"I ... will you ... my power" (The Covenant (DVD))

Member Name: MI9to5

Product:	The Covenant (DVD)
Date:	09/06/08 (70 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fantastic soundtrack and brilliant stunts

Disadvantages: A little far-fetched

When a friend of mine suggested seeing The Covenant at the cinema when it first came out I wasn't too enthusiastic but decided to go anyway. All I can say is that I'm glad I did as the film I saw was fantastic. The energy, power but also the empathy it created was immense and the soundtrack one of the best I'd heard in a while.

Looking at how others have rated the film however I think I may be on my own. Ok I have to admit that the story is a little far-fetched but what do you expect from a supernatural action thriller. Personally I really enjoyed the film, I can't say it's one of my favourite ever films but it is certainly something I would watch again.


The Covenant tells the story of four young students in Massachusetts, known as the Brothers of Ipswich, are joined by their sacred ancestry and powers are nearing the age, 18, where they will receive powers that are far greater than those they currently hold. The powers however come with an exceptionally high price, as each time they are used they take away a little bit of their life an subsequently age them.

These four students however are not the stat of this magical line, they are merely descendents of five families of the Ipswich colony, who united by their untold power formed a covenant of silence in 1692. One of these families however had higher ambitions and a lust for power and was banished from the covenant. Their bloodline disappeared without trace. Without trace that is until now.

Initially the arrival a new boy in town does not arouse suspicions among the boys, as problems within their group lead them to believe the strange happenings are merely the work of Reid, who they suspect is merely jealous of Caleb, who'll be ascending first. As the truth however comes to the forefront secrets held close start to unravel and friends and family are placed in danger it becomes all too apparent that the power hunger family is back, and that they're back for revenge. Caleb, as the most powerful amongst them, must do everything he can to ensure that the covenant of silence that has protected their families for hundreds of years remains intact.

This film is mystical and magical from the very start. The settings are simply amazing and add a real tense atmosphere to the film as a whole. The delicate lighting and unusual yet effective camera shots tells the audience exactly what they should be looking at and exactly what they should think. In this way the film has you under a spell and pulls you into the magical yet somewhat scary world in which the characters live.

The special effects are also executed perfectly. They are shot in a way that makes the 'magic' effects seem believable and real. The actors themselves also do all of the stunts that you see within the film and in this way the reactions you see are all completely real, which adds another dimension to the film. These stunts are aided by the superb soundtrack, which increases and decreases the tempo and pace of he film at exactly the right point in order to have maximum effect.

The actors themselves are all somewhat unknowns and I think this works to the films advantage, as although Caleb (Steven Strait) seems to be the most important character all of the others have an immensely important role to play. By using 'unknowns' the balance between the characters is kept at the right level and no one character seems to steal the show. Another point to note is that all of the main characters look different, although they are all very good looking (an added bonus in my opinion), and so from the start you are clear as to who is who and what their role is. This is again a very clever device used by the director as it ensures that even if we do not understand the world that they live in we can at least understand who they are.

I would highly recommend the Covenant to anyone who likes light action thrillers, as this is certainly a tense drama of a film.

Summary: A stirling performance for relatively unknown actors.