Annapolis Review

This us naval training drama ticks all the cliché boxes without displaying a jot of soul. James Franco plays Jake, a shipyard labourer and amateur boxer who dreams of attending the prestigious Naval Academy in Annapolis. Accepted, he endures harsh training to prove himself to his cynical father and honour the memory of his dead mother, pausing occasionally to defend a victimised fat bloke. Not even an attractive female superior with a spark in her eye (Jordana Brewster) can render his struggle remotely interesting in the absence of solid characterisation, plausible dialogue or a genuinely emotive story. We know Jake wants to succeed, but we’re given very little reason to care.