Review of Annie (2014) by Samaiyah M — 19 Aug 2015

"Now I get why North Korea hacked into Sony Pictures, Kim Jong Un was not only angry about "The Interview", he was probably pissed off that a dreadful remake of "Annie" was being made".

DVD Movie Review: Annie.

Date Viewed: March 20 2015.

Directed By Will Gluck (Easy A and Friends With Benefits).

Screenplay By Will Gluck and Aline Brosh McKenna, Based on the play by Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin and Thomas Meehan and "Little Orphan Annie" by Harold Gray.

Starring: Quvenzhane Wallis, Jamie Foxx, Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, David Zayas, Nicolette Pierini, Amanda Troya, Eden Duncan-Smith,.

Zoe Margaret Colletti and Cameron Diaz.

It's a hard-knock life for us movie critics, we have to sit through lifeless movies like the pointless remake of "Annie". Why did Hollywood remake "Annie"? because Hollywood can't think of a single original idea anymore. Young child star Quvenzhane Wallis is cute and charming but she isn't to blame for this atrocity. "Annie" first started off as a popular stage play and it was made into a feature film in 1982 by the great John Huston. This new "Annie" doesn't have Daddy Warbucks in it and has embarrassing, sometimes painful musical numbers. "Annie" is one of those remakes that should have never been made.

As we all know, "Annie" tells the story of a little orphan girl who was left by her parents when she was a baby. Her parents have said that they will be back for her someday but now she is raised by her mean foster mom, Colleen Hannigan (Cameron Diaz, leapin' lizards is she terrible in this). Soon, her life is about to be changed forever when millionaire tycoon and New York mayoral candidate Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx) saves her life from oncoming traffic. Will's shrewd and scheming campaign advisor, Guy Gamberling (Bobby Cannavale) thinks that Annie is a good-luck charm for him because he is tanking in the polls.

Annie's dream of escaping from Miss Hannigan has finally come true as she now lives in Stacks' lavish home. Annie's real mission is to find her real parents but I think she has already found one in Mr. Stacks who hated little children until she met her. We also get Rose Byrne as Stacks' personal assistant and she also becomes Annie's mother figure.

Soon, Gamberling and Miss Hannigan come up with a plan to find and set up fake parents for Annie and make Will heroic in the press.

Jamie Foxx, there is got to be someway to escape your bad movie streak, first you played a heroic Barack Obama in "White House Down", a dunderheaded Electro in "The Amazing Spider-Man 2", you made a phoned-in return as "MF Jones" in 'Horrible Bosses 2" and now you are playing an arrogant, unpopular mayoral candidate in the wretched remake of "Annie". Are you that desperate for money or are you in the same situation as Robert De Niro is.

I have said it before that Cameron Diaz has comedic chops and is capable doing good work but her awful turn as Miss Hannigan is like Freddy Kruger's nails on a chalkboard. Director and co-writer Will Gluck (Easy A and Friends With Benefits) might've gotten the right young actress to play "Annie" but the musical numbers are a nightmare. Foxx and Wallis actually do an entire musical number on a helicopter. How stupid is that! There were more entertaining songs in "From Justin to Kelly" compared to this pointless remake.

Now I get why North Korea hacked into Sony Pictures, Kim Jong Un was not only angry about "The Interview", he was probably pissed off that a dreadful remake of "Annie" was being made. I was really pleased that the film took home a Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel Razzie last month. If you're remaking a movie that was nominated for multiple Razzie awards thirty years ago, you're not in a good place.