The Skulls III

Rating: * 1/2 out of ****

Here it is for your viewing enjoyment, the second straight-to-video sequel to a box office release nobody remembers. For anyone who's not tired of the formula flogged out over the last two films or hasn't seen them, The Skulls III should make for a perfect Friday night rental. In the end, it's still a simple rehash, only with a nominal twist; the lead character is a hot chick, not a bland-looking blonde pretty boy.

Clare Kramer stars as Taylor Brooks, a college co-ed trying to initiate into the elite, secret society known as the Skulls. The members are all male, but an exception is made in her case because of her father's connections. Despite passing the required tests and rituals, Taylor finds herself in a tight jam; she wakes up one morning to find blood all over her clothes and her boyfriend dead. No points for guessing the Skulls are setting her up to blackmail her father. As expected, she's not going to take this treatment lying down, and with the help of a few friends, she searches for any evidence that can clear her name.

If the original Skulls was an overwrought thriller with horrific leads (Joshua Jackson, Paul Walker, and Leslie Bibb), then the sequels are at least a step above thanks to more likable and charismatic actors. The Skulls II benefited from solid performances from Robin Dunne and the super-hot Lindy Booth (who's fast becoming my current favorite hottie actress); this second sequel stars the delectably hot Clare Kramer, whose presence alone is enough to sustain the movie even when you know it's all routine.

The first half of the movie is structured rather awkwardly, there's a police interrogation that leads to a flashback, but this segment is interrupted before going to the flashback again in a different location, even though the new guy asking the questions already knows as much as the person supplying them. This is truly dumbing down for the audience.

The second half is more traditional to the series formula, though a lower budget puts things on a smaller scale. There's some tip-toeing around and some close call, near encounters with the villains, hardly anything you haven't seen before and done better, even in its predecessors. The expected chase scene is more perfunctory than ever, it's basically a middle-aged guy chasing after a fit, young woman down a few steps before she kicks his ass.

And while this has always been a thriller cliché, ever since Pitch Black, it's become more popular than ever for a movie to present us with characters who turn out not to be whom they initially appeared to be (PB and Unbreakable are the only movies in recent memory to pull this kind of twist off perfectly). Let's just say it won't take a genius to guess which of the male leads turns out to be the surprise villain and which turns out to be the surprise hero.

For all my complaints, I knew perfectly well what to expect from this movie and I can at least say it's always watchable. There may be no first-rate thrills or suspense, but the plot moves at a fast clip and doesn't waste much time getting from Point A to Point B. Best of all is the charming Clare Kramer, who's immensely appealing and a total delight to stare at.

It's rather a pity that she's mostly appeared in supporting roles below high-profile young actresses like Kirsten Dunst, Kate Bosworth, and Jessica Biel. There's no question in my mind she deserves to be a bigger star than all of them combined. The Skulls is a series that looks like it's going nowhere fast, but here's hoping it'll at least serve as a stepping stone for a few talented young actors.

If i were you, i would skip Skulls 2 and go directly to this nice little gem. Clare Kramer actually did a decent job at this film, as well as the other cast. Normally i don't expect much from direct to video sequels of popular teen movies but this one actually surpassed the original in my opinion. Providing more interesting twists and turns than the original ever did. Not to mention the carbon copy sequel which really sucked. This one really held my interest and kept me guessing at an outcome.

Kramer stars as Taylor a bright and head strong young woman who is still haunted by her brothers suicide and her fathers growing distance. She decides that she will take up the mantel her brother failed to do with becoming a skull. But as the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for. As Taylor suddenly begins to spiral out of control down a path of betrayal, jealousy and murder.

Unlike Skulls 2, this third actually spends time detailing the grueling process of becoming a skull, Skulls 2 skipped all that and just repeated the same scenes from the original, the only thing skulls 2 had differently was a breasts. And sadly Skulls 3 didn't but I'm not complaining the story was so good, i quickly forgot my horn dog ways. Skulls 3 has everything you would want in a good Friday night movie...except breasts but i think we can overlook that cant we?

Not a bad way to waste a couple of bucks on a weeknight.

I admit the first two installments were good and kept your attention. Part three started showing signs of trouble. A female in a all male society club was a bit too much to believe. The story itself was a bit weak and the thought of a female surrounded by males could have gone a bit deeper. One knows off the bat that rape would be expected though not the case here. All those good looking guys not making any moves on her where they'd be protected seemed a bit pointless. This time the movie falls flat and just can't get the momentum going again. The cast is forgettable, the plot is overused and the ideas are all exhausted. By far the weakest in the trilogy and most uninteresting. I wasn't in to this one because they just didn't try to salvage this movie in any way. At least the first two used pride and honor here they just wrote and didn't really do anything with it.

Honestly, I loved it. I am a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I have seen the first 2 Skull movies, and when I found out that Clare Kramer was in the 3rd, I thought I would watch it. I have rented the movie at least 17 times, I cannot find it on DVD, or I would buy it. I have read some of the reviews, mentioning that it is one of the worst sequels. I totally disagree. I do not like the movie just because Clare Kramer is in it, I liked the storyline, I thought there was a little twist at the end. I loved how Taylor fought her way, and did research to prove to her father that she was just as good as the guys, if not better. They would have failed everything if it was not for her and I admire her character, and I also liked in the end that Roger had helped. I can't really think of a lot of things to say, except that I loved it, and that it is my second favorite movie, ever. (My first is Queen of the Damned.) Also, IT WAS WAY BETTER THAN THE FIRST TWO! That's my opinion.

The lead role of this third film about the Skulls (but that can still work pretty well as a stand alone) is Clare Kramer (Glory in the 5th season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer). It's the first movie I saw her in with a leading role and I found her performance to be pretty good.

The overall acting in the movie was fine.

I found the story to be pretty predictable but still enjoyable. There were no pointless or rushed scenes. They succeed in keeping your interest during pretty much all the movie. And everything (I think) is explained at the end.

So an enjoying movie with a good story