Common Sense Note
Parents should know that this PG-13 rated movie's bone-crunching violence is probably too much for those under thirteen and sensitive younger teens. Parents may also want to discuss secret societies/fraternities/sororities and hazing with their children.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: N. Warren
Veteran director Rob Cohen keeps THE SKULLS moving, even when the action stops making sense. As Luke's travails with the Skulls increase, the story seems to unravel. A society whose membership is top secret but brands a skull on initiates' wrist where anyone can see it? A fraternity that controls the entire college campus, the top law schools, and the police department?
Adults may become impatient with the many lapses in logic. However, this is a thriller for teens. The main character learns that money and power at the expense of friendship isn't worth it--not such a bad message during a time when wealth is seen as the ultimate, if not only, barometer of success.
One fifteen-year-old female viewer liked the two friends Luke leaves behind the best: fellow rower and outsider Will, whose murder sparks Luke's turnaround, and the girl upstairs, Chloe. Will is a strong, if briefly developed African-American character, and Chloe turns out to be one tough woman, planning getaways and out-driving killer SUVs.
But even the fifteen-year-old saw where the plot went awry. The scene in which Luke goes from a thorazine coma to fighting a duel exasperated her: "Oh let me just change my shirt and we'll go and kill some more people," she mocked. But it didn't dampen her overall enthusiasm. Bottom line: The glossy visuals, intriguing settings, and action in THE SKULLS may help teens forget that all the plot twists add up to a pretzel.
Rate It!
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| CS | adults | kids | ||
Sexual ContentIt's implied that two characters have sex in the shower. Women are brought to a Skulls pledge event, presumably for sexual favors. |
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ViolenceQuite a lot, including murder, car wrecks, punching, and shooting. Surveillance cameras and bugs in Luke's room add to the constant ominous conspiratorial overtones. |
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LanguageSome strong language. |
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Message |
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Social Behavior |
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Commercialism |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoSome smoking and drinking. |
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