elements that feel younger or cheesy, but I thought it was very fun, entertaining, and I loved the music! I honestly would give it a good 7.5 and say that Annie is totally worth seeing in theaters!

"Annie" is a modern day retelling of the acclaimed Broadway Musical and 1982 musical film based on the show, which was based on the 1924 Comic Strip "Little Orphan Annie" which in the original show and movie, takes part during the Great Depression, telling the story of Orphan Annie - a pre-teenage hoping for a return of her parents, who disappeared after they left her on the steps of of an orphanage as a baby. In this version, which again takes place in the modern day, it is revealed in the early part of the film that Annie, played by Quvenzhané Wallis (Academy Award Nominee for the "Beasts of Southern Wild") was left as a baby at a restaurant by her parents, and is now a foster kid, under the care of Miss Hannigan, played by Cameron Diaz. The Billionaire character "Daddy Warbucks" of the classic story, has been replaced by the character of "Will Stacks", played by Jamie Foxx (Academy Award winner for "Ray"), who is also a Billionaire from his cell phone business, and is running for Mayor of New York City. So – leading up to this film, the predicted expectations were of gloom and doom, presumably I think because this version does not take place in the original time line, and because some people's now negative views (not mine) towards Actor/Rapper Will Smith, who co-produced the film with among others, his wife, Actress Jada Pinkett Smith, and Rapper and Business Mogel Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, whose sampled one of the Musical's more populars songs "It's a Hard Knocked Life" in his hit song "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)". So what did I think – While I admit – the movie does became a mess to a great deal, it is not a total mess, and could have been a lot worse. A lot of songs that many of us love are there and performed well by the cast, some with variations, some of which are understandably, and some which may have probably weren't necessary. There are some new songs as well, including the very touching "Who am I?" - sung by Diaz, Foxx and Wallis's characters in the later part of the film. Some of the modern day jokes, just some of the humor in general works well, and some falls flat. Kids should like this version of "Annie" just fine. Adults - I think most who are fans of the original are going to be annoyed by it. I myself am I fan of the Broadway show and 1982 Movie. While I obviously didn't love this version myself, again, While it does become a mess to a great deal,it's not a complete one. My rating is for the music, and some of the humor – 2 ½ out of 4 Stars (The ½ star is for the previously mentioned new song "Who am I?").

It is unfortunate so much money (65 million) and so much talent (Quvenzhane Wallis, Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz) did not equal a better movie. A musical should have great singers; this did not. Foxx, the orphans and Quvenzhane were fine, but they were not great. Consider Dreamgirls, Hairspray, Fiddler on the Roof and Oklahoma. Along with the actors singing in character, there were powerful voices. No one in Annie was a standout musically.

Rose Byrne did her job in Damages, but not so much in this movie. The remainder of the cast was competent; they had their occasional moments.

This rendition of Annie was okay. But, with a few cast changes and voice lessons, it could have been so much better.