While Annapolis is about the Naval Academy, I couldn't help but think of the Army and the old slogan 'be all that you can be' as I watched this thinly veiled 'inspriational' Naval recruitment film. The film is part Officer and a Gentleman and part Rocky and unfortunately neither part is original or remotely new.

Jake Huard (James Franco) is a young man who builds naval boats across from US Naval Academy. Any frustrations he may have about his working class exsistence, he excises at night as an amateur boxer (which will be important later). It was his sainted and dearly departed mother's dream that he attend the Naval Academy. Naturally, his father, a more practical sort, doesn't approve of his son's naval aspirations. He doesn't understand why his son would want a career outside of the shipyard. But luckily for Jake, just as he's given up on his dream of attending the Academy, his waitlisted application makes it through.

Once at the academy his bonds with his roommates: Loo (Roger Fan), a by-the-book amateur boxer; Estrada (Wilmer Calderon), who, thanks to a racist captain, is forced to shower and shave twice a night; and the overweight Twins (Vicellous Shannon) who has the smarts to make it but is having a difficult time mastering the required obstacle course. Jake also has a nice flirtation with cute student Ali (Jordana Brewster). But it's Midshipman Cole (Tyrese Gibson) as the snarling, sadistic leader who has to turn these men 'from civilians to officers' who provides the tension. Over the course of the year, Huard and Cole's animosity for each other grows. When Jake finds out about the Brigades - a Naval Academy boxing match held at the end of the year - he sees it as the perfect opportunity to even the score with Cole.

Will Jake make it through his treacherous first year? Will he and Ali ever hook-up? Will he ever win the approval of his father? Or earn the respect of Midshipman Cole? You already know the answers to these questions because there are no surprises here. None. It's telling that the subplot involving Vicellous Shannon's character Twins is more compelling (albeit still formulaic) than the main story line. In fact, Shannon outperforms Franco and Gibson.

The first half of the movie plays as a cut-rate version of An Officer and a Gentleman with Franco in for Richard Gere and Tyrese in the Lou Gossett Jr. role. The second part works as a classic boxing genre film with the underestimated, underappreciated fighter (Franco) going up against the champ (Gibson). There is a lot of boxing in this film, much more than you would expect from viewing the trailer. It wasn't a problem for me, I like boxing. Sadly, those scenes were the most engaging in the entire film.

Finally, and I know I'm being nitpicky here, but the movie is called Annapolis. So, you would think that maybe they would film at least some of the exteriors in, ... maybe ... oh, I don't know ... Annapolis! Having lived almost 10 years in Maryland, it worked my last nerve throughout the entire movie that the locations didn't even come remotely close to looking like Annapolis. Yeah, they got the water right, but that was about it.

Unless you have a major thing for Tyrese (or James Franco) I can't think of any reason not to wait until this hits cable.