Infamousta
brilliant actors, brilliant editing
Invaderbank
The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.
Lidia Draper
Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.
Jakoba
True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.
glennrockconner
I assumed that since the US Navy declined involvement in this film's production that it would be negatively oriented toward the US Naval Academy, & so I wouldn't like it. As it happened, I enjoyed this story. I don't think it in any way reflects life at our Naval Academy, but it's a good story. I assumed that since the US Navy declined involvement in this film's production that it would be negatively oriented toward the US Naval Academy, & so I wouldn't like it. As it happened, I enjoyed this story. I don't think it in any way reflects life at our Naval Academy, but it's a good story. I assumed that since the US Navy declined involvement in this film's production that it would be negatively oriented toward the US Naval Academy, & so I wouldn't like it. As it happened, I enjoyed this story. I don't think it in any way reflects life at our Naval Academy, but it's a good story.
thirteeninchwinch
This was a tale that didn't really need to be told. In fact, it was more of an advertisement for the navy than an actual movie. Franco does little to create a 3 dimensional character, and is not helped by being thrown into 2 hours of navy recruitment without first establishing why he's there, or why he's facing such adversity. Other weak plot points included the silly coincidental bar flirt...................which turned out to be a superior officer! What, no way! Who would have thought? Plus the entire end of the movie became a determination to win a boxing match, which was irrelevant to the previous plot of the movie - getting into the navy.
long-ford
We have seen this film before. It a boring compilation of scenes lifted from films like 'An Officer and a gentleman' and 'Rocky'. Every single character is a walking cliché and the whole thing feels predictable. It's not a bad film, just very disappointing. The fault clearly lies with the script. A little more imagination and better craft would have made this film watchable. James Franco is competent but can't rise above the material. As a tribute to the naval academy or a recruiting tool, the film's alright. But it's simply not worth seeing for its own sake. Avoid.Overall 3/10
trygstad
Like other reviewers here, I'm a Naval Academy graduate. I'm proud of it. Those of us who went there refer to it as it The Academy. Not "this academy" and certainly not "Annapolis"--that's what civilians call the place. To Mids, Annapolis is just a sort of cute little town outside the gates. This movie has about as much to do with the real Academy as, as, well darn--I can't even think of a suitable simile. Let's put it this way--the characters in the movie wear Midshipman uniforms and call each other by Naval rank titles. That's about it. It costs very, very little to make a movie accurate, but no one on this movie would let accuracy get in the way of "telling a story". But when you're supposed to be telling a story set in reality, these inaccuracies effectively gut the story. Gee, you want an exciting Brigade Boxing story? Try Oliver North boxing James Webb for the 1968 Brigade Championship--a true story, and far more compelling and exciting than this story. Other reviewers have pointed out many of the inaccuracies in this story but oddly enough many others see this as a "recruiting story" for the Navy or the military; I think this conclusion could only be reached by those who are even more ignorant of the service than those making this movie. All in all a pretty complete waste of an hour and forty-eight minutes. If you want to see a decent movie about the Naval Academy, "Navy Blue and Gold" made in 1937 is a far more accurate depiction, even 71 years later. It's also a much better story.