“Annie” reviews are in, and they’re more bad news for Sony Pictures Entertainment, which has been plagued by privacy, legal and publicity problems since a hacker group calling themselves Guardians of Peace paralyzed the studio nearly a month ago.
The family film, starring Quvenzhané Wallis as the eponymous little orphan and written, directed and produced by Will Gluck (“Easy A”), has garnered mostly negative reactions from critics counted on Rotten Tomatoes. So far, it stands at a 20 percent “rotten” rating, with only six positive reviews.
TheWrap‘s Inkoo Kang is one of the film’s more forgiving critics.
“No amount of self-referential jokes can make up for a lack of heart and spirit, and thankfully, “Annie” lacks neither,” Kang wrote in her review. “Wallis is only passable as an actress and a singer here — a fact the film seems to acknowledge by drowning out her vocal performances with thudding musical arrangements. Byrne is ever winsome in an undemanding role shaded by layers of loneliness.”
So what was everyone else’s problem with the “Annie” remake costarring Jamie Foxx, Rose Byrne, Cameron Diaz and Bobby Cannavale? Take a look at some of the harshest reviews to find out:
“It’s a good thing that little girls of many colors can find some version of themselves in the multiracial cast of this musical reboot. But Broadway purists determined to hate ‘Annie’ need not fear, because there’s plenty worth complaining about. The adult cast is agreeable at best. Any scene without Wallis and her gang of remarkably symmetrical, well-groomed orphans feels like a chore — ‘Let’s just get through this,’ the movie seems to be saying, ‘Then we’ll show you that cute little girl and her puppy again.'”
“Musically, ‘Annie’ is a disaster. The melodious original score by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin gets the full-on Autotune pap treatment, which takes to these songs about as well as a lute to death metal. You won’t ever hear a worse rendition of ”Easy Street’ than the one performed by Diaz and Cannivale — I promise. (The Sia-branded new songs feel much more at home.) One can only hope that Byrne, Diaz, and Cannavale had ”movie musical” on their bucket lists and will never tarnish their talents in such a way again. Aside from an unintentional homage to ‘Zoolander’ that is so tone-deaf it’ll make you guffaw, ‘Annie’ goes out of its way to make viewing it a hard-knock life … for us.”
“For all the talent involved, the overall effect is surprisingly flat. Foxx appears disconnected, Byrne is wasted and a painfully hammy Diaz seems to be in another movie altogether. The awkward choreography is also disappointing. But the strangest mistake is the music, which has been blandly retooled for a new generation. Surely a film produced by Jay Z and Will Smith could have offered better updates on songs like ‘It’s the Hard Knock Life.'”
“‘Annie’ was a chore to watch in 1982, and it’s not much better now. Both movies were based on the 1977 Broadway musical about an adorable orphan girl who melts the heart of a high-powered industrialist, although this new version uses fewer than half of the songs from the original production. The songs that remain get updated lyrics and overstuffed, percussion-heavy modern production that doesn’t do them any favors. It also doesn’t help that none of the main performers is a particularly good singer.”
“‘Annie’s’ flimsy plot soon loses all coherence, which given its storied history is frankly unforgivable once a romantic plot between Stacks and Rose Byrne’s Grace Farrell is shoehorned in, and the laughable conclusion is so contrived that literally zero tension or intrigue is created. ‘Annie’s’ most damning flaw, though, is the lack of energy, originality or panache in its musical numbers.”
“Think you’ve got a hard-knock life? Try sitting through the new ‘Annie.’ A rewritten, re-orchestrated but far from revitalized version of the old Broadway musical.”
“I don’t care about fidelity to the original, but I do care that the new ‘Annie’ mistakes dithering for choreography and cynicism for wised-up charm. Is this story really the place for lines such as: ‘People shouldn’t be scared of governments; they should be scared of cellphone companies’? Huh? Wha? The overall vibe of this folly is curdled and utterly blase; it’s a 118-minute foregone conclusion, finesse-free and perilously low on the simple performance pleasures we look for in any musical, of any period.”
