'Annapolis' stays afloat
Joe Nguyen, staff writer
Feb. 5, 2006

Synopsis
When he won a coveted admission spot to the Naval Academy at Annapolis, local kid Jake Huard (James Franco) thought all his dreams had come true - but his battle to become the man he wants to be is only the beginning.

Review
Justin Lin’s (“Better Luck Tomorrow”) sophomore directorial endeavor may be predictable and occasionally cheesy, but it’s still fun with some heart-warming characters.

from left to right: Roger Fan, James Franco and Jordana Brewster in "Annapolis"

“Annapolis” features a cast of attractive, recognizable young actors such as Franco (“Spider-Man”), Jordana Brewster (“The Fast and the Furious”) and Tyrese Gibson (“2 Fast 2 Furious”). Too bad the plot was predictable. The rebel, Franco’s Jake Huard, struggles with the establishment, only to discover himself and fight through it.

Halfway through, it completely becomes a boxing movie. Not just any boxing movie, but “Rocky” with Huard playing the underdog Rocky Balboa and Gibson’s Cole as the champion Apollo Creed.

It was hard envisioning Gibson as a rock-hard character with a chip on his shoulder. His acting chops have improved from “2 Fast 2 Furious,” but he will always be seen as the silky-voiced R&B singer turned energetic MTV VJ.

Vicellous Reon Shannon, who played the overweight cadet Twins, has one of the few performances that stood out above the rest. Twins is a very relatable character who has difficulties at the academy. Aside from struggling with the physical punishment at the school, he has to carry the burden of being his small town’s hero. Failing at the academy is not an option.

One bit of interest in the film is Roger Fan’s (“Better Luck Tomorrow”) role as cadet D.S. Loo. In “BLT,” he played a character named Daric Loo. Is this a coincidence? Both characters are overachievers with a superiority complex.

The boxing scenes and the training that lead up to them were entertaining. Even though it is obvious what was going to end up happening, it was fun watching the work to get there.

“Annapolis” barely rises above mediocrity and is more worthwhile to pick up as a rental than to pay the ticket price at the theater. Here’s hoping that Lin’s upcoming projects, “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” and the remake of the Korean thriller “Oldboy,” will be better. Well, “Oldboy” at least.

Joe gives "Annapolis":

Joe Nguyen is a staff writer for asiaXpress.com. You can reach Joe at joe@asiaxpress.com.

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