In the immortal words of the Village People; 'In the Navy/ You can sail the seven seas/ In the Navy/ You can put your mind at ease.' However, if you're a movie critic, your mind was not put at ease by Annapolis; instead, you were probably felt uneasy because of the remarkable similarities between the plot of this mediocre, cliche-ridden drama and Top Gun and An Officer and a Gentleman.
In the immortal words of the Village People; 'In the Navy/ You can sail the seven seas/ In the Navy/ You can put your mind at ease.' However, if you're a movie critic, your mind was not put at ease by Annapolis; instead, you were probably felt uneasy because of the remarkable similarities between the plot of this mediocre, cliche-ridden drama and Top Gun and An Officer and a Gentleman.
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Average Rating: 3.2/5
User Ratings: 117,084
A poor but ambitious young man strives to make good in one of the most competitive institutions on Earth in this military drama. Jake Huard (James Franco) is a young man from a small Maryland town who grew up in a blue-collar family with few opportunities. Wanting to make something of himself after completing high school, Jake set his sights on attending the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, where he narrowly makes the cut and becomes one of the 1,200 applicants selected for the freshman
class. Jake finds that life as a "plebe" is intellectually challenging and physically punishing, and he soon develops a powerful adversary in Midshipman Lt. Cole (Tyrese Gibson), his training commander, who pushes Jake to the limit to see if he has what it takes. Standing on the razor's edge of failing as both a student and a soldier, Jake makes a brave but dangerous gesture toward proving himself by entering the Brigade Championships, a Naval boxing competition where he'll go into the ring against the best fighters in the Navy -- including Lt. Cole. Jake soon has one person on his side when he strikes up a friendship with Ali (Jordana Brewster), a pretty young officer who believes Jake has what it takes to go the distance. Annapolis also stars Donnie Wahlberg, Chi McBride, and Vicellous Shannon; the film was directed by Justin Lin, who debuted with the acclaimed independent feature Better Luck Tomorrow. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Jake [is] forced to swallow his pride and ask girly Brewster to train him. It's a marginally subversive moment in a movie that otherwise falls in line.
Annapolis is less like a movie than a virus -- one that clings so tenaciously to its host genre that it begins to take on the characteristics of a real movie, even though it's just faking.
This military drama never gets moving. Just mainly posturing by all sides concerned. The screenplay was definitely missing in action. Paul Chambers, CNN.
Character development and narrative substance are absent in this wispy movie about beefcake and getting a knack for teamwork in an oppressive atmosphere.
James Franco is just lovely. It has a good storyline too.
June 2, 2007
Rachel F
Super Reviewer
This film is a bit familiar to An Officer and a Gentleman, but except the boxing. Really great tale of courage and honour, even what I thought of James Franco is alike Richard Gere and Tyrese Gibson is alike Lou Gossett Jr in their characters.
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