“Bet your bottom dollar that girls of all ages have a special connection with the movie-musical about an orphaned girl and the man who makes her dreams come true. The 2014 remake of 1982’s ‘Annie,’ originally based on the classic Broadway musical, fails to honor that special connection. Co-producers Will Smith and Jay Z shook it up and turned it into a slick, out-of-tune miss that’s desperately aching to be hip.”
“The best that can be said of this new version is that Will Gluck and company have certainly made the story, and most of the songs, their own. But, aside from originality points, this new ‘Annie’ is a charmless and grossly materialistic bore, especially for now-adults of a certain age who still hold the ’82 version in high regard.”
Sony Hack Attack Timeline: From First Cyberbreach and Leaks to 'The Interview' Release (Photos)
As Sony CEO Michael Lynton announces his resignation, let's look back at one of the darkest periods of his tenure: the Sony hack.
News of a massive cyberbreach at Sony Pictures began leaking out in late November. Later reports indicated the studio had been warned weeks earlier.
NOV. 24: The hacker group identified as #GOP purportedly took over computers and hijacked Twitter accounts, sending out ominous messages to Sony staff. Read more.
NOV. 25: Sony Pictures employees greeted with an ominous image on their computer screens when they tried to log in for the work week. Read more.
NOV. 28: Sony struggles to fight #GOP hackers who claim stolen data includes stars’ IDs, budget and contract figures. Read more.
NOV. 30: Investigators know North Korea is unhappy with comedy "The Interview," which makes light of an attempt to assassinate its leader Kim Jong-un. Read more.
DEC. 1: Studio has made progress in restoring critical business systems, insider says at the time. Later reports dispute this. Read more.
DEC. 1: Hack analysis: How much will this ‘nightmare’ cost? Damage to Sony’s reputation will be key in determining the cybercrime’s toll. Read more.
DEC. 1: Blogger posts a spreadsheet of the top 17 executives earning $1 million or more. Read more.
DEC. 1: North Korea denies involvement. A government official previously teased “wait and see.” Read more.
DEC. 2: Sony bosses Michael Lynton and Amy Pascal address "malicious criminal acts" in a company-wide memo to staff. Read more.
DEC. 2: Media outlets obtain spreadsheets including social security numbers and detailed performance reviews for 3,000 Sony Pictures employees. Read more.
DEC. 2: When asked if North Korea was involved, a spokesman for the communist country’s government replied, “Wait and see.” Read now.
DEC. 3: Salaries of ‘The Interview’ stars Seth Rogen and James Franco revealed in Sony hacking leak. Read more.
DEC. 4: Hollywood studios ramp up security in wake of Sony hack. Read more.
DEC. 4: North Korea reportedly denies involvement in Sony hack attack. Read more.
DEC. 4: Sylvester Stallone, Judd Apatow are among 47,000 employees compromised in latest leak. Read more.
DEC. 6: Sony Hack Attack "unparalleled," says head of cybersecurity firm. Read more.
DEC. 7: Sony hackers reportedly worked from Thailand and may have North Korean ties. Internet leaks of confidential data traced to a five-star Bangkok hotel. Read more.
DEC. 8: Sony hackers demand ‘The Interview’ pulled: "Stop immediately showing the movie of terrorism." Read more.
DEC. 8: FBI plan to hold employee cybersecurity awareness briefings on the Sony studio lot. Read more.
DEC. 8: Hackers sent top Sony execs a threatening email days before the attack. Read more.
DEC. 8: Hack exposes celebrity aliases for Tom Hanks, Jude Law, Natalie Portman and more in latest leak. Read more.
DEC. 8: Hackers leak sensitive email of Sony execs Amy Pascal and Steven Mosko. Read more.
DEC. 9: Hackers reveal animated ‘Spider-Man’ comedy in the works. Read more.
DEC. 9: Heated emails between Sony Chief Amy Pascal and Scott Rudin leaked. Read more.
DEC. 10: FBI says attack so sophisticated that it would have gotten past "90 percent" of security firms. Read more.
DEC. 11: Sony hack attack theory suggests North Korea was involved but had insider help. Read more.
DEC. 11: Amy Pascal and Scott Rudin apologize for racially insensitive remarks about President Obama. Read more.
