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'Annapolis' is ordinary, manufactured drama

By BOB LONGINO
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

January must be James Franco month at the movies.

First, he let his hair grow and displayed knightly combat moves for the Dark Ages love saga "Tristan & Isolde." The film is pretty to look at, but heavy and boring.

Touchstone Pictures

'Annapolis'

The verdict: Mildly entertaining, but basically a sinking ship.

Director: Justin Lin
Starring: James Franco, Jordana Brewster, Vicellous Reon Shannon, Donnie Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson
Run time: 108 minutes
Release date: Jan. 27, 2006
Rating:PG-13 for some violence, sexual content and language.
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On the web
Official movie site
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Now Franco has cut his hair short and displays sprightly boxing moves as a U.S. Naval Academy plebe in "Annapolis." This drama is part "An Officer and a Gentleman" and part "Rocky" dabbed with a touch of "Rudy." And, unfortunately, not half as good as any of those other movies.

In "Annapolis," Franco is Jake Huard, a shipyard worker who gets a shot at fulfilling his dead mother's dream of him becoming a naval officer. He's a loner and locks horns with his company leader, played by Tyrese Gibson (not to be confused with look-alike model Tyson Beckford). They eventually meet in the annual Brigades boxing final.

One thing's for sure — "Annapolis" is ordinary in every way.

The school sits across the bay from Huard's shipyard and, since the movie was not filmed in Annapolis but in Philadelphia and Princeton, the scenery looks exactly like what it is — computer generated.

There's the requisite overweight plebe (Memphis-born Vicellous Reon Shannon of "The Hurricane") who's harassed by his superiors. He's so fat they call him Twins.

There's the requisite girl, in this case Jordana Brewster of "The Fast and the Furious" as an academy upperclassman. She and Franco's character have a lot of verbal banter because plebes aren't allowed to date.

And there's the requisite "finding yourself" finale that, in this case, involves a boxing match filmed slightly off normal speed to mask the actors' less-than-perfect pugilistic skills.

Perhaps the film's most successful element is the soundtrack, which by the movie's end is nothing but louder and louder drumbeats.

The incessant booming not only accentuates the manufactured drama, but makes sure everybody in the theater stays awake.