Annie

Rating:
Summary: It's a horrible film for us, it's a horrible film for us....
Review: Having seen the 1982 big screen adaptation of Annie, I was somewhat currious to see how Disney would update it for the 1999 version. Disney actually went out of their way to mess up this classic because the story is very self-explanatory.

Annie (who is supposed to have curly red hair) is an orphan. Living in the home run by the tyranical Miss Hannigan, she dreams of being reunited with her parents who have left a note to someday return for their little girl.

Carol Burnett is a hard act to follow, but Kathy Bates (Miss Hannigan) is just way too wimpy and way too sober to be a big screen villan. Instead of being creepy, Bates was just annoying and looked like she also realized that this screenplay could have used better direction.

Grace Farrell, Oliver Warbucks personal secretary, was cast as an African American in this film. Disney's attempt at multiculturalism forgets that an anti-New Dealer conservative Republican such as Warbucks also would have absorbed the racial stereotypes of his day. Furthermore, that same play/movie character would not have declared his love for a black woman.

One notable highlight is the original 'Annie' (from the 1977 stage production) Andrea McArdle belts out 'NYC'. Unfortunately this impressive vocal command is not enough to save a screen play which is hindered by the repeated confusion of style with substance.

Rating:
Summary: A New Generation of Musical Movies
Review: I must say that I really enjoy this version of Annie. I have always loved and enjoyed the origional movie made in 1982 and it was that which caused Annie to be my first and favorite musical growing up. The Broadway play that it was based off of however, must recieve its credit. It is a far more believable story, and the music is truly wonderful. This remake of the movie was far more true to the origional than the first. The first was an attempt to please audiences with special effects (somewhat newer at the time) and with the "all star" classic actors cast. This new version, however, was cast almost entirely from stage stars and not movie stars. It held far more true to the story, and retained much of the cherishable traditions of Annie. I'm glad certain things were taken out, they were somewhat dated and are better off not in. Other things I did miss. All in all, however, I think that this is the best thing I have seen in a long time. The real Annie from the musical was not supposed to have curly red hair for the entire show, only at the point in which the staff was told to "gussy her up" for a Christmas celebration/adoption. Red curly hair was not the fashion at the time and it would be rediculous to think that a young girl from an orphanage would have a hair style out of her time. And just for the record, for those who don't know it, Punchab was NEVER a character in the origional musical and to fault this movie for excluding his caracter is really silly.

Rating:
Summary: Even Daddy Warbucks wouldn't waste his money!
Review: When I watched this when it was a first run tv movie, I remember thinking how pathetic an attempt it really was, and I just could not understand why an effort was made to do this, when the original movie with PERFECT casting still runs on tv and is now available on DVD. What a waste of money spent by the Disney and televison station who ran it. Too bad Disney had to make such a obviously rushed project, with no regard for facts, detail, or making sure the integrity of the story and show is protected. Now, to see they actually felt it was deemed for release on video and DVD. I nearly threw up when I saw it for the first time in the store. It's not like the last time a movie was made about "Annie" it was in black and white and it needed updating for the purposes of the red hair and red dress, and to be able to show the mansion, and other beautiful set designs that are shown in the 1981 original staring Aileen Quinn, Carol Burnette, Tim Curry, Burnadette Peters, ALburt Finney, and Ann Reinking.

Kathy Bates can't compete with the perfect portrayal of "Miss Hannigan" by Carol Burnette (who combined mean and funny) and Tim Currey as her insane villan of a brother "rooster" and his dumbbell and equally insane villan girlfriend played by Burnadette Peters, who would kill Annie to get to the reward money, if they had to.

Who decided to take away the trade mark Annie hair and make her have STRAIGHT BROWN (DIDN'T LOOK RED TO ME) hair! What a dumbbell move! What...could they not find a curly red wig in props or had one made? Don't tell me Disney couldn't afford to make sure that MAJOR detail is pulled off. They show it a little curly on the cover, and maybe it looks slightly that way at the end of teh movie, but ANNIE HAD TIGHT CURLS THE ENTIRE SHOW / MOVIE. She did not have straight hair that was curled/permed and dyed a REAL RED once taken in by Daddy Warbucks, played WONDERFULLY by ALbert Finney, and his secretary, played by Ann Reinking! What a major detail flaw! Annie has ALWAYS been a curly redhead, and Aileen Quinn played her perfectly in 1981! And Punjab was perfect! I even loved Sandy in the original!

Kathy Bates may have been scarey in "Misery", but she just can't pull off the scarey but histerically funny performance of Carol Burnette, who was made for the role! The orphans were afraid of the mean, drunk Miss Hannigan, and Kathy Bates was so bad at playing "mean" that all we could do was cringe at the terrible performance. We just couldn't see why the orphans would have been afraid of her, and that they couldn't escape her! PLEASE! If I were one of the orphans, I would have laughed in her face when she tried to be mean. The kids were tougher than her!

The only thing good about this adaptation (and the only reason it gets a star -- although I feel it deserves a 1/2 star, but that wasn't an option) is the singing and dancing. The rest, is a travesty to the legacy of this wonderful play and (original) movie from 1981.

FORGET THIS VERSION...BUY THE SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF ANNIE (1981) that was released this year...2004! It is worth your money. This "remake" is a waste of it! Why would you want a Annie who doesn't even look like "Annie"?

Rating:
Summary: very disappointing
Review: I have not seen the broadway show, but I've seen both movies. I was VERY disappointed with this version. It is much too candy coated. Alan Cummings is the only saving grace in this version. Kathy Bates was HORRIBLE as Miss Hannigan. Carol Burnett and Albert Finney win hands down! Bernadette Peters and Tim Curry are great villains, and I love Punjab! Aileen Quinn is a much better Annie. Don't waste your money on this one!!!

Rating:
Summary: Faithful to the Play
Review: I saw the play "Annie" several times and loved it each time. This movie is a wonderful version of the play. It's much more faithful to the play than the original movie with Carol Burnette. The cast, Alicia Morton, Victor Garber,Kathy Bates, Audra McDonald, Alan Cumming and Kristin Chenoweth, were all wonderful and perfect for the roles they played. Andrea McArdle(the original Annie) sparkled in a cameo. Fans of the original play might be disappointed that almost all political references have been eliminated (F.D.R. was basically a cameo role), but it really didn't affect the movie all that much. I'm especially happy that they left the movie set at Christmas time, the original movie for some reason was set in the summer. The fact that it is Christmas adds to the magic of the movie.

After watching this, I went around singing the songs for about a week after! This is a good, fun, film for the whole family to watch.


Rating:
Summary: I Enjoyed Watching the Disney Version!
Review: When I was a teenager I saw the stage musical but I also went to the movie theater and saw the movie that starred Albert Finney, Carol Burnette, Aileen Quinn, Bernadette Peters and Tim Curry and I thought it was a good movie with a great cast so I bought that movie on DVD but when I heard about the newer Disney adaptation I decided I wanted to see that one too so I bught the DVD and I personally think that the cast of Victor Garber, Alicia Morton, Alan Cumming, Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth and Kathy Bates was great too and I highly recommend this version of Annie! My only complaint and this is with both versions of Annie is that they didn't use all of the songs from the original Broadway stage musical.