People who are not attached to the original material will find this version of Annie harmless fun at best. For me, however, this was just yet another missed opportunity. I've been fond of Annie, the Broadway musical, from the beginning. When the 1982 movie version came out, I found it a disappointment; the casting did not deliver, the story was clumsily handled, and some of the songs were changed but not for the better. This second big-screen effort was a major disappointment for me too. The only bright spot was that Quvenzhane Wallis was a slightly better fit for the title role than Aileen Quinn in 1982, despite her not having red curls and freckles. Her Annie, a foster child rather than an orphan, is more adorable than cute. The rest of the movie was an attempt to update the story at the expense of many of the musical's original songs, some of which may grow on you after a while. I do think two of the new songs should have been nominated for Oscars, namely The City's Yours and Who Am I? I actually prefer The City's Yours to the original's NYC which it replaced. However, the new storyline also took on a bit more than it could chew, and was not more engaging. The rest of the cast were okay, although some players came off as too earnest. The saddest thought is that this may mean the last attempt to make an Annie for the big screen, which will really be a big shame.
