New Annie Movie: MN Exclusive Screening - Check out the MN reviews! NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

This is the thread for the lucky MNers who attended an Exclusive MN Preview Screening of the new Annie movie – at Cinemas December 20!

Read all about it here: //www.anniemovie.co.uk/

Annie Movie Synopsis
Academy Award® nominee Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild) stars as Annie, a young, happy foster kid who’s also tough enough to make her way on the streets of New York in 2014. Originally left by her parents as a baby with the promise that they’d be back for her someday, it’s been a hard knock life ever since with her mean foster mom Miss Hannigan (Cameron Diaz). But everything’s about to change when the hard-nosed 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) – makes a thinly-veiled campaign move and takes her in. Stacks believes he’s her guardian angel, but Annie’s self-assured nature and bright, sun-will-come-out-tomorrow outlook on life just might mean it’s the other way around.

Check out the trailer here:

The film features Jamie Foxx as Will Stacks, Quvenzhané Wallis as Annie, Rose Byrne as Grace, Bobby Cannavale as Guy, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Nash, David Zayas as Lou and Cameron Diaz as Miss Hannigan

So, if you attended a screening, please share on this thread...

1. Who you attended the screening with - including ages of DC
   
2. Your overall summary of the film
   
3. What was your DC's favourite part of the film? Who is their favourite character and why?
   
4. Out of 5, how many stars would you give the film? How many would your DC give it? (5 is highest and 1 is lowest)
   
5. What was your overall experience of the screening?
   
6. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Annie to friends and family? Why?
   

As an extra thank you, everyone who adds their feedback will be entered into a prize draw where 5 lucky winners will win a Sony WX350 Camera worth £239 and an Annie Goody Bag!

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

[JosephWasAChippyMinton]

Excited, looking forward to tomorrow. Hopefully the movie will be worth getting up early for

[AnnMumsnet]

Itsgoingtoreindeer - these screenings are not overbooked.

[heymammy]

Right, we're here, we're in our seats! I have three 8yr olds with me who haven't stopped talking since we left the house.
Popcorn and water provided as promised, thanks!

[Nerf]

We came with dd 16, ds 9 and ds 7. We met my friend and her two boys after planning to meet up so all sat together.
Favourite bits - mine was Jamie Foxx, older ds liked the bit when grace punched the baddie and pepper said 'and it wasn't because she likes you'. Little ds liked the singing. I'm afraid dd hated it, apart from the cameos and the odd funny line.
I think it may be one you would catch on TV rather than deliberately watching. There wasn't really a set piece that made me want to see it again.
I'd probably give it three stars because of the funny parts.

[mummyofmany8]

I have just attended the screening with my 10 year old daughter.We both thought the film was brilliant ,very well done using some of the original songs and some new ones too,bringing the story up to date and still bought tears to my eyes.
My daughters favourite part was when they was cleaning the house for the Inspectors Visit the singing and dancing ,her favourite Character was Annie because she could relate to her as she was also in care ,but she never had a Miss Hannigan (and I hope that there is really no Foster Carers like this these days I certainly know I am not like her)also she said she thought she looks a bit like her .We both give it 5 stars.
The experience of the screening was good ,nice seats ,not too hot ,no adverts or trailers .But popcorn and water provided ,could not ask for any more.
We both would recommend to Family & friends because it is a lovely family film to watch and sing along with.
Thank -you

[NoBloodyMore]

I went with a friend and DDs aged 7,5 and 5.

One DC favourite bit was when Annie got Sandy, another was the end when Will Stax rescued Annie.

We enjoyed it, would give it 4/5 and would recommend. We're all massive Annie fans and it was great that it wasn't too similar to the original but had enough in to make it familiar

[CMOTDibbler]

DS(8) and I attended the screening this morning in Birmingham and had a fab time.

1. Who you attended the screening with - including ages of DC
   

Me(42) and my son (8)

1. Your overall summary of the film
   

We loved it - I thought it was an excellent reboot, taking out the saccharine of the original, and this Annie was very likeable.

