Home :: DVD :: Mystery & Suspense  

Blackmail, Murder & Mayhem
British Mystery Theater
Classics
Crime
Detectives
Film Noir
General
Mystery
Mystery & Suspense Masters
Neo-Noir
Series & Sequels
Suspense
Thrillers
The Skulls (Collector's Edition)

The Skulls (Collector's Edition)

List Price: $12.98
Your Price: $11.68
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 .. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 .. 11 >>

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Teenage Hitchcock
Review: As I was watching this movie it reminded me of Alfred Hitchcock's films. The theme about an innocent being wrongfully accused, and now must go out and prove his innocence. I kept thinking, what if this movie was made 40 or 50 years ago. Hitchcock would of directed it, Cary Grant or Jimmy Stewart would have acted it in, and it would turn out to be a wonderful exciting, suspenseful movie. Instead we get, Rob Cohen directing it, and Joshua Jackson acting it. It sounds like a bit of a let down, doesn't it? A very mediocre film, with mundane performances all over. As this year has went on, I've come to expect nothing short of trash from the movies being made this year. Everything I see, seems to be a let down to me ( "Me, Myself & Irene", "X-Men", "Loser", and "Isn't She Great" are prime examples). And this film falls in that list too. Joshua Jackson plays "Luke" McNamara. He's trying his hardest to get thru college and wants to get accepted into "The Skulls", an elite group of graduates, who can seem to do anything! Paul Walker (Caleb Mandrake)is also one of the students to get accepted into this elite society. After the death of one of the students on campus, "Luke" is the main suspect. Now, he and his girlfriend Chloe (Popular's Leslie Bibb) must prove his innocence. But Craig T. Nelson ( Judge Litten Mandrake) will do anything to make sure that "Luke" is caught! When it seems as if nobody will believe his story, "Luke" fights for his life. I'll give the movie some credit. Some scenes are okay to watch. Some are even a bit exciting. But most of the movie is a brainless, dull, and boring. It never really amounts to much other than being two things. 1- a poor action teen flick, and 2- an excuse for girls to stare at Joshua Jackson on something other than "Dawson's Creek". Unless your a girl who happens to be a Jackson fan I suggest everyone else stay away from this film and wait till it comes on cable, maybe even then you shouldn't watch it!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A simple plan
Review: A combination of superb acting and a very good script bring this movie to the top. Very Fargoesque, in the depressing, money-inspired, greed-filled, sort-of-way. The director has done a nice job of being able to bring the plot along in a quick, but believable fashion. I found myself getting sucked in, and becoming less and less shocked at the actions of these guys as they tried to secure their investment.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Horrible [movie] - Staying Awake Has Never Been Harder
Review: Wow, I thought that the whole secret soceities idea might make a cool movie, but I was quite wrong. I mean, come on, horrible script, worse acting, and how long is this movie anyway? It seemed many hours passed under the torture of one retarded scene after another. The only plus, if you can call it that, is that you can laugh at the moronic dialogue and situations that arise. Even funnier ... is that this movie actually takes itself seriously.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Not-so-secret society.
Review: Let me ask you - if you ran a "secret" society, would you have your groups emblem cast in iron and set on a rooftop? No? Then, would you also consider this a "secret" society if evryone and their mother knew of it's existence? I didn't think so. Such is the first of many major flaws in this campy movie. The plot is interesting and if you can get past all of the fluff in this one - then you'll enjoy this movie.

For myself, I found myself laughing at this one more than anything else. "A skull above any other!" What the heck does that mean?

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Strong Start, Not-So-Strong Finish
Review: My wife and I both liked this movie. The opening scenes are good enough to catch your attention, and the photography is excellent. Paul Walker turns in a fine performance, with moments where he rises above this basic vehicle. Joshua Jackson is OK; Leslie Bibb is, too.

The plot is thin...but if you want something to relax with, enjoy and then forget, this is worth the time. It is reminiscent of other collegiate and prep school films. It isn't as good as Dead Poet's Society, nor is it another School Ties.

The basic plot is predictable, but there are enough twists and turns to keep you wondering exactly how we're going to end up at that predicatable ending.

The first half of the movie is strong, and if the screenwriters could have kept it on campus and out of the fully-adult world, the second half could have been stronger.

Rent it...don't buy it.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Good idea, could have been better.
Review: This movie didn't do much for me, the DVD edition here has some cool features (which were considered with the review), however the movie is just there. In college one of my history professors told us about an "secret society" that existed with it's roots in the ivy leage schools that spaned to upper gorvenment.

The actions of this secret society weren't posed as being negitve (although politcal coruption is likely with any organization) but more a controlling entity that helps focus key descisions.

I'll leave you to be the judge of the turth in this (and does it really matter anyway), The Skulls focuses around how such society can lock in it's members by treating them extreemly well and then expecting them to bond even though corupt illegal acts.

The story is drawn out at points, and leaves the viewer wondering how much footage was left on the cutting room floor to fit this feature down to a reasonable length. Somewhere along the way the movie just doesn't mesh, the soundtrack is laced with good music that tends to pop up at all the wrong moments more so for the sake of "being a good soundtrack" than complementing the film. Somewhere along the way the movie stops making sense and becomes unrealistic to the viewer, while the script is still trying to portray a realistic story.

The actors deliver in their roles. Especially Joshua Jackson (the lead character) who will hopefully use this mediocre movie to help launch his career.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Who DOES this remind you of?
Review: Lightweight film, but interesting premise. The sons of wealthy, powerful families get inducted into an Ivy League secret society. In return for a vow of mutual lifetime assistance, they get all sorts of advantages (expensive cars, grad school admissions, forgivable student loans, old boy network at the highest levels of society).

Best of all, their darkest secrets are whitewashed, covered up, and forgotten.

Darned if this doesn't remind us of a skull currently running for president.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Almost one of the best
Review: This movie was alot like "School Ties" in its portrayal of the ivy league school. It showed a very realist view of the hazing and the societies that are in the media. It took a wonderful side of showing how who you are, and what you can do is part of the whole deal. It stayed at a very interesting level throughout the whole movie which came to me as a shock, and I was amazed at the end how the movie kept me into it the whole time. The acting is fairly good, and the plot keeps you watching through the whole movie and the ending is no let down. It will draw you and you still think about it once you have left the theater.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Shocking and fun!
Review: This movie was about a a college frosh getting into this secret club thing. It was really fun to watch, not because of the actors but because I thought that it was a good movie with a good plot. All of the people I went to see it with were really cool and they too liked it.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: AVERAGE BUT DULL !
Review: THERES SOME SMART MOVES BY TEENAGERS VS. OLD SCULL MEMBERS.I WOULDN'T BUY IT IF I WAS YOU.I REGRET BUYING THIS MOVIE SO BAD.


<< 1 .. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 .. 11 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates