Annie

Rating:
Summary: Terrible disappointment!
Review: Having seen the original Broadway stage production with Andrea MacArdle back in 1978,this movie version directed by John Huston is a MAJOR disappointment. The movie version should have been a wonderful expansion of the stage original, but this was not to be. Bordering on disaster, the movie ANNIE has little to recommend it. A former review posted here by Carolyn says it all. The movie replaced great songs from the stage original(NYC,etc) with horrible new ones (DUMB DOG, WE GOT ANNIE, LETS GO TO THE MOVIES,etc). There is nothing in this film that evokes the 1930s Great Depression era the movie takes place in (where is the HOOVERVILLE sequence). The movie in loaded with errors in regard to time and place. For example, if Warbucks' 5th Ave Mansion is as expansive as shown in the movie, it would have to located in Central Park; the movie Annie attends is CAMILLE which never played at Radio City Music Hall and premiered in 1937 (not 1933 when the movie takes place, in fact RC Music Hall opened in late 1932); in the stage version the chracters attend a performance at the ROXY Theatre which is as it should be; the New York in the movie ANNIE is a mixture of unconvincing Hollywood sets and poor location shots which have a 1970s look and feel(why so many modern buildings in the background). Annie as performed by Aileen Quinn is a pint size Ethel Merman who looks strong enough to take on an army, she exhibits little heart and comes across as a phony. Most of the other cast members are wasted or under perform thier roles. Which brings me to the awful finale as presented in the move; the stage version ends at Christmas while the movie becomes a summer circus; Miss Hannigan is carried off to jail in the original while in the movie she is seen drunkinly riding a circus elephant. What were producer Ray Stark and John Huston trying to do? It baffles me to this day. Watch the ABC Disney version of ANNIE it is not as good as the stage original but much better than this awful movie version.

Rating:
Summary: A quality family evening of entertainment.
Review: After watching the new Disney version of "Annie" I believe I prefer the original one. Being the mother of three daughters who are into music, we enjoyed it then. (They are 26,24, and 19 now so they were around Annie's age when it first came out.) They called each other to reminisce when the Disney version was being televised. They remembered each and every word of the songs but were upset that Dumb Dog was omitted. Ah, sweet memories of childhood. We need more movies that appeal to children, have a good moral message, and don't have so much special effects. Children can relate to these kinds of movies if we just let them.

Rating:
Summary: ICK! Utter trash! I gave it 1 star!
Review: What an AWFUL movie adaptation of such a fun, charming musical! The film is so syrupy, it oozes along at 2 mph. I loved the original musical & have the Broadway cast cd, I saw it on a 1979 National Tour, and in a 1987 DC-area production, I played Cecille the maid, a "lovely Boylan sister" and Frances Perkins in The White House. So I'm very familiar with the original musical.

First big mistake: John Huston as director. BAD CHOICE. A lot of good songs like "We'd Like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover," "Annie" & "NYC" were cut, and their replacements like "Sign," "Let's Go To The Movies" & "Dumb Dog" are much worse! This musical is supposed to be set in December 1933. It's The Depression folks. So why set it in a movie set that screams sunny, small-town California! The 5000 or so orphans that climb out of the woodwork of the orphanage: what were they - finalists in the Kiddie Olympics? Everybody is doing difficult flips & huge leaps & tumbling.

Albert Finney was miscast. He could not sing in the movie musical "Scrooge" and he cannot sing here. I suppose that's a big reason why the songs Daddy leads or solos like "NYC" or "Something Was Missing" were deleted. He looks & sounds VERY uncomfortable in the role. Carol Burnett does nothing with the Miss Hannigan role. How original to play her as constantly drunk & constantly vamping the men. Tim Curry is absolutely too creepy as Rooster. Just a few years after playing the bizarre cross-dresser Frank-N-Furter in "The Rocky Horror Show," that's all you can think of when you see him in this (he can do better, folks. I saw him do a wonderful job as the lead in the musical "Me & My Girl" on tour and he was NOT creepy there).

