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Back Shelf Beauties
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Annapolis You need looks to be a star, and, I'm not saying I would take a trip to Brokeback Mountain with him, but James Franco has the looks. Sadly, he doesn't have the ability and dedication of Robert DeNiro or Hilary Swank. Franco stars as Jake Huard - a young shipyard worker who always dreamed of joining the U.S. Naval Academy, conveniently and metaphorically located just across the bay from where he works. Of course, Jake doesn't have the grades or the test scores to qualify, but Lt. Commander Burton (Donnie "Don't call my brother Marky Mark" Wahlberg) finds out Jake is one of those guys who is more determined than just about any other candidate to the Academy, so he gets his big chance. Soon, the new plebe is being tested emotionally, physically and mentally in ways he never imagined, and makes an enemy out of his tough as nails commanding officer, Lt. Cole (Tyrese Gibson). Can Jake overcome the immense obstacles in front of him? Will Cole win the battle of wills? Annapolis is full of formulaic plots, some dreadful dialogue and a weak love story, but it kind of grows on you towards the end. Writer David Collard throws in just about every twist you have seen in Top Gun, An Office and a Gentleman, Bruce Springsteen songs about fathers and sons not getting along, and even Rocky, but he does a decent job creating characters you care about, a villain that will make the audience hiss (if the ladies aren't too busy admiring his pecs), and some surprisingly entertaining comic relief. Collard sticks us with the typical, "you want to hit me?" showdown dialogue you always get in these basic training movies, and Huard's flirty interplay with Ali (Jordana Brewster) is so pathetic I don't think Brad Pitt could even win over the girl with lines as bad as these. However, Collard's biggest failure in writing the script is a lack of stressing why the training and officers at Annapolis are so tough. Several times, good characters are punished by the officers when normal people might let them slide by, so he needs to do a better job explaining to us normal, well adjusted people the important lessons and concepts behind the decisions. What appear to be minor offenses to the audience are not so minor in a military atmosphere, where precision, honesty and following orders can mean the difference between life and death, winning a war or losing one. With director Justin Lin desperately trying to stir our patriotic sense of duty and respect for the armed forces, complete with rousing orchestral music like you might find on The West Wing, these explanations are critical to contributing to the tone. Lin is able to generate some drama, tension and emotion towards the end of the film, but he doesn't do a great job capturing the fight scenes, aside from a couple quick shots that show the brutality in the ring, and, in a pivotal boxing match, gives the audience the longest 30-seconds of fighting seen since the infamous long count when Jack Dempsey lost to Gene Tunney. Worst of all, Lin can't get Franco and Brewster to generate any heat or chemistry. I guess we're just supposed to believe people who look hot will inevitably be drawn together, no matter how awkward and monosyllabic they might be. Franco is much better in this movie than his previous film, Tristan & Isolde, but he has a long way to go to be a superstar. One of the movie's central plots involves him training for the climactic boxing match (where Huard feels he can prove himself to everyone), yet, Franco does not appear to improve his boxing ability in any way, shape or form. Maybe he should have taken a page from the Hilary Swank book and did some real boxing training to improve his footwork and hand speed (not just some basic training done over two weeks according to the press notes on the film). Also, he is the only Annapolis kid I have ever heard with a heavy Brooklyn accent. Other than that, Franco is able to put on the requisite determined facial expressions and show concern for his buddies. In a similar vane, Vicellous Reon Shannon is very funny and likable as "Twins" Nance - a kid from a small town who is overweight and feeling enormous pressure to succeed so he doesn't disappoint his parents and neighbors - but he's a plebe who is supposed to be getting in shape, so how about losing a few pounds throughout the movie to make it realistic? Like Franco should have hired Sugar Ray Leonard to make him into a real boxer, Shannon should have called Dr. Phil or Richard Simmons to learn how to drop a few pounds. Brewster never does anything to prove she is more than a pretty and affordable face to fill the bland love interest role, but Gibson has some decent moments where he makes Cole as sadistic and imposing as the character needs to be. Annapolis isn't great, but isn't in the same low category as Hoodwinked or Yours, Mine and Ours. I guess it's got that going for it. 2 Waffle (Out Of 4) Copyright 2006 - WaffleMovies.com
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