Annie (2014)

First off, I was never a fan of the original Annie, but I wanted to see what an ethnically diverse version of Annie had to offer.  I know that Will Smith wanted a female lead character that people of color could look up to, but this movie fails at everything that I don't think young blacks will be interested.  So in that regard, the movie fails with getting that message across.  

It's the same damn movie with some names changed and the songs "updated" with some modern "flavor".  

I know this movie was spearheaded by Will Smith and I know that he wanted Willow Smith in the lead role.  Willow turning down the role was probably the smartest thing she's done since cutting off her hair.  

The movie has a white redheaded girl named Annie that behaves and looks just like the original.  Her classmates hate her and Annie B takes the stage and shows some attitude, basically saying, "This is not your father's Annie".  Then the movie proceeds to follow all the sappy tropes the original fell into.  

Jamie Foxx looks bored and sometimes embarrassed.  I know that they cast him because he can sing and act, but he doesn't really seem to be into the production.  Hey, he's better here than in Stealth right?  

I do like that the Stacks character is a media powerful guy that comes from new money.  I think having him be a bit of a Trump/Gates/Jobs was one of the smarter updates.   

With poorly redone musical cues and a bad script, somehow this remake comes across as being sappy and corny with a bad script.  The movie wants to play tribute to the original while as touching on the Pitch Prefect and Glee crowds as well.  It fails both crowds and just comes across as another poorly conceived remake that no one wanted.  And, in this time I don't think Annie works as movie given our jaded view of the world.

Grade: D