Bernadette Peters once again plays a ditzy vamp here, which is pretty much the only role she can play, and it gets old.

A previous comment mentioned that the orphan girls kept flashing their underwear. Add to that the maids in Warbucks' mansion flashing their slips, panties & garter belts in "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here" & "We Got Annie". Ann Reinking is a better dancer than singer, songs were transposed to a lower key to fit her husky alto, & the director gave a millionaire's secretary implausible & gratuitous dance numbers to give her something to do.

The movie has a goof somebody should have corrected: if it's 1933, why are they showing the 1937 film "Camille" at Radio City Music Hall? A great film choice for a 10-year old kid, too...

In the musical Annie is supposed to be 11, but is always cast older to convey the street-smart grit needed for the role. Aileen Quinn was 10 when cast, and no matter how well she tap-danced & sang for the audition, she was too young & naive in the role to give Annie any real scrappiness or depth. Her performance only adds to the cloying sweetness.

In sum: a waste, a movie & soundtrack to be avoided. Instead, PLEASE buy or rent the 1999 Disney television movie. It is MILES better, much more faithful to the musical, better cast & MUCH better directed! Or even better, see a local production of the original musical. See what you are missing...

Rating:
Summary: This movie is wonderful, I love it to pieces
Review: I don't know how people can say that this is a bad movie, I think it is just great. Annie sang just right, and she was the perfect part for the Annie orphan. I watched the new version that just came out and don't get me wrong, I liked it, but it just wasn't the same as the first Annie was, I liked the first Annie much better. This is my favorite movie, and will be for years to come.

Rating:
Summary: This movie is great just like always.
Review: It still has the characters we love like Annie, Tesie, Kate, Molly,Duffy and Pepper that get through the "Hard Knock"times at the orphanage. Carol Burnette is as funny as ever and is the number 1 Miss HAnagahn ive ever seen.

Rating:
Summary: Kids love it, and parents do too!
Review: This movie is a great musical that can portray the talents of little girls, Carol Burnett, and Annie.

Rating:
Summary: Could've been a contender.
Review: This movie had it made from the beginnings. A great Miss Hannigan to keep the audience laughing. A sensible Grace Farrel to put in a motherly touch. A bald Daddy Warbucks whose conservative oppinions and naive nature kept it real. Tim Curry and Burnadette Peters as the villains (who could ask for anything more?). The only thing wrong with this movie was the girl they got for Annie. What a cheesball! I think that this was a great movie. It had a great soundtrack and songs which would've been worth buying on their own if it weren't for that sharp, painfully flat voice of Annie's. Take out the old Annie and put in a new one that was not tone-deaf and voila!! You have a hit.

Rating:
Summary: Grown Man Loves the Movie Annie!!
Review: I am a tad shocked that others have thrashed this movie. Aileen Quinn played Annie wonderfully and Carol Burnett gave an outstanding performance. I first saw this movie when i was about six years old and to this day it remains one of my favorites. I have also seen Annie on Broadway (along with many other Broadway musicals) and feel i should remind others that musicals on stage are much different than musicals on the big screen. Everything considered, this movie will remain a classic for years to come. Long live Punjabs! (or however you spell it!)

Rating:
Summary: AVOID THIS AT ALL COSTS!
Review: He had a great score to work with. He had an enjoyable plot. He had a fabulous cast, including Albert Finney, Carol Burnett, Ann Reinking, and Bernadette Peters. Despite all this, John Huston's witless and boring version of this Broadway classic stands as one of the worst musicals ever made. The great score and plot are butchered to death, inferior songs and characters are added, and of all the young talent out there, how did the annoying Aileen Quinn ever get the role of Annie. I understand ABC is coming out with a television version of Annie in November. Let us hope that this new version will bring this gem the lasting respect it deserves, not the cut and paste, claustraphobic approach this movie takes.

Rating:
Summary: It's a great movie that uplifts your spirit.
Review: This movie brings the kid out in all of us