Annapolis (Blu-ray)

Connect to Facebook/Twitter, recommend via email and much more.

---

So basically, we've got "Rocky" meets "Top Gun" and "A Separate Peace." But "Annapolis" is so by-the-numbers that you feel like not just the cast but you, the audience, is just going through the motions. When Dad shows up for the final boxing match the whole room is dripping with reconciliation. "Annapolis" is just an obvious film that relies on obvious dialogue and clichéd situations. If there was an original line or scene in this movie, I didn't see it.

Now, that makes me wonder why "Annapolis" was targeted for Blu-ray release. It wasn't exactly a blockbuster, but if there's any pattern emerging, it's that the studio gurus who decide what films to release in HD have decided that the people who have Blu-ray and HD-DVD players are into military and action movies. That might be true, for all I know, but I'd guess it was good military movies that they can't wait to watch in Blu-ray, not mediocre ones. And that's all "Annapolis" is.

Video:
The picture looks great in 1080p Hi Def (1.85:1 aspect ratio)--so good, in fact, that you wish the movie were better so you could really enjoy the Blu-ray experience. There's good color saturation, strong black levels, and all kinds of sharpness and detail that make HD so much easier on the eyes to watch than SD releases.

Audio:
The English 5.1 uncompressed (48kHz, 16-bit) sound is also impressive. Though there isn't the rumble of jets that you get in "Top Gun," the dialogue and Foley effects are clear and bright as a "Yes Sir!" There's a nice serviceable bass and a treble that's plenty bright and tonally pure.

Extras:
Director Justin Lin, writer Dave Collard, and Editor Fred Raskin conduct themselves well on the commentary track, but when the film people are discussing just isn't distinguished, it renders half of what they have to say as superfluous or ridiculous. No amount of background can camouflage the fact that "Annapolis" is a collage fashioned from a number of movies we've seen before. Also included are deleted scenes with optional commentary by Lin, Collard, and Raskin, and a Buena Vista feature that makes no sense to me: "Movie Showcase," which gives you "instant access to select movie scenes that showcase the ultimate in High Definition picture and sound." Come on, Disney. You can do better.

Bottom Line:
"Annapolis" isn't a bad movie, but it's certainly a derivative, run-of-the-mill one. The trouble is, when you recognize a scene from another movie, in every such instance, "Annapolis" suffers by comparison.

---

Connect to Facebook/Twitter, recommend via email and much more.

---