1. What was your DC's favourite part of the film? Who is their favourite character and why?
   

Ds says 'the hardknock life song bit. I liked Pepper because she was grumpy, but she really wanted to sing and be happy'

1. Out of 5, how many stars would you give the film? How many would your DC give it? (5 is highest and 1 is lowest)
   

Ds would give it a 4, I'd give it a 5 as I'd be very happy to watch it again.

1. What was your overall experience of the screening?
   

Very good - it was great not to have to watch trailers and adverts first, and ds was delighted with the popcorn and water

1. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Annie to friends and family? Why?
   

Yes, it was a great family film for everyone to enjoy. Though since it ended I have had ds singing Annie songs over and over so that might be a downside!

[lynnheath50716]

I attended this screening with my three children, Oldest 7, then 6 and an 18 month old, we also dragged dad along to make it a family trip!
I thought this film was great, a modern touch on an old classic, I'm sure the kids will be singing the songs all afternoon! I though that it was pitched perfectly the kids really enjoyed it and there were enough laughs in there to keep the adults entertained!

Both of the kids said that Annie was their favourite character, I think they liked her as they really got into her character and sat enthralled throughout. I quite like Will Stacks, well Jamie Foxx is easy on the eye!!!

My oldest's favourite part of the movie was the happy ending, she was very pleased that Annie got to go back with Will and that he Grace got their happy ever after too! My 6 year old (Boy) loved the bit when Will Spat Mashed potato everywhere and when Annie and Will flew over New York in the helicopter.

We all agreed that we would give this film 5 stars, it was a nice sweet movie that we all enjoyed, just perfect for a lazy Sunday!

I thought the screening was really good, We arrived and were met promptly by a very nice young lady who told us exactly where we had to go, The popcorn and water was in the seats as promised which made it even more special for the kids (and I am sorry that my son 'helped' clear the empty chairs on the way out, by sneaking a few extra bags of popcorn out with him!!!!)

I thoroughly enjoyed taking the kids to watch this movie today and I would recommend it to friends and family who have age appropriate children to take them and watch it.

[heymammy]

I took my dd and two of her pals, all aged 8. They LOVED it.

Really watchable film even for the adults! Loved the revamped score...a mix of old songs and some new ones too. Cameron Diaz was hilarious as miss Hannigan, she plays drunk very well! The children were laughing their heads off quite a lot particularly the bit where the government worker lady smashes some vases in the posh apartment. The girls were singing along with the songs they knew (and so was I).

Favourite characters ranged from Annie to the dog Sandy. I personally thought the social services lady was the funniest. The girls liked the scenes where the characters were talking about punching people in the face to show they liked them!

All in all very entertaining, a brave move that paid off! I didn't know until the credits rolled that it was produced by will & jada smith, JayZ was involved as well. Hence the good soundtrack.

[heymammy]

I would rate it 4/5 and have already been recommending it he the parents of dd's friends. In fact I'm going to take my 11 yr old when it comes out next week.

The screening was busy but pleasant, popcorn and water was gratefully received

[topsmart]

My daughter (aged 7) and I are fans of the original Annie and we attended the preview screening of the new Annie in Manchester this morning. We absolutely loved it. My daughter says she would give the new Annie movie 5 out of 5 stars! We loved Annie and Mr Stacks (the new daddy warbucks) and Grace too. My daughter says she liked it especially because "it was more about nowadays". I loved that it had all the classic old songs - but the new additions were great too. The movie exceeded expectations as I'd worried about the lack of songs in the trailer! Better character progression for the daddy warbucks character than in the original (and better singing too!) and more believeable romance between him and grace. And the chase is less scary but still exciting. Would definitely recommend to family and friends.

[redoctober]

1. Who you attended the screening with - including ages of DC
   

I attended the screening with my sister-in-law, my DD (6), my niece (4) and nephew (6).

1. Your overall summary of the film
   

I really liked the modern take on the classic Annie. The songs had me tapping my feet along. I laughed out loud at the jokes and had tears in my eyes at the sad moments.

