I wanted to love this movie. The cast is stellar. Dick van Dyke and Angela Lansbury are outstanding (still vibrant in their 90s!). Alivia Clark's voice is lovely. The costumes and locations are first-rate. It's "Pollyanna" meets "Annie" and "Oliver," but unfortunately "Les Miserables" is thrown into the mix. The stories told are uneven, with missteps throughout. By the way, Annabelle gets the nickname "Buttons," but that has nothing to do with the story. A much better title would be "Emily's Wish." Furthermore, because the sound is out of sync, it feels oddly inauthentic. It's mostly very depressing, and barely about Christmas. I wouldn't show this to anyone under 10, as it's way too scary and depressing -- even with the fun songs and heartwarming, uplifting message. "Mary Poppins" is a 10. This movie is no 10!
Review of Buttons, A New Musical Film
