My Little ANNIE (2014) Review- Page 3

[Bwaydide92]

Posted: 12/1/14 at 6:24pm

This movie was even worse then Hairspray. I don't think they used a single real instrument in the entire film. All the music sounded like it was programmed into a computer and played back that way. And the singing wasn't much better. It as if they used that smart house recorded in that clip and just generated all of the singing for everyone.

I didn't go into this movie with any real expectations, but even those low expectations were not met. The direction in this movie was just terrible. It was like obvious plot device followed by obvious plot device for two hours. And I didn't really like anyone's performances. And I don't blame the actors. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't get any direction for the entire filming process. Everyone seemed fake and rehearsed. Such a waste of talent. I doubt anyone else being cast in any of the roles would have improved anything.

My biggest problem with this movie, besides that it was absolutely terrible, was the fact that they kept making those stupid "why are you singing" jokes that new movie musicals keep making. If you're going to make a movie musical, then don't make fun of movie musicals. IT'S OLD. Right in the beginning Miss Hannigan yells at the orphans for singing. Later Miss Hannigan says she's "not singing" she's "half-singing". And later on one character acknowledges another character's song. WHY??? In the world of a musical, the songs aren't actually songs. They are substitutes for dialogue, exposition, monologue, etc. It's a musical way to tell the story. The only time it's okay to acknowledge that a character is singing in a musical, is if they are performing within the story, i.e.: Link in Hairspray. It's like a huge middle finger to musical fans. "We know we made a musical, but we think musicals are actually stupid, so we're going to throw in a bunch of jokes about musicals." STOP. JUST STOP.

Can we please start getting some musical theatre director directing movie musicals. People who understand the material and can make it visually come to life!

Anyway, I would give Annie 3 stars out of 10.

2 of those stars are for Sandy. Because dogs are awesome.


P.S. They totally threw in a Hurricane Sandy joke.

Updated On: 12/1/14 at 06:24 PM

[Bwaydide92]

Posted: 12/1/14 at 6:27pm

Updated On: 12/1/14 at 06:27 PM

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 12/1/14 at 6:44pm

I'm very dismayed to hear they're making self-referential jokes about the songs. Those almost never work (except in ENCHANTED where they worked very nicely).

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 12/1/14 at 9:26pm

Oof. That's rough. Despite the woeful miscasting of Cameron Diaz I was really hoping this would do well. I bought the soundtrack and reviewed it and I actually like most of what's there- then again I am a huge fan of Sia Furler so perhaps my ears were biased.

Add me to the Rose Byrne applauders. I think she's perfect for Grace but was sadly underused, musically. I'll probably still watch the movie for fun!

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 12/1/14 at 11:44pm

For the person who said that screeners were not sent out for this film, you are incredibly wrong but nice try!

[Musical Master]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 12:22am

You know... After watching the "what did I just watch" of "Little Girls", I think it's my duty to give "Cinema Italiano" an apology. At least Kate Hudson could carry a note.

[ArtMan]

Posted: 12/2/14 at 11:04pm

I got tickets tonight, for an advanced free screening for next Saturday, through Sony. I hope it isn't that bad. But, it's free!

[Shannon Bo Dannon]

Posted: 12/3/14 at 12:45am

This movie was even worse then Hairspray

I stopped reading your review right there.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 12/3/14 at 2:03am

For what it's worth, I too hated the film version of the musical Hairspray.

Anyhoo!

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the very first scene.

It features the girls in class giving an oral essay about their favorite president. The first girl we see is has curly red hair and dressed like Aileen Quinn's Annie, with the drab floral print dress and open cardigan, and is giving a report on William Henry Harrison in such an affected, cutesy manner, while the underscore is a "Hard Knock Life."

I wonder if that was making fun of white Annie, especially since they give her one of the most useless presidents as her favorite. Harrison died of pneumonia just one month after taking office, so didn't accomplish much. And his vice president who succeeded him, John Tyler, is considered one of the worst.

Of course, black Annie's fave president is FDR and she talks about the New Deal. I'm surprised they didn't give her Obama to update it.

[binau]

Posted: 12/3/14 at 4:34am

It definitely was a send-up of the original Annie production/style, given that the first girl's name is also Annie too. It represents everything that I hope this Annie film gets rid of.

[MiracleElixir]

Posted: 12/3/14 at 10:30am

"For the person who said that screeners were not sent out for this film, you are incredibly wrong but nice try!"

Care to back up this statement? Feel free to post a photo of the screener you received. But the internet is only flooded with this screener/torrent because of the Sony hack/leak. Every awards season film is not showing up on torrent sites yet (as often happens in December/January), it's really just the Sony films right now. ANNIE (or as I call it, ANNIE OF THE SOUTHERN WILD), and three others.



"Can we please start getting some musical theatre director directing movie musicals. People who understand the material and can make it visually come to life!"

Uh, did you see THE PRODUCERS?

[MiracleElixir]

Posted: 12/3/14 at 10:33am

"You know... After watching the "what did I just watch" of "Little Girls", I think it's my duty to give "Cinema Italiano" an apology. At least Kate Hudson could carry a note."

You know, as much as I despise this movie, "Little Girls" was the only song I thought the new irritating approach to the material actually worked for. I have no issue with it being turned into a fun, catchy song.

[Owen22]

Posted: 12/3/14 at 10:51am

"Of course, black Annie's fave president is FDR and she talks about the New Deal. I'm surprised they didn't give her Obama to update it."

Ew.

[smallvillefan16]

Posted: 12/3/14 at 1:53pm

The Annie at the beginning is taylor Richardson. She's wearing the same costume/wig she wore in the 2013 Annie production.

I actually didn't see the point of even having another 'Annie' in the opening scene.

Hard Knock Life was fun to watch. I like the Maybe they use on the soundtrack much more than the one in the movie.

While Cameron Diaz is a mess, I couldn't help but laugh out loud several times during her scenes.

I'm only about twenty minutes in - so I can't comment too much.

However, I do want to say that I can't believe think Rose Byrne can carry a note. Aside from Cameron, she is the most auto-tuned in the entire movie. Thank gosh her acting makes up for it.

[tenorphil81]

Posted: 12/3/14 at 3:22pm

I may only see this film in order to hate-watch it.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 12/3/14 at 3:26pm

Thanks for letting us all know.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 12/3/14 at 3:38pm

So, basically, those of you who've seen this film in your... home theatres have done so because of a North Korean cyber attack on Sony?

[StageManager2]

Posted: 12/3/14 at 3:46pm

Basically.

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 12/3/14 at 3:55pm

I listened to "Who Am I?" on the soundtrack and they had me (in a negative way) at the first lyric. Unless the film presents something totally different, it sounds as though that song only exists to "humanize" Miss Hannigan, and that drives me bananas...she's a comic villain, not an anti-hero.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 12/3/14 at 4:08pm

The in thing now is to humanize former villains, e.g. Maleficent, Michel Meyers.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 12/4/14 at 3:21pm

Eat your heart out, Dorothy Loudon!

[jv92]

Posted: 12/4/14 at 3:39pm

They changed the goddamn tune! This isn't ANNIE. This is blasphemy!

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 12/4/14 at 5:17pm

The staging of that number is baffling.

[Melissa25]

Posted: 12/4/14 at 5:32pm

Really. Why isn't she drunk?

[evic]

Posted: 12/4/14 at 5:35pm

The audience will no doubt be singing along with her to the lyrics GET ME OUT OF HERE. They have taken a completely charming score and destroyed it. Well- it is the New Annie for A NEW Generation that has no taste.