Annapolis

Well, I had low expectations for this movie, and I wasn't disappointed. Or I guess you could say I WAS disappointed, because this one was USA Movie of the Week quality. I went for the eye candy (James Franco and Tyrese Gibson), but they weren't quite worth the price of admission.

Franco (Spiderman) stars as Jake Huard, a young man who dreamt of joining the U.S. Naval Academy as a boy. He aspires to surpass the blue collar lifestyle of his father and friends, who build naval ships for the Academy. The only things standing in his way are self-doubt and the character of Lt. Cole, played by Tyrese (Four Brothers). Cole is supposed to be the antagonist, but as a viewer I found myself disliking him because I knew I was supposed to, rather than because he was the bad guy everyone made him out to be. Writer David Collard (Out of Time) simply did a poor job of constructing a compelling story. Everything about the script was corny and underdeveloped, from Huard's silly interactions with love interest Jordana Brewster (The Fast and the Furious) to his relationships with boyhood friends. The only mildly endearing character was "Twins," an overweight but sweet cadet whom Huard befriends at the Academy. Riddled with clichés, Annapolis is one to skip. Skip it at the theater. Skip it at Blockbuster. Skip it on cable. I think my work here is done.