Nonureva
Really Surprised!
NekoHomey
Purely Joyful Movie!
Afouotos
Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.
Cassandra
Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.
mark.waltz
With perfect casting, tight direction and pretty much every song from the original Broadway show, this "Annie" may have confused those only familiar with the original motion picture with the fact that it was so different. Well, folks, gone are the Asp, Punjab, and overly cute little girls that gave me more of a diabetic coma than "Pippi Longstocking" and "Curly Sue". They weren't in the original Broadway version. The little girls on stage were not so sugary sweet that one more spoonful of sugar would have them running around as if they were on speed. They were real little girls, not really happy with their plight, but supportive of each other and able to seem real while not making the audience want to give them an instant time out every time they looked at the camera and smiled sweetly.There's a fabulous performance by Alicia Morton as the long-suffering little girl who is feisty enough to survive the abuse by orphanage manager Miss Hannigan (an understated Kathy Bates who really makes you feel the plight of what it was like to be a cynical single woman during the depression) and she is surrounded by a talented group of young girls who simply perform their numbers rather than force them down your throat. Gone are the constant close-ups on Annie from the original that was just simply overdone, and also gone is any trace of her trying to be a red-headed Shirley Temple. She's cute without being cloying and the others are totally likable as well. A recent Broadway revival made sure that this mood remained, and rather than "oohs and aahs" for their overly cuteness, they get applause for seeming even more grown-up than the grownups around them.Victor Garber's Daddy Warbucks is softer here too than Albert Finney's, still a hard-nosed industrialist, but one you can feel the secret heart of gold hidden underneath. Audra McDonald gives Grace Farrell a bigger heart than Ann Reinking's, and even if seeing a white man and black woman working so closely together during a very segregationist era is a bit jarring, McDonald is pure joy. Every note out of her brilliant singing pipes is tear-inducing and powerful. She really wins your heart with each number she sings, yet isn't so much of a greedy song bird that the others in the big production numbers are overshadowed.Thank goodness that they restored "N.Y.C." for this production to take over the pretentious "Let's Go to the Movies". To include Andrea McCardle (the original Annie) to play the "Star to Be" was also magnificent casting. The usual thankless roles of Rooster and Lily St. Regis are memorable villain roles for Alan Cumming and Kristen Chenoweth who utilizes her high-pitched, sometimes shrill voice to perfection. With a lot of the smaller parts played by supporting Broadway actors, the theatricality of the original is restored, and the production values make it seem more opened up and less claustrophobic.Yes, there are some good things in the original "Annie" film, but for purists, this one is so much better. The fact that it has a Broadway veteran as director (Rob Marshall) makes this so much more enjoyable and takes away the cartoonish feeling about what Ray Stark and John Huston had done in the early 80's. So check into the T.V. version of "Annie" for proof of how a Broadway show can be filmed without jarring changes that make no sense. I'm sure you are going to like it there.
anastasia-cessano-writes
I grew up with this version and I watched in the fourth grade (I am now 13, about to start the seventh.) I am ashamed that an entire school year I thought this version was the original true Annie! Over the summer between 5th and 6th grades I saw the 1982 version with Aileen Quinn, Carol Burnett, Bernadette Peters, Ann Reinking, Albert Finney and Tim Curry....and I was blown away.It may have been a bit overdone...but this remake is LIFELESS! Miss Hannigan isn't a man-crazed drunk! Lilly is dumber and trampier! Rooster doesn't do the rooster noise thingy! And WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED to Punjab and the Asp???!!!??? I only rated this 2-stars because Andrea McArdle was in it.(as the Star to Be.)And because of Alicia Morton (Annie's) singing. Seriously, if you want to watch a good Annie, go watch the 1982 version!
Anna
I found the acting was good, but not as good as the original. Also, the songs, staging, and virtually everything were kept precisely the same, which made this remake unnecessary. The new actress playing Annie didn't have the same charm as the original, but had a good singing voice. Kathy Bates is one of my favorite actresses, so the opportunity to see her singing and dancing was quite a pleasure. That being said, she is no Carol Burnett, who was divine in the original. My daughter thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and I enjoyed it as well, but it paled in comparison to the original.
bartlez
There are several aspects of this movie that I would like to comment on. Mostly I will compare this movie to the movie Annie from the 1980's. That acting, although it is better, fell short of my expectations. I loved how in the 1982 movie Annie was a spunky, unruly girl with matted hair and the most endearing smile I've seen in along time. I think that the actress was able to capture the true nature of Annie, who lived on the streets and in terrible conditions. As for the new movie, Annie is adorable, no doubt but she's rich adorable. Her shiny hair and perfect white teeth don't force us to look past it all and really love Annie for her personality. A second aspect I'd like to address is Mr Warbucks. In the newer movie he is kind of a push over, no offense but the actor who plays him is a sweet man, with hardly a bad bone in his body. But the first movie the man is arrogant, conceited and mean. His heart change is believable. As far as vocals go, I feel that the first movie is more endearing due to the slight lack in vocal talent. Annie, who's voice is decent for a girl her age, is adorable, and Mr Warbucks stumbling baritone is priceless! I don't think Annie (1999) even comes close to being as good as its predecessor. If you are going to introduce your kids to this great movie, do so the old fashioned way. Don't spoil them with a rich kid rose colored glasses view of poverty and love.
