Personally one of my favorite “wrong side of the tracks” films, Annapolis captures the same essence that made Rocky so great. Not so much in its storyline but in its flawed main character that though struggles hard to achieve more, understands that he must change to truly become the person he can be. James Franco gives a solid performance, from his strong stubborn will, to his vulnerability in accepting he needs help as he is torn from the life he has always known to the life he has always ached for. And though I’m not a big fan of Gibson, there is no other actor I could imagine playing against Franco, as some of their interactions offer some of the best non-verbal scenes within the film. The story itself isn’t anything new (a remake as well) but Lin does a nice job in not sugarcoating the film, offering some emotional and defeating moments as well as some great POV shots during the boxing scenes that still hold up to some of the best.