Title:
The Covenant
Region:
A
Media:
Blu-ray Disc
Genre:
Supernatural Young Adult Thriller
Stars:
Steven Strait, Sebastian Stan, Laura Ramsay, Taylor Kitsch, Toby Hemingway,
Jessica Lucas, Chace Crawford, and Wendy Crewson
Writer:
J.S. Cardone
Director:
Renny Harlan
Feature
length: PG-13
Extras:
Audio Commentary With Director Renny Harlan, Breaking The Silence: Exposing The
Covenant
Featurette
Languages:
English PCM 5.1 Uncompressed Surround Sound and English and French Language
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Subtitles:
English Subtitles For The Deaf And Hearing Impaired and English, French, Korean,
Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Thai Language Subtitles
Packaging:
Blue BD Case
Chapter
Stops: 16
Sound:
PCM 5.1 Uncompressed Surround Sound and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 2006/Blu-ray Disc Release: 2007
Theatrical
Distributor: Screen Gems
Home
Video Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: PG-13
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
Four
sons from four families of Warlocks, whose lineage goes back for centuries and
stems from origins no one quite knows, have been living the high life since
their powers first began to emerge when they turned 13. However there is a price
for having unbelievable magical abilities. Between the ages of 13 through 18,
the temptation to use magic is seductive and can become addicting as well as
dangerous because at the age of 18, the young men’s’ powers fully matures in
a rite known as ascension. When this occurs, the powers take their toll upon the
user so the body ages prematurely if the Warlock abuses or has abused his power
prior to ascension. Thus if you are a magic addict, odds are your body will give
away before you reach 21. The four families are responsible for the betrayal of
a fifth family during the witch trials of centuries passed. The betrayal is
never clearly delineated, but it was believed that the heir to the fifth family
was long destroyed, but this belief is unfounded. Having no one to guide him and
warn him of the dangers of abusing the power, the fifth family heir has
infiltrated their covenant and threatens to destroy them all unless the oldest
Warlock hands over his powers at the time of ascension. This act will kill the
one who gives up his powers and will do nothing to change the fate of the fifth
heir except give him more power. The film culminates in a life and deaf duel
over the power and the fate of all involved.
Had
the story been developed more beyond what is essentially another screenplay that
mixes horror or supernatural elements with the kind of teenage fantasy that has
been sold on television and the big screen for nearly two decades, this might
have been a more interesting film. As is, the characters are flat and since they
have essentially blessed lives with fancy cars, nice looking girls around them,
and being too cool for school wherever they go, I honestly found no way to
relate to anyone in the film except for a bit of sympathy for the villain since
he had no one to guide him and is understandably pissed off. The actors also
look older than 18 and their characters are bunch of spoiled rich kids. The only
people who will want to see this film is the teenage target audience, but I
think even they will be disappointed by the somewhat unresolved conclusion if
not the entire film in general.
Renny
Harlan in my opinion is a hit or miss action film director. If he is given a
good script and doesn’t go too far off into the stratosphere, he can produce a
good popcorn flick, but sometimes he just seems to care more about the eye candy
and the action than he does about the characters and if you are going to sell a
story like this, the characters have to be sympathetic and unfortunately none of
them are remotely anything more than male and female eye candy. They are there
to titillate the viewers, but even in this respect The Covenant falls
short because everything seems like a cliché. Not even the fantasy elements are
handled right and some of the instances where the brats use their magic to play
pranks on the police for example seems to negate the whole issue of not abusing
one’s powers.
The
Covenant
was only in theaters a few months ago so as expected with a video resolution up
to1080p where available, it looks great and the English PCM 5.1 Uncompressed
Surround Sound has noticeably higher fidelity than the English and French
Language Dubbed Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtracks. For some reason, the
only way to access the English Subtitles for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired as
well French, Spanish and regular English Subtitles is by activating them
directly with the subtitle button on the remote control while the film is in
progress. Portuguese, Korean, Chinese (Mandarin), and Thai Language Subtitles
are available as options through the seamless menu navigation features. Renny
Harlan delivers a laid back audio commentary that is supported a making of
featurette (18:45) presented in a (1.33:1) aspect ratio. A preview trailer for Ultraviolet
(2:19) is presented in HD with 5.1 Surround Sound and is the only other extra
feature included on this disc. The Covenant is available on Blu-ray Disc
now courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
©
Copyright 2007 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