1. What was your DC's favourite part of the film? Who is their favourite character and why?
   

My DD's favourite part was when Annie chose Sandy. Her favourite character was Annie because she was a good singer.

1. Out of 5, how many stars would you give the film? How many would your DC give it? (5 is highest and 1 is lowest)
   

I would give the film 4 out of 5, I felt it was a bit long. My daughter would give it 5 out of 5.

1. What was your overall experience of the screening?
   

We were well looked after at the screening. Comfortable seats, popcorn and water.

1. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Annie to friends and family? Why?
   

I would recommend the film to friends and family who I thought would like to see Annie. It was an entertaining reboot of a classic tale.

[ellaballoo]

I attended the screening with dh, dd15 and Ds11.We all really enjoyed the film .It was totally up my street ,although dh and dd found the spontaneous bursting into song a bit cheesy but what were they expecting!
The children's favourite character was Will Stacks, I liked everyone,lots of entertaining performances . Ds really liked the chase scene and breathtaking New York scenery that brought back happy holiday memories . Dd liked the classic Annie songs ' Hard knock life ' and 'Tomorrow '.
The screening experience was fab , we appreciated the comfy seats and refreshments.
We all give it 4.5 out of 5 and would wholeheartedly recommend it for a family treat over the festive period . It was well worth dragging myself from my sickbed even if it did make me cry !

[Lagoonablue]

Went with 8 yr old daughter. She loved it. She liked Annie character the best. Saw it in Manchester. Thanks for the popcorn and water by the way.

Lived the scenery, makes NY look fantastic.

Would give it 5.

Thanks.

[CalifornianMum]

1. Who you attended the screening with - including ages of DC
   

My daughter (6 1/2) and her friend (7 yrs old)

1. Your overall summary of the film
   

Great modern version of Annie. Loved the new take on the old songs and even the new songs were good.

1. What was your DC's favourite part of the film? Who is their favourite character and why?
   

Her favourite part was when they cleaned Miss Hannigan's flat. My daughter loved Annie and thought she was really brave.

1. Out of 5, how many stars would you give the film? How many would your DC give it? (5 is highest and 1 is lowest)
   

I give it 3 stars, my daughter gives it 5.

1. What was your overall experience of the screening?
   

Everything went smoothly. We had good seats and enjoyed the water and popcorn. We had planned to take a photo by the Annie board afterwards but it was gone.

1. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Annie to friends and family? Why?
   

Yes. It is a fun family movie. Great singing, no scary bits.

[smokedgarlic]

1. Attended this morning with my husband and my 6 year old Dd.
   
   
2. Film was excellent . Really good update of a classic family film . It must have been my pregnant hormones but parts of it made me well up with tears . Annie herself is absolutely lovely a wonderful heroine.
   
   3)Dd favorite part of the film was when she gets the dog. He favorite character was Annie but she gave Sandy the dog an honorable mention
   
   
3. Dh and I give the film a 4/5 and Dd gives it 5/5
   
   
4. Overall the experience of the screening was great . It was well organised the popcorn and water was very welcome and I saw no sign of the controvertial night vision googles ( disappointingly!)
   
   
5. I would recommend the film wholeheartedly to anyone with kids especially with those over 5 . My toddler would have enjoyed the songs though . We want to buy it on DVD now I can imagine it becoming a favorite in our house.

[eteo]

1. Who you attended the screening with - including ages of DC
   

Husband, two children aged 5 and 7

1. Your overall summary of the film
   

It was great. The songs are lovely.

1. What was your DC's favourite part of the film? Who is their favourite character and why?
   

When she get sandy! Sandy because he is cute

1. Out of 5, how many stars would you give the film? How many would your DC give it? (5 is highest and 1 is lowest)
   

4

1. What was your overall experience of the screening?
   

Lovely music and everyone involved was great. The action and sings work very well.

1. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Annie to friends and family? Why?
   

Yes, it is quite a fun and enjoyable movie.

[eteo]

We had fun!

[acsec]

Attended at Wimbledon, me, DH and DSS 10.

