annie
2015 review number 28:
Annie: (Musical/Comedy): 54 out of 100: I'd like to begin my review by stating that I am a sucker for musicals. I love how characters just burst into song for no apparent reason. I understand why people would think that is so cheesy but that's what makes musicals so much fun. This version of "Annie" is cheesy but it's lacking some of the fun that was evident in the previous two movie versions along with the stage production on which it is based.
Quvenzhané Wallis plays Annie who is a foster kid 'supervised' by Miss Hannigan (Cameron Diaz). She and the other five girls are forced to slave away so Miss Hannigan can collect the money for looking after them. Annie holds high hopes of eventually finding her real parents. Her life changes when Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx) rescues her from being hit by a car. She goes from the basement to the penthouse (literally as Stacks is a business tycoon) as he takes her in to boost his poll numbers for the New York mayor election. Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale round out the main cast by playing Stacks' personal assistant and political strategist, respectively.
Wallis does a serviceable job as Annie but doesn't possess a strong singing voice. She shows some acting chemistry with Foxx who grows on you with his performance. Diaz, Byrne and Cannavale tend to overact at times and are overshadowed by the two leads.
Two of my favourite musical numbers don't receive much screen time. "NYC" is not even sung and only features briefly in the score while "Easy Street" is very short. Some of the singing is weak while there isn't much choreography which made the previous renditions' numbers more vibrant and dynamic. A few new songs have been written specifically for this movie to the detriment of the favourites eliminated.
The setting has been updated to 2014 to make it more relevant for today's audiences. There's quite a few references to Twitter which should appeal to the younger generation. There's also an insight into political campaigns which actually bogs down the story. Foxx features quite a fair bit to the point where this movie should be retitled "Annie and Will" or "Annie and Stacks".
It's not a complete disaster of a musical as there are some funny scenes and cute moments. Although some of my favourite songs have been cut, there's still the old favourite in "Tomorrow" which is heard several times throughout the movie. There's also "Maybe" and "It's the Hard Knock Life" which are sung in their entirety. Another bonus of the film is the sensational location shooting of famous New York landmarks. The aerial shots of these buildings and places are breathtaking.
You will be disappointed if you enjoyed the stage musical and the previous film versions. If you haven't seen them then you might appreciate this 2014 version more than I did.
Starring Quvenzhané Wallis, Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale
(118 minutes)
Parental advice: Mild themes
Additional scene during or after credits: Yes, during the credits Will Stacks opens a literacy centre for children then the cast sings "Tomorrow" on the streets. After the credits, Will and the foster kids are seeing a movie at the cinema.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-lw0Jtmzn8 (Movie trailer)
(Reviewed on Saturday 21st February, 2015)
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