How do you define a movie like The Skulls? The name Skull and Bones brings about whispers and murmurs and rumors of powerful men who control the world. When this movie came out back in the year 2000, only three known Presidents of the United States were members of this Society but as of the end of the Bush Administration four known U.S Presidents have been Skulls, with countless Senators also being members of the same Society. Some of the most powerful men around the world are Skulls and this “Secret” Society helps groom them into being the most powerful. Which is part of the opening to the movie a very brief history of the Society, which states this? “Every year at certain Ivy League Colleges, an elite group of students is chosen to join Secret Societies.” “Unlike fraternities, these Societies conceal their actions as they mold the leaders of the future.” “At least 3 U.S. Presidents are known to have been members.” The opening itself accompanied by those quotes is short and simple and in so few words tell you that this movie is about the machinations of most elite Secret Society which is based in Yale, The Skull and Bones Society.
Let us begin with the cast of this movie, shall we? “A skull above any other!” Joshua Jackson (The Mighty Ducks Series, Dawson’s Creek, Fringe) Paul Walker (Lord of the Flies, The Fast and The Furious, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Fast and Furious) Hill Harper (CSI: Miami, CSI:NY) Leslie Bibb (Popular, Iron Man, Iron Man 2) Craig T. Nelson (Coach) William Petersen (The Contender, Haven, CSI) Christopher McDonald (Happy Gilmore, Super Hero Movie, Fanboys). Hill Harper has the fewest lines but he plays one of the biggest roles in the movie.
Lucas “Luke” McNamara (Joshua Jackson) isn’t your run of the mill Ivy League Student, he didn’t come from a wealthy family and from the looks of his high school buddies he wasn’t a great student. But looks can be deceiving; he is a senior at Yale University, with his eyes set on Harvard Law. A member of the Yale Crew Team (Row Boats for those of you unfamiliar with what Crew is), and a hard working prelaw student with excellent grades Luke is your typical bad boy turned scholar. Now you have Caleb Mandrake (Paul Walker), rich daddy’s boy born into the world with a silver spoon in his hand. The world is at this young man’s finger tips, groomed for greatness, Yale Boxer, excellent marksmen and snappy dresser to boot he is everything Luke wants to be. These opposites are destined to attract to each other because their skill sets compliment the others and it is why they are chosen to be soul mates in the society. Their teamwork when they work together can accomplish anything. This is demonstrated during the Council’s test of the new class of Skulls to get the Symbol of a Rival secret society.
This movie takes place in the course of what I am assuming is the first couple of months of the school year. During the Skull’s yearly Revealing process, a period of time to acclimate new members to the society they are about to join. The process starts with being tapped, it usually a test of endurance and timing ending with a drink that knocks the drinker out and when the tapped person awakes they wake up in a coffin, a symbol of being reborn. Next is the council’s test which requires all tapped students to work as a team to obtain a single goal. After being tapped and passing the test, all new members must proceed to the ritual room where they are then branded with the mark of the skull to show their loyalty and commitment to the society. To which a gift is bestowed upon the new branded member. Brand new watches to place over the branded wrist too keep their membership subtly secret. Once this is done all members are given a starting 20,000 dollar reward wired to their bank accounts without the tapped member’s knowledge. The following week, the new members are taken to a private island where they stay for the weekend and have a welcoming party, where they introduced to women specifically selected for them by types, tastes and general compatibility with the tapped member. They are also given a key to the meeting place and a rule book “our rules supersede the rules of overall world.” After attending a few meetings, the members are once again brought to the island for their full acceptance into the society with a check for 100,000 dollars.
I do not know about you but the perks of being a skull sure as hell makes me wish I had done better in school so I could go to Yale.
The story and main plot point comes just after the branding, Luke’s best friend and non-skull member is found hanging in his office at the School paper. Which then descends into a mystery to figure out what actually happened to William Beckford, was it suicide or was he killed for knowing too much? As the story unfolds Luke finds himself in a web of lies and blackmail all connected to what happened to William Beckford. It is during the most troubling of times; Luke reaches out to a senior member of the society, Skull Council Member and Senator from Virginia, Ames Levritt (William Petersen). Levritt becomes a crucial key to finding out what Litten Mandrake (Craig T. Nelson) is up to. But Levritt is always clear that keeping the ideals of the Skulls intact should be maintained for everyone’s safety.
The events lead up to a duel between Luke and Caleb…… THE FATE OF THE WORLD SHALL BE DECIDED BY THE OUT COME OF A CHILDREN’S CARD GAME. Wait what the fuck, no no no. The duel is your standard gentlemen’s duel to the death. Ten paces and then turn and shoot with a single shot in the gun. Can Batman and Robin survive, or will the Joker have the last laugh find out. When you watch the movie!
Overall this movie is well developed, acted, directed and produced, I do not say this very often but this movie has come to find a place in my top ten favorite movies. I watch this movie over and over and I do not get bored with it. With that in mind, I give this movie an eight of ten. Why eight you ask me? Well because there is a few flaws here and there with the pacing and timing of the scenes. There is also a few times where the camera man leaves product placement while filming the actors in the shot for too long. Product placement is fine in a movie but when it is on the screen for almost one to two minutes that is over doing it.
I hope you enjoyed this review, please remember to leave me comments in the comment section and follow me here on the blog. Thanks for reading
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