We all really enjoyed it (especially DH!). It was fun and the songs were brought up to date really well. Both myself and DH had a tear in our eyes at some points. Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz are excellent and the girl who played Annie was really likeable and a fab little actor. DSS' favourite part was when the girls cleaned the house using the younger girl as a broom. He liked Annie, and said he was glad Will Stacks turned nice at the end.

We all give it 5 stars and I've already recommended it to a friend.

The cinema was where we usually go, we like it and the popcorn and water were a tasty breakfast treat.

Thank you for the opportunity!

[JosephWasAChippyMinton]

1. Who you attended the screening with - including ages of DC

I was there with my DM and BIL, and DS (12), DD (10) and DNiece (9)

1. Your overall summary of the film

Entertaining, a great refresh of the original.

1. What was your DC's favourite part of the film? Who is their favourite character and why?

It's a Hard Knock Life dancing with the mops routine, and Mr Stack's apartment - wow! Favourite character was Annie - the actress is a star in the making - she reminded me of Whoopi Goldberg.

1. Out of 5, how many stars would you give the film? How many would your DC give it? (5 is highest and 1 is lowest)

We all gave it 4/5.

1. What was your overall experience of the screening?

Comfortable, and we enjoyed the popcorn, thank you!

1. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Annie to friends and family? Why?

Yes, I would recommend it as a family film with something for everyone.

[tallulah]

1. Who you attended the screening with - including ages of DC
   

My mum and DD aged 7

1. Your overall summary of the film
   

Very clever adaptation of the original. The young actress who played Annie was superb and utterly believable. The continuity was dodgy; Annie's hair lengthened and shortened not only from scene to scene but actually during scenes as well. In the helicopter she and Starks sat diagonally to each-other but when the shot changed they were sitting opposite plus her seat belt had disappeared. The start and ending were great but the middle went on a bit too long.

1. What was your DC's favourite part of the film? Who is their favourite character and why?
   

DD's favourite part of the film was when Annie sees Stacks having a wash with his wig on the side, and tells his love interest to think again about his hair. Annie was her favourite character because she had a beautiful voice.

1. Out of 5, how many stars would you give the film? How many would your DC give it? (5 is highest and 1 is lowest)
   

We'd both give it a high 4.

1. What was your overall experience of the screening?
   

We went to Bath and it seemed disorganised. We got there for 9.30 as directed but they didn't open the shutters until almost 10. We were told to get popcorn then go upstairs so those with older kids who'd been further back in the queue sent them while they checked in and effectively jumped the queue (so nabbed the best seats).

1. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend Annie to friends and family? Why?
   

Yes I would. It was an enjoyable film.

[Linguine]

I attended the screening in Wimbledon, London, this morning with my 6 year old daughter and her 6 year old friend.

I thought the film was a brilliant adaptation of the original. A modern take on the classic tale. Brought right up to date. Same classic songs with a modern twist.

The Actress that played Annie was very good. But my favourite character was Cameron Diaz as Miss Hannigan. She played it brilliantly. Jamie Foxx was very good too!

My daughter’s favourite character was Grace.

I would give it 4 out of 5. It could have been a bit shorter. As the girls started fidgeting after an hour. My daughter gave it 5.

Overall experience of the screening was good. Great seats and comfortable. Cinema wasn’t too hot. Free popcorn and water on every seat. I would definitely recommend that friends and family go and see this film as it is good fun and entertaining. It put a smile on my face and reminded me of the time I went with my cousin to see the original (about 35 years ago!). I will be singing the tunes for days….

[whattodoowiththeleftoverturkey]

I attended with DD (6) and DH.
The film wax fab, (if a tad too long 2hrs).
DD's favourite part was the happy ending. Her favourite character was Grace because she was kind and looked after Annie.
DD would give 5 stars, I'd give it 4.
Overall experience was great. The film had a good pace, heart touching but not overly sweet. I got dirt in my eyes two or thgree times! Popcorn and water very welcome. Seats very comfy, temperature perfect. Thank you!
Yes, would recommend. I think Its perfect for 6-10yos.
Thank MN, we had a great time.