ANNAPOLIS (2006)

Synopsis: A young ship builder realizes a dream when he receives an appointment to the Naval Academy and then struggles to find and keep his place among the more qualified, better prepared plebes during his first year. His struggle is made more difficult by a demanding upperclassman who seems to have a particular dislike for him. Starring: James Franco, Tyrese Gibson, Donnie Walhberg, Jordana Brewster, Chi McBride. Drama.

Its always a good time for a feel good movie with patriotic overtones and its especially a good time when our soldiers are in harm's way, as they are now. I thought these things as I watched Annapolis, putting aside my olive drab Army sympathies, and was pleasantly surprised that the film does not dwell or hammer away mercilessly at patriotic or political themes, which would have been very easy to do. (In fact, I don't think the war in Iraq is ever expressly mentioned, but is alluded to in the character of Midshipman Cole). The film is really human drama focusing on one man's dream and desire to achieve something that most, including his own father, think is outside the realm of his capabilities.

Jake Huard (James Franco Milk)) is a young shipbuilder, with a love of boxing, who works with his father across the water from the Naval Academy, a school that he has dreamed of attending. Much to his shock, merely a day before orientation begins, a Naval Lt. Commander (Donnie Wahlberg The Sixth Sense) shows up at work to tell Jake that a spot has opened up in the incoming class and, despite his meager credentials, the Academy has decided to give him a shot.

Jake decides to take his shot and shows up for orientation where he meets, along with the rest of his plebe class, his upperclassman commander, Cole (Tyrese Gibson Four Brothers), a combat veteran from the Marine Corps who saw action prior to coming to Annapolis and makes no bones about the fact that poor officers equal dead soldiers. While Cole is not warm and chummy with any of the plebes, he has a particular distaste for Jake, who is otherwise doing well with his other social contacts, particularly upperclassman Ali (Jordana Brewster).

The film follows Jake through the ups and downs of his first year, particularly his involvement in the Academy required boxing course and his desire to enter as a heavyweight in the Academy boxing tournament where-I bet you didn't see this one coming- Cole reigns supreme. 

Without being a spoiler, there is a matter of Jake putting his place in the Academy in jeopardy due to his desire to help a fellow plebe and friend, with everything coming down to the big bout against Cole in the finals.

You're not going to see anything new here, but that doesn't mean the film isn't good, because its very good. The main characters, including Cole, have depth, and it would have been very easy to portray Cole or even Donnie Wahlberg's character as one dimensional. Thankfully, they are not. Those expecting to see a kind of cinema documentary about the first year at Annapolis will probably be disappointed, as the class room instruction and hazing scenes are to a relative minimum. Also, though I don't know for sure, I'm sure the fraternization shown between male and female plebes has to be dramatic license.

James Franco is wonderful as Jake. You'll like him and root for him from the beginning, which is just what he needed to have happen with his character. Tyrese Gibson also gives a strong performance as the antagonistic Cole. These two stand out, but the rest of the cast is good, too, with Donnie Wahlberg stepping up very well in his role as does Jordana Brewster. Its always nice to see Chi McBride, too.

No complaints here about Annapolis.