The new adaptation of the beloved musical Annie has generated much buzz as the remake, first announced in 2011, features a black Annie. While some traditionalists protested, others celebrated the progressiveness and representation of the film.

In addition to Annie’s ethnicity, the era of the musical was changed from the 1930s to modern day; Oliver Warbucks was replaced by cellphone industry tycoon and mayoral candidate, William Stacks; and Annie was removed from the classic orphanage to live in a foster home. The character of Miss. Hannigan was also given more dimensions, and a slew of other memorable characters and songs were added. Also capitalized on was the prominence of social media, as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, among other social media websites, were mentioned and utilized throughout the movie, even playing a significant role in the movie’s resolution. Many other changes were made, although Will Gluck, director, co-writer, and producer of Annie, noted that the adaption was “rooted in the same story” as its source material.

Released nationally on December 25, I went to see Annie several days after. Although I was excited to see the movie, I was never particularly enamored with the rags-to-riches story of Annie. Perhaps my lack of expectations contributed to my appreciation and love of the film. Annie was charming, funny, feel-good, and heart-warming. In the opening scene a young red haired girl identified as “Annie,” the classic picture of “little orphan Annie” sings and dances while giving a presentation to her class. Before Quvenzhane Wallis, who plays a lovable Annie, arguably more charismatic than her predecessors, identified as “Annie B” is called upon to give her own presentation, developing the movie’s sense of humor and alluding to the source material. Throughout the movie, clever quips and one liners were delivered by the fantastic cast of characters, led by Jamie Foxx, Quvenzhane Wallis, Rose Byrne, Cameron Diaz, and Bobby Cannavale. I found myself laughing throughout the entire film.

Although having been criticized for being overly auto-tuned, the remastered soundtrack had a more modern and upbeat feel. The classic “Hard Knock Life” was particularly well-done, updated to incorporate a hip hop influence.

Despite having been met with much criticism and mostly negative reviews, some criticizing how cliché the film was (which I found unfair, as so was the original musical) and the remastered soundtrack, I found the film incredibly enjoyable, even seeing it twice. Annie is a great family friendly film that may be enjoyed by all ages as a laugh-out-loud clever film that features an entertaining cast with a nice chemistry.