Annie - C

Rated PG, 118 minutes
Wes's Grade: C

Peppy new version of "Annie" seems rushed but still charms

It's hard not to like "Annie." First came the comic strip "Little Orphan Annie" then the beloved 1977 Tony Award-winning musical, all of which has delighted many over the years, and the likable, contemporary new update of "Annie" does as well, though it's a mixed bag: while the music is the most memorable aspect of the movie, the story falters, leaving some things to work better than others. Annie Bennett (Quvenzhané Wallis of "Beasts of the Southern Wild") is a young, happy foster kid who's also tough enough to make her way on the streets of current day New York. Originally left by her parents as a baby, it's been a hard knock life ever since with her mean foster mom Miss Hannigan (Cameron Diaz). However things change when tough, smart tycoon and New York mayoral candidate Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx) - advised by his brilliant VP, Grace (Rose Byrne) and his shrewd and scheming campaign advisor, Guy (Bobby Cannavale) - as a campaign move, takes Annie in. Pleasant and energetic, this rushed new version of "Annie" isn't without some charms: chiefly, the lovely Wallis is engaging and holds the film together though its weaker, sillier moments. Directed and co-written by "Easy A's" Will Gluck and co-produced by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith along with Jay-Z, it's not a bad idea to give the original musical, originally set in 1933, a fresh coat of paint, though new doesn't always mean better. For one, the casting in particular is hit and miss: aside from Wallis, Jamie Foxx is serviceable in the Daddy Warbucks role and Cannavale is a hoot, though the film is hurt by the crucial miscasting of Cameron Diaz as Mrs. Hannigan (to this day, I still see the hilarious Carol Burnett in the role and Diaz is not Burnett) and the fact she, along with others in the cast, are middling singers and even worse at lip synching some of the numbers. And second, the unsatisfying storyline is much weaker than the memorable, peppy music. While Gluck's screenplay has some clever touches (such as Stack's baldness, the lovely Sandy and the nod to its creator, Harold Gray), it takes great pains at nearly every turn to ensure it has been updated for contemporary audiences (texting, social media, etc.); along the way, some characters and songs are excised from the stage version (and a few new ones added) though you can rest easy, the musical's most familiar songs - "Tomorrow" and "It's Hard Knock Life" - remain intact and playfully staged.  Some of the kitschy pop-culture references, star cameos and product placement show how far movies have come since the original version (the uneven 1982 film wasn't much better, for different reasons), though you'll still leave with a big smile on your face, thanks in part to the always delightful Wallis as Annie. A minor disappointment yet pleasant as pie, this contemporary version of "Annie" is a good idea and is suitable for kids, though it falters some in execution. Worth a look only for some of the music.