The Skulls - I teschi

In life, people learn to like all kinds of things. In time, they will realize there are groups for these interests. Some groups are just for recreational reasons, while others can be for more serious topics. There are also some people who don't even know about it. The reason is for the amount of power or influence these associations may have on society. The thing is, what most of these secret cliques have in real life is the capability to conceal itself so far that it is very hard to pinpoint. This of course leads only to a very select few who can speak to it but in the end, sound like they're out of their mind. In short, conspiracy nuts. That's essentially the topic of focus in this feature film. It's an interesting idea, but the overall execution is just average. It's nothing out of the ordinary.

Written by John Pogue (U. S. Marshals (1998)), the plot is about your everyday looking college student Luke McNamara (Joshua Jackson) hoping to be a success after he graduates. He, his best friend Will (Hill Harper) and close female friend Chloe (Leslie Bibb) very much share the same values. Additionally, they all think a group known as "The Skulls" is one of the strangest ones around. That is until Luke is brought in to join them. That's when things turn all upside down for him. Again, the idea of secretly powerful societies is not an uncommon plot but if done right, can be captivating to watch. This unfortunately is just watered-down. For one, the group is publicly known but operates secretly. It's a bit contradictory to say the least. Who operates a tight ship with sloppy security? How is that even allowable?

That's just one question out of many. The group has a rule book of over 100 things to follow by. Yet, there seem to be a lot of loose ends hanging around. Additionally, while the group is promoted internally as being able to effect outcomes elsewhere, there's no examples of it. Much of everything is so vague someone could assume they could impact anything. That's not the only odd thing going on. Once Luke the protagonist and his "soul mate" Caleb Mandrake (Paul Walker) meet at their first initiation, Luke's character flips to the exact opposite of the values to Will and Chloe. It's not that Luke is an unlikeable character, but he is a clichéd dull one. It's surprising director Rob Cohen who wasn't fresh to the job by this point didn't callout any of these issues.

Not even Caleb Mandrake is consistent in his character arc. One moment he's saying one thing and the next he's doing the exact opposite. That's not saying the acting is unwatchable though. Joshua Jackson is believable as the lead. It's just his character is motivationally confused. Paul Walker who at the time was mostly unknown still pulls in a performance that mostly makes sense for the story. Leslie Bibb is also okay despite her character falling into the expected clichés as well. She would later have roles in Trick 'r Treat (2007) and Iron Man (2008). What's more interesting is that William Petersen is also in this movie as a member of The Skulls and would later share screen time with Hill Harper in the CSI shows. There's also appearances from Christopher McDonald, Craig T. Nelson and Steve Harris.

The camerawork was acceptable for the picture. Shot by Shane Hurlbut, the camera makes use of its surroundings as well as incorporating dizzying shots to convey hysteria. This is pretty good considering this was his first theatrical film credit. Also done acceptably was the film score composed by Randy Edelman. While known for having more stock sounding music, Edelman does create a main theme for the story. It's not the most memorable, but it's not really forgettable either. Better that than just soundscape textural noise produced by other composers. What Edelman relies on for this work is piano keys to convey the feeling of the tracks. Thankfully the album is very much easy listening as well. Like usual though, Edelman's albums do not consist of much runtime. So best not to expect too much.

The crew behind the camera and actors performing do their jobs like they should. It's just the writing that challenges those things and weighs it down. The premise seems sloppily put together and the character arcs are erratic.

Mix schlocky but hilarious Hollywood hack dialogue with equally schlocky but hilarious Hollywood hack plotting, and you get a potent 1-2 sucker punch to your intellect...I call it...THE SKULLS. A delightfully silly movie, it moves briskly through semi-serious conflicts and silly conspiracies, and all with the the intelligence of your average CBS movie of the week. But it has a sense of momentum that you can't escape, and soon your on a ride that combines equal parts laughs and smiles, nothing too grim, but a (for what it is) fanatical devotion to its own plot devices. The maguffin of the Skulls society is their rule book, a device that comes to charming use late in the movie. William Peterson's senator reminds Joshua Jackson repeatedly that every conflict, every ordeal, can be solved within the rule book...and indeed within the world of the Skulls, this book does hold all the answers. Dropping hints here and there as to how it'll all end, the movie has a charming level of mystery, no more sinister or thrilling than The Da Vinci Code, but thankfully much less serious in its handling.

