ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Catangro After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

ActuallyGlimmer The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Desertman84 Annapolis is a film that features James Franco and Tyrese Gibson together with Jordana Brewster, Donnie Wahlberg, Roger Fan, and Chi McBride. The film revolves around Jake Huard, a young man who dreams of one day attending the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.It was directed by Justin Lin.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 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, 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, a pretty young officer who believes Jake has what it takes to go the distance.This isn't as much a movie as it is a recipe for a film in which the ingredients are clichés and formulaic elements of an inspirational film as well as a rip-offs particularly that of "An Officer And A Gentleman".What's worse,character development and narrative substance are absent in it.

breakdownthatfilm-blogspot-com The military world is always portrayed differently than the world most of us live in currently. And it's important that it is done with respect and dignity; to show us non-military personnel what our men and women in the army go through to be the best. This movie, directed by Justin Lin mirrors that well (training wise) but I'm not sure about much else. Lin's direction everywhere else was all over the place and he couldn't seem to make the main character tell us what he truly was trying to become. Plus, writer David Collard has so many unfinished subplots that the audience will feel a very empty feeling by the finale.Annapolis is the name of an academy that James Franco's character, Jake Huard wants to join. This is because of a promise he makes to his mother who passed away before he could join. But what's never explained to us is why he's joining. Is he joining to serve his country? Maybe just to prove himself to others that he can be better than where he is now? Or is it to improve his physical strength so he can be a better boxer? We're never given an answer.Then there's the issue of multiple subplots. Huard has personal problems between him and his father played by Brian Goodman. He also is trying to get into a relationship with a military chick (Jordana Brewster) he originally mistook as a prostitute, who somehow still has the nerve to talk to him after being assumed that. Along with that is Huard's friend, Twins (Vicellous Shannon) who is attempting to overcome his large figure so he can pass a specific test. And together with them is another friend, Loo (Roger Fan) who is a real stickler to the rules. Lastly is the bumping heads between Huard and Cole (Tyrese Gibson).Yes that's a lot of subplots! And guess what? By the end of the film, only two of these subplots are actually completed. The rest are left hanging up in the air to dry. The audience will never know what happened to some specific characters because Mr. Collard didn't seem to find this needed to be written in the script. What? I think I can agree on saying that the audience always loves a well-written story as long as the subplots are finished as well.What I did appreciate is how the training was displayed. Yes, it is a vigorous and tiring string of exercises and that is shown perfectly here. Brian Tyler's music was well appreciated too even though I did not find it bringing up the tone of the story. And I couldn't stand the negative energy that was being thrusted upon me by Gibson's character. In a sense, it felt like grown-up bullying and it was all directed towards Huard, and everyone suffered for it. Why does this training academy have its nose so high up in the air? My god.Annapolis does not inspire no matter how hard it tries to. The film has no direction and weakly written script. The music and visual aids of training are the only thing worth seeing.

glennrockconner I assumed that since the US Navy declined involvement in this film's production that it would be negatively oriented toward the US Naval Academy, & so I wouldn't like it. As it happened, I enjoyed this story. I don't think it in any way reflects life at our Naval Academy, but it's a good story. I assumed that since the US Navy declined involvement in this film's production that it would be negatively oriented toward the US Naval Academy, & so I wouldn't like it. As it happened, I enjoyed this story. I don't think it in any way reflects life at our Naval Academy, but it's a good story. I assumed that since the US Navy declined involvement in this film's production that it would be negatively oriented toward the US Naval Academy, & so I wouldn't like it. As it happened, I enjoyed this story. I don't think it in any way reflects life at our Naval Academy, but it's a good story.

wes-connors In the boxing ring, men flock to see hunky James Franco (as Jake S. Huard) strut his six-pack abs. He also works as a ship-welder for his father, but Mr. Franco would rather join the Navel Academy at "Annapolis". Franco gets his wish when Donnie Wahlberg (as Lieutenant Burton), a self-described "36-year-old out-of-shape lieutenant," who can be caught ogling Franco in the opening fight, pulls some strings to get Franco signed up. Franco, who "came straight here from high school," meets Tyrese Gibson (as Commander Cole) in the ring, makes goo-goo eyes at pretty superior officer Jordana Brewster (as Ali), and trains to be a better boxer.Other than seeing handsome Franco's bugling muscles, you may not think Justin Lin's "Annapolis" is worth watching. The story is ordinary to a fault, and clichéd beyond hope. But, it's not too poorly produced. And, you can see how supporting and featured players can make something out of an assignment - going to the head of the class is Vicellous Shannon (as Marcus "Twins" Nance), who does an exemplary job with his character. Sporting more fat than muscle, Mr. Shannon milks every drop out of his script, without overdoing it, and takes the title "Best Supporting Actor" in a film that will wasn't ever going to win any awards.**** Annapolis (1/27/06) Justin Lin ~ James Franco, Tyrese Gibson, Vicellous Shannon, Jordana Brewster