Annie (2014)

Not for the lack of effort, but <em>'Annie'</em> isn't good. I've admittedly never seen the original musical, not that I think that's necessary anyway. I like the cast, while the songs are alright - if cringey. Everything else is either slow, predictable or straight up boring. It might've, perhaps, worked better as a flat out drama - though then they'd get hate for changing things, I guess. As noted, the onscreen talent stopped this from falling far down my ratings. Jamie Foxx and Rose Byrne are two actors I enjoy, I found them satisfactory in this - could've been better, could've been worse. Quvenzhané Wallis is more than decent in the lead, while David Zayas is solid. Cameron Diaz is, however, truly awful - and that's coming from someone who likes Diaz; she's very good in films like <em>'Shrek'</em>, <em>'Knight and Day'</em> and <em>'Bad Teacher'</em> but this is certainly the worst I've seen from her - it's a shame that she went out with this as well as the dreadful and overall inferior <em>'Sex Tape'</em>. Despite me rating (most of) the cast themselves, I don't think the casting itself is anything praisable. Foxx, Byrne and Diaz are not three actors I'd immediately think of if I was making a musical - a few of their songs are a tad ropey. Poor, all in all.