Annie (2014)

The classic Little Orphan Annie many of us grew up with has undergone a makeover. She's no longer a redhead in tap shoes. She's a black foster kid from Harlem whose red curls have been replaced with an Afro-esque hairdo and whose tap shoes have given way to sneakers. She lives in the modern version of an orphanage--a multi-foster-child home in a rundown part of the city--with the ever-wicked Miss Hannigan. In this version, Annie meets the modern day Warbucks, cell phone magnate Will Stacks, when he pulls her out of traffic. Annie, Stacks' campaign manager, and his devoted secretary Grace all agree that if Annie stays with Stacks for awhile, his uncaring image will improve in the polls and net him the election. Stacks reluctantly agrees, not expecting to fall hard for Annie, her dog named Sandy (after the hurricane, it's explained) and even Grace. A lot of people decry this update, saying the classical musical didn't need yet another new version. This is understandable; the show has been done millions of times on Broadway and had two great film versions before this. However, the update does have its advantages. Annie's original situation is handled much more realistically. It's heavily implied her parents abandoned her, and Hannigan, while not abusive, does everything but stick her last toe over that line. The girls are not little Cinderellas, though they do clean the whole house in one scene/musical number. Instead they're just lonely kids whose only guardian is substandard. This takes away some of the romanticism that tends to pervade other versions, which is a plus. It also makes Hannigan a more well-developed character since it needs to be explained why and how she got to be what she is. For their part, Stacks and Grace are better-developed, too. Stacks does indulge in some of the stereotypical behavior of a rich guy who finally made it out of a rough neighborhood and now looks down on people of lower social classes. The way he changes, however, is handled without a lot of lovey-dovey stuff. In fact, viewers may be pleased to see the new sassy, smart Annie shooting straight and challenging him to man up. Grace does the same, and her efforts are rewarded. She also learns the value of friendship and love after confessing to Annie that she's always had a friendless background. There are minor caveats. Hannigan's behavior is the big noted one. A store owner tells Annie to get rid of his expired drinks in exchange for money--by changing the expiration dates. Mild swearing occurs. When Annie says Sandy needs to "go," Stacks asks if it's "champagne or gelato," among other comparisons. There are also some blatant lies and other inappropriate behavior from a campaign manager, which puts Annie in danger. Otherwise though, this update is pretty good.

My son enjoyed it and he's never been interested in musicals except a few nursery rhymes as an infant. He likes hero films/cartoons such as Big Hero 6 to Batman to the comedic Flinstones. I preferred it to 'Into the Woods' which had some disturbing scenes and adult based themes.