ANNAPOLIS

With James Franco, Tyrese Gibson, Donny Wahlberg, Jordana Brewster, Vicellous Reon Shannon, Chi McBride
Directed by Justin Lin

This movie combines so many well-trodden cinematic paths I’m not sure where to start. You have the young working class man rising above his station getting accepted into a highly competitive field (going from welder in a shipyard building vessels for the Navy to a troubled recruit in the Naval Academy who may one day sail on that very carrier). This was a dream planted by his deceased mother, but of course the father is not supportive in his efforts. As in An Officer And A Gentleman you have the conflict between him and his superior officer (also black). There’s an overweight recruit getting hammered (Full Metal Jcket?) and an overly ambitious one, a pretty girl (the obvious romantic interest) who is in fact one of the (unlikely) trainers (Top Gun?). The crushing of the recruits range from the obstacle course to their barracks (Full Metal Jacket again?), and our young hero contemplates quitting. They even throw in a bit of Rocky with a boxing tournament climax having the young recruit facing his nemesis and undefeated champion, his officer (“the ring is the only place you’re all equal”). Yeah, another great way to teach kids that you need to beat the shit out of each other in order to gain respect... This could easily have been a TV movie.
Not a very good choice for Spider-Man’s ex-best buddy who also once portrayed James Dean.

2 / C
- PB

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