After reading other reviews slating this film for a less exciting ending and having missing songs.... please read up on the history of this musical. It is a stage production and this Disney version stays very true to the stage musical and score. There are still omissions, in particular the Herbert Hoover song by the homeless people and also the Tomorrow song in the White House. But in the main it is a much more realistic adaptation than the Aileen Quinn 1981 film which just changed huge chunks and added songs (like the hideous Let's Go to the Movies sequence instead of the much more captivating NYC). How anyone can prefer the 1981 version is beyond me, the characters of Annie, Grace and Warbucks are so much more likeable in this one and Kathy Bates is believable as Miss Hannigan (although I do feel that Carol Burnett's MH was the saving grace of the 1981 film). Where Grace sings Tomorrow to Annie to comfort her after her "parents" have turned up for her is extremely touching and it is easy to engage with the characters. Definitely give this movie a try, it is lovely.

For anyone who's been in or seen the stage version of this show you'll really appreciate this production. Directed by Rob Marshall (also responsible for Chicago) it is a much better representation of the original show than the 1981 film. Songs like "Something was missing" and "NYC" have been included plus the song "Tomorrow" has been put back in the right place which makes much more sense. There is also a special guest appearance from Andrea McArdle who played the original Annie on Broadway. Speaking of the lead, the girl who plays it is very impressive as is alot of the choreography. Yeah, it gets a bit Disney at times and has a rather strange ending, but after all it is a kids film and my 6 year old cousin was gripped, amused and walking around for a week saying "i love you miss hannigan".
Overall i prefer it to the original as it captures the sense of the show much better and cuts out alot of the Hollywood rubbish.

Annie was a film that I had enjoyed right throughout my young years, to the extent that I had worn out three VHS tapes of the show. I love this film to to this day and always felt it emanated a feeling of warmth and security into a childs heart, with the unknowing contrast of a child who is comfortable in a well off society to that of the lives of little Annie, Molly and Duffy. This production allowed me as a child to see the poorer side of life, not in a frightened manner but one which could be filled with ones own happiness.
A truly delightful film for all to watch, it touched my heart then and continues to. The songs are great too, my favorite being Maybe, the thoughts of an orphans dream of meeting her parents. I love it!!!

With songs such as Hard Knock Life, You're Never Fully Dressed (without a smile) and Let's Go to the Movies, 'Annie' is sure to put a smile on your face. The story is well known... little orphan Annie is living in a 1920's orphanage in New York, run by the drunken tyrant Miss Hannigan. Local millionaire Oliver Warbucks invites an orphan to stay at his mansion for a week as a humanitarian gesture (in other words to get good publicity) and yes, our friend Annie is the lucky thing that stays there and proceeds to win his heart. However Annie's heart lies with finding her real parents, which prompts Miss Hannigan and her brother Rooster into forming a dastardly plan which is set to tear Annie and Daddy Warbucks apart...

This is an uplifting and heart-warming film which should delight children and adults alike. A worthy addition to any DVD collection, should this kind of film be your cup of tea.

This has been my most favourite film ever since I first watched it at the age of about four. It's great for children and adults and I can guarantee you will soon be humming along to the tunes! Most suited to children from the ages of 4-10. Don't delay buy this video today!

As my title suggests this is a review of the US Import Blu-ray release.
First, and most importantly, for UK buyers....this disc is REGION FREE!!! The back of the box states this and my region-locked player plays it fine.
There are lots of review for the actual film, so in this review I'm only going to focus on the blu-ray release.

The biggest question: Is this worth replacing on Blu-ray. Answer: A resounding YES!!
The picture on the DVD is pretty bad, and, while the image on the blu-ray isn't perfect it's a dramatic leap up from the DVD.
Overall, if you're a fan this is a must-own and I'm very please I bought it.

You're probably wondering why I'm reviewing an American release on the UK profile...well, it's because they're the same. This disc has been out in the States for a while and it worked out �3 cheaper than buying the UK release later this month. The ONLY benefit to buying the UK version is the Digital Copy and, as I didn't care about that, I bought the US version.

Technical specs:
2.40.1 Widescreen.
Audio: English DTS-HD Master 5.1, Italian Dolby Digital 4.0, Japanese DD 5.1, and the following in Dolby Digital Stereo German, Spanish, French
Subtitles: Arabic, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedith, Turkish.
Extras: Sing Along, Featurette with Aileen Quinn, Digital Copy (only availble to US), Music Video, Trailers.