Reviewing Movies

Rocky meets Officer and a Gentleman. What if a movie about the US Naval Academy got shanghaied by a boxing match? As one character declares in a deleted scene, “Can you believe we volunteered for this?” I find military discipline repellant and the treatment of new recruits in particular, appalling and reprehensible. I find the military’s methods objectionable and the need for them equally offensive—but then I’m a pacifist at heart. War is good for the economy and those who profit from it are not fussy about which side buys their toys. But I digress.

If you’re a fan of James Franco this movie gives you an unparalleled opportunity to view his taut naked bod. If those are actually his abs on display in one brief shot they are impressive indeed. No word on whether he or a stunt double performed the actual boxing scenes. The guy he’s up against looks chillingly like Mike Tyson. Gaining or losing weight to make another weight class seems to be a common theme in boxing and wrestling flicks.

This film milks all the clichés including the fat boy, the snitch, racism, bullying, name calling, the suicide, the obstacle course, calisthenics, drilling, bad weather, and sadistic officers. For good measure throw in the latest wrinkle of females in the military. Running away from home to the military to find yourself has a long tradition; problem being that you bring yourself along for the journey. Finding self-discipline by having an outside force impose it upon you seems a desperate move to me but it seems to work for some. Finding it in the military comes with the option of being brought home in a body bag as is graphically illustrated in one scene.

If you like boxing and are a James Franco fan this is an amiable time-waster—others may heed the critics advice and avoid.