Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

The Skulls Blu-ray Movie Review

Membership has its privileges. And its consequences.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 24, 2018

Those with an interest in politics and a slightly long memory may remember some ramblings about George W. Bush and John Kerry both belonging to the “Skull and Bones” secret society back during the 2004 presidential election cycle. They were not the first members of said society to run for the highest office in the land, but what made their contest noteworthy in that regard was that it marked the first time two members squared off one against another. Director Rob Choen’s (xXx) The Skulls isn’t about ambitious politicians -- though it weaves a couple of them into the story -- but rather one initiate’s realizations that the glamour and prestige of membership do not necessarily align with his moral compass.

Every year at some Ivy League schools, elite students are approached to join secret societies where they are clandestinely molded to be the leaders of the future under the watchful eyes of elder members who have already made a mark on society. Lucas McNamara (Joshua Jackson) is an Ivy Leaguer with big dreams. He wants to go to law school, but the tuition is far out of reach, lest he fall even deeper into student loan debt hell. Still, he has the world in the palm of his hand. He’s smart, athletic, good looking, and he has eyes for Chloe (Leslie Bibb), one of the best looking (and richest) girls in school. But most of all, he wants to be a Skull, the most secretive and prestigious secret society on campus, and when he’s selected for membership, he finds himself on top of the world. His bank account is enlarged, he is given a fancy wristwatch, and he is gifted a slick new car. But membership has its price. He’s branded for life, Chloe struggles with her feelings for the new Lucas, and his best friend Will (Hill Harper) feels alienated and left in the cold, putting an irreparable strain on their friendship. But when Will turns up dead and Lucas believes his fellow Skull Caleb Mandrake (Paul Walker) to be responsible, he takes it upon himself to expose the society before it’s too late and he, too, meets a fate similar to that of his friend.

The Skulls presents and builds an interesting premise with opportunity for real, human, intimate darkness and peering reveals within. It promises to explore a world few know about and even fewer understand, but the film quickly turns into a bland chase thriller that only ever reaches into the good stuff from the periphery. Cohen builds a moderately engaging atmosphere, introduces a few interesting characters, and offers up a couple of good ideas, but the film lacks any intensity beyond the manufactured kind, as the hero runs in peril in an effort to expose the truth, after, of course, enjoying the good life membership has to offer. Along the way, Lucas must choose between the people and life that got him to where he is and the people, he believes, who can take him the rest of his way to his dreams. But when the illusion is shattered, Cohen and company allow the film to deteriorate into a cut-and-paste effort with little value beyond basic, forgettable entertainment.

The cast largely plays the movie to type. Neither the primaries nor the secondaries accomplish much with the rather bland, recycled parts, not the (then) young, fresh leads and not the grizzled adults who play longstanding members of The Skulls, police officers, or other individuals necessary to the movie's construction and execution. Joshua Jackson finds enough initial spunk in his part, excited by the opportunity to join and finding the joy in membership's benefits, but the character's about-face doesn't come from a place of much conviction. Paul Walker's character, probably the most innately interesting of the bunch -- he's a legacy Skull, the individual whose actions propel the movie's main narrative, and the person whose father is a prominent member of the political elite class and a key figure in The Skulls' leadership -- delivers a spirited performance that's more limited to the fairly cut-and-paste groundwork and path the movie takes. His character could have shined -- as could have Jackson's -- but the movie's structure simply doesn't allow for more than processed character conflict and world building. A shame, because both are talented actors who bear the burden of a cut-rate script that only flashes its potential.

The Skulls Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Skulls arrives on Blu-ray with a decent-to-good 1080p transfer. There are some unmissable pops and speckles and other signs of print wear, though such are relatively light and not all that distracting. Some blown-out highlights are visible, colors sometimes run a little pale and skin tones a bit warm, and mild macroblocking is visible in a few select shots, but on the whole this is a fairly good image overall. Details are not exacting, but the filmic, grain-retaining image reveals adequate textural abilities on dank cinder blocks and dreary concrete and rusted iron in some of the secret chambers. Warmer office woods, odds and ends around dorm rooms, faces, and clothes enjoy fairly good textural intimacy. Colors are more or less dull and faces usually a bit warm, but often by need as many of the film's key moments take place in warm or low light and unforgiving shades of gray-drenched secret society meeting chambers. However, during some well-lit daytime exteriors, colors stabilize and reveal more neutral flesh tones, agreeable natural greens, and well defined clothing and skin colors. Back levels are surprisingly deep and accurate. Nighttime exteriors, such as a scene in the 11-minute mark, hold up very well, with only a few flame-lit, low-light interiors struggling to maintain black level depth. Universal has always been a bit iffy on the catalogue side of things. This one falls into a middle ground, though certainly favoring the positive side of the ledger.

The Skulls Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Skulls is recruited onto Blu-ray with a good all-around DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The first sonic element of interesting note is the public address announcements at the beginning of the race five minutes into the film. There's a nice reverb sensation around the stage, and the track makes use of the surrounds to offer various support details and discrete elements throughout the film, not just limited to that beginning segment. Music is firm and well defined, from spacious organ notes at a funeral in chapter five to some edgy Rock music courtesy of Creed. There are some over-engineered-for-effect sounds, such as when Caleb and Lucas are locked into a cage in which they must confront one another with the absolute truths in their lives. The track is never shy about expanding for effect and making good use of the entire stage to amplify moments with increased sonic intensity. Dialogue propels the movie forward and enjoys general excellence in all areas of concern.

The Skulls Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Skulls contains a featurette, deleted scenes, and a commentary track. No DVD or digital copies are included. No top menu is included; extras must be selected in-film via a crude pop-up menu.

• Spotlight on Location (1080i, 13:45): A basic piece that explores the writer's interest in the subject, the movie's liberties with what truths about the societies are known, narrative basics, characters, themes, and more.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 12:17 total runtime): Scenes without any identifying markers. With optional Rob Cohen commentary.
• Audio Commentary: Director Rob Cohen guides listeners through the film's basics: storytelling, the truths behind the fiction, cast and performances, filmmaking secrets, and more.

The Skulls Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Skulls is a movie that is not without merit, but its merit largely exists within an un(der)explored center. A good idea, an interesting world of some complexity and storytelling novelty (and some real-world parallels) disintegrates into a type-based Thriller that eschews creativity. Cohen directs safely and the stars, talented as they may be, can't carry material that's fundamentally limited in dramatic reach. Universal's Blu-ray is decent enough, offering a few legacy extras in addition to solid video and audio. Worth a look on a steep discount.