One of my favorite scenes is one of the stupidest. The chosen boys are given a grand reception with the many distinguished alumni on a remote island that at times resembles Alcatraz and Hogwarts School for Wizards. The boys are given expensive diving watches (an obvious product placement) and then dressed in tuxedos where they shake hands and shift uncomfortably in their cumberbunds...until the director inexplicably cranks out Creed onto the soundtrack ("Can You Take Me Higher" no less!) and then this huge door opens and out walk whatever waif models were hot in 2000. And they strut out as if on a runway, no sense of acting in any of their faces, and it's pure schlock...and I love it!

Rob Cohen went on to XXX and then tanked with Stealth, but this shows what people in Hollywood saw in the guy. The film is fun, never too heavy, and perfectly suited for a fall evening with your none-too-intellectual school friends OR consumed in 12 minute intervals on TNT. It's plotted swiftly and compellingly enough to justify its running time...another honor not bestowed on The Da Vinci Code. Basically, it's perfectly mindless, harmless fun, with a better than average cast who seem to revel in the camp of it all. Enjoy when you got nothing better to do.

Though it poses a good moral dilemma, `Skulls' is presented in such an implausible way as to render it crippled at birth. Luke McNamara is a small town boy of modest means attending an Ivy League institution that is never really named but is obviously Yale. He is hoping to be called for membership into the Skulls, a secret society of great status and power. Members of this society have the doors of power, wealth and influence thrown wide to them. This is a dream come true for Luke, who spends much of his time fretting over the hundreds of thousands in student loans he is incurring. When he discovers that one of the members has committed a felony, he is torn between his desire for wealth, his loyalty to a friend, and his conscience.

Writer John Pogue (`U.S. Marshals') has conjured up a good moralistic tale, but it is so full of ridiculous premises that it becomes laughable. This is supposed to be a secret society where other than the members themselves, no one knows who the members are. Yet, Pogue and director Rob Cohen present it in such a way that they may as well be advertising their identities on TV. The building where the secret meetings take place is prominently marked with a Skull, and only members have keys to the building. So, Duh, anyone seen entering the building must be a Skull. New members get brand new $50,000 automobiles and $100,000 in cash, as if no one will notice this sudden burst of good fortune. The new members are branded on their wrist and we are supposed to believe that they will never be seen by anyone without their wristwatch on. The list of inconceivability goes on ad nauseam.

The acting is generally quite good. Joshua Jackson (`Cruel Intentions', `Urban Legend') is excellent as Luke. He plays the part with just the right combination of idealistic zeal and moral grounding. He gets great support from Paul Walker (`She's All That', `Varsity Blues') as Caleb Mandrake, the spoiled rich kid trying to step out of his father's shadow. Craig T. Nelson gives a wonderfully nefarious performance as the chairman of the Skulls and Caleb's father.

Maybe secret societies exist, and maybe they don't. The fact that no one is sure indicates that if they are more than mere myths, they are a lot more secret than depicted here. I rated this film a 6/10. It is an interesting idea that loses credibility in the telling.

This is one of those pretty entertaining-yet-not memorable stories. It's about a "secret society" in an Ivy League school and a subsequent cover-up of a murder. There is a neat little twist about a half hour before the end of the film.

The college kids in here are no-name actors but all credible not offensive or annoying. The film is nicely photographed. Apparently, the film was successful enough to spawn a sequel, so that infers this has enough going for it to check it out if you haven't watched it.

It's okay, but don't expect anything super. However, I have a good friend who thinks this movie is super, and he's usually very critical.

OK the plot is old hat (a secret society that rules the government and covers up a murder or two) but the movie is entertaining. The plot is relatively intelligent and fast-moving; the cast is uniformally good--even Joshua Jackson!; there's no graphic gore (or nudity); and the action scenes are well-done and exciting. Not a great film by any means, but a fun, action-filled, entertaining two hours. Just don't think about it too much afterwards.