DEC. 11: Kevin Hart responds to leaked Sony emails calling him a ‘whore.’ Read more.
DEC. 11: Hackers flash disturbing new warning on staffers’ computers. Read more.
DEC. 11: Amy Pascal talks to Sharon Waxman about whether she's so damaged she can no longer lead Sony (exclusive). Read more.
DEC. 11: Sony had evidence of server breach as early as February. Read more.
DEC. 12: Sony orders its name removed from "The Interview" marketing materials. Read more.
DEC. 12: Sony arm Crackle pulls hacker movie "The Throwaways." Read more.
DEC. 14: Sony demands media stop publishing stolen data. Read more.
DEC. 14: Producers reveal hackers stole James Bond "Spectre" script. Read more.
DEC. 15: Lawyer's letter confirms "The Interview" was the cause of hack attack. Read more.
DEC. 16: Sony hackers threaten 9/11-style attack on theaters that show "The Interview." Read more.
DEC. 16: James Franco and Seth Rogen withdraw from press interviews for "The Interview." Read more.
DEC. 16: Sony tells theaters they can pull "The Interview." Read more.
DEC. 16: Carmike theater chain drops "The Interview" after hacker terror threat. Read more.
DEC. 16: ArcLight Cinemas drops "The Interview" amid hacker threats. Read more.
DEC. 16: Sony CEO Michael Lynton's emails leaked. Read more.
DEC. 16: Former Sony employees file class-action suit against studio. Read more.
DEC. 16: Landmark Theaters cancels "Interview" New York premiere. Read more.
DEC. 17: Bow Tie Cinemas drops "The Interview." Read more.
DEC. 17: Judd Apatow says, "I am going to 'The Interview.'" Read more.
DEC. 17: Rosie O'Donnell says she will not see "The Interview." Read more.
DEC. 17: Five major theater chains pull "The Interview." Read more.
DEC. 17: Sony Pictures cancels release of "The Interview." Read more.
DEC. 17: Hollywood outraged at decision to pull "The Interview." Read more.
DEC. 17: Per CNN, US Government to announce North Korea was behind Sony hack. Read more.
DEC. 17: What are U.S. options if North Korea is confirmed as cyberterrorist? Read more.
DEC. 17: Steve Carell’s North Korea movie "Pyongyang" canceled in wake of Sony hack. Read more.
DEC. 17: Rob Lowe, Judd Apatow, Michael Moore and others express their outrage on social media. Read more.
DEC. 18: Paramount thwarts plans by theaters to replace ‘The Interview’ with "Team America: World Police" Read more.
DEC. 18: Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Rep. Peter King and Colin Powell weigh in on the cancelation of "The Interview. Read more.
DEC. 19: FBI officially implicates North Korea in Sony hack Attack. Read more.
DEC. 19: New Sony leak reveals 50 scripts from Michael Lynton’s inbox. Read more.
DEC. 20: North Korea denies involvement in hack attack, warns U.S and offers to join joint probe. Read more.
DEC. 20: Sony deletes "The Interview’s" social media profiles in wake of hack, movie’s cancellation. Read more.
DEC. 20: Mike Myers returns to Saturday Night Live, reprising his Dr. Evil role from “Austin Powers” to deliver some advice regarding the hack. See more.
DEC. 20: RNC chair Reince Priebus sends a letter urging the CEOs of 10 major theater chains to screen “The Interview.” Read more.
DEC. 21: President Obama insists on CNN that the Sony hack is "cyber vandalism," not "act of war." Watch more.
Dec. 21: Sony attorney says "The Interview" will be distributed despite hackers’ threats. Watch more.
DEC. 22: Security experts register doubts about North Korean involvement in hack. Read more.
DEC. 22: Sony threatens Twitter with lawsuit if additional "stolen information" appears on the service. Read more.
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As Sony CEO Michael Lynton prepares to exit, here’s TheWrap’s blow-by-blow of 2014’s devastating cyberattack on the studio
As Sony CEO Michael Lynton announces his resignation, let's look back at one of the darkest periods of his tenure: the Sony hack.