Badly acted bad movie about a Secret Society that is hardly as secret as they think it is. Or maybe not. After all they brand the logo on the members wrist, but wait a minute, this is only one of the many numb-skull things that happen in this terrible try at whatever it is.Whatever it is, it ain't. The only thing worse than the acting is everything else. It is a ridiculous rant about class WAR and pseudo-friendships. A useless, unrelentingly, awful exercise in stupidity and silliness that culminates in one of the worst endings in screen history.This could very well be listed as one of the 100 Worst Films of All Time. It is painful to watch and one wonders how such a clunker ever got made and released and accessing the memory banks to comment on this abomination actually hurts as much as watching it. Ouch!!!

Well, first off I don't understand the real purpose of this secret society. I understood, they are secret, they have some authorities in the group, but what is the main point of having a secret society?The story's development isn't bad, the story is quite engaging, but we never really know any of the characters. Caleb Mandrake, is he a bad boy or a good guy? And Will, the guy who 'accidentaly' died? Why did he want to tell everyone about The Skulls, maybe for money? Comparing "The Skulls" with the other teen films of 99~01, I believe this is a weak movie. Nothing much really happens and all the happenings are a little pointless to me. Also, it's not very plausible that Caleb would shoot in his own dad instead of shooting in a "friend". Not to say how bad Paul Walker used to act in this period. It's a miracle he went from this to "Fast & Furious" franchise.It deserves six stars because it's quite original and entertaining, but it's no big film in any aspect.

The intention to show this supposed community, and utilize it in a thriller where the poor good guys beat the rich and influential evil guys, is great apart. The script is smart with breathless succession (It's written by John Pogue who wrote U.S. Marshals, a very good action thriller, 2 years earlier). I love (Rob Cohen)'s work in anything. He nails the right way to "tighten" things on screen, with all the senses of the word. The humid colors, the narrow cadres, the hot pace…etc. they are all his elements to make an exciting time. This movie is no exception. But why I felt that it was like fancy dinner party with only cheap rusk to serve ! (Joshua Jackson) can't be the lead. He's uncharismatic and uninteresting to the max. Among the ones chosen for the skulks who were entering the center for the first time/namely the movie's extra, he was the least noticeable. I'm no fan of (Tom Cruise) but the young him should have been more fit for such a role (a la he did in The Firm once). Further, although looks are deceiving but by a look to the movie's poster you'll grasp that (Paul Walker) was catchier than (Jackson). It's an irony wasn't for the sake of the lead, his persuasion, or our interaction with him.(Hill Harper), as the friend, is one annoying actor who many viewers thank god that he got killed earlier in the movie. He was in bad corner too concerning the way his role was written. The character, so hastily, hates how his friend becomes a Skull, for no logical reason (I got the feeling that he was gay, loving his roommate secretly, refusing that he goes to another class and another "friend" !). As you see the bad writing perfected with the bad acting to produce something between bad and laughable !(Steve Harris) as Detective Sparrow was a joke. He looked like another student yet fatter, doing his job usually or badly ! Long story short, save the old actors (Craig T. Nelson and William Petersen), this movie has a major casting, and acting, problems. But maybe it was all due to a lack of budget. Notice well that there was no sex scene between the lead and his love, since – naturally – there are no bankable stars in the first place. So, it tells you that (Rob Cohen) wanted to make this movie anyway, despite the small production, and with small stars. Yes, the presence, or not, of sex or nude scene can tell you a lot about a movie's production these days !The emphasis on the yellow color was terrible. I know that (Rob Cohen) wants us to live that sick phase of the lead's life, however not to the extent of making us sick ourselves! I noticed that many directors many times intend to use this color in specific exaggeratedly in their movies or TV shows lately. Is it a way to prove how artistic their work is? Is it a way to cut down the budget ? Is it a way to hide defects in the image ? I really don't know. What I do know is too much of something is bad enough !Generally, it's a very good thriller with different atmosphere and major casting problem maybe caused by the budget. I wanted to say to hell with the big names, but this cast forbids me. It's obvious that The Skulls just needed more skills to be more effective and, why not, believable.

The Skulls is a decent mystery/drama that has some intensity, keeps you interested, and moves well enough. But in the end though, you feel like there should have been, well... more. It has a similar feel to "Enemy of the State" but fails to strike you at home, for the struggle comes to the privileged membership of an elite college, and not to the ordinary man (although they do their best to make Joshua Jackson seem as normal as possible) The acting is fair, bordering on good. Paul Walker, does his part justice and the veterans of this cast- William Petersen (in one of his last films before CSI) and Craig T. Nelson both give the film credibility but the characters are restrained as to not overshadow the youngsters. Leslie Bibb is somewhat limited as her character's dialogue and use is at times asinine. Director Rob Cohen built a movie exactly for the PG-13 rating, using actors mostly known for TV teenage dramas, he does not over complicate things for the sake of the age group it's aimed for. Still, when all is said and done, the fact that it played it safe made certain that this movie did not fall on it's face. If there is one thing I take away from this movie, it has a classic last line delivered by William Petersen- but you're gonna have to watch it to find out.