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WARNER

MOVIE INFO

Director:
Guy Ritchie
Cast:
Jake Gyllenhaal, Dar Salim, Jonny Lee Miller
Writing Credits:
Guy Ritchie, Ivan Atkinson, Marn Davies

Synopsis:
During the war in Afghanistan, a local interpreter risks his own life to carry an injured sergeant across miles of grueling terrain.

Box Office:
Budget:
$55 million.
Opening Weekend:
$6,380,188 on 2611 Screens.
Domestic Gross:
$16,938,039.

MPAA:
Rated R.

DISC DETAILS
Presentation:
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Audio:
English Dolby Atmos
English Dolby 5.1
English Descriptive Audio
Subtitles:
English
Spanish
Closed-captioned
Supplements Subtitles:
None

Runtime: 123 min.
Price: $29.98
Release Date: 6/20/2023

Bonus:
• DVD Copy


PURCHASE @ AMAZON.COM

EQUIPMENT
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-Panasonic DMP-BDT220P Blu-Ray Player
-Chane A2.4 Speakers
-SVS SB12-NSD 12" 400-watt Sealed Box Subwoofer


RELATED REVIEWS


Guy Ritchie's The Covenant [Blu-Ray] (2023)

Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (June 18, 2023)

Most war movies focus on soldiers. While that becomes a strong aspect of Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant, the story also looks at bonds between combatants and support staff.

Set in 2018 during the Afghanistan War, US Army Sergeant John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal) works with local interpreter Ahmed Abdullah (Dar Salim). After a rocky start, the pair develop mutual respect, and eventually Ahmed goes to heroic extremes to keep John alive during extremely hazardous situations.

Though the government promised to bring Afghan interpreters and their families to the States, they drop the ball in Ahmed’s case. John feels he owes a literal life debt to Ahmed and travels back to Afghanistan to extricate his colleague.

Given that the last paragraph of my synopsis reveals the resolution of the film’s first half, it might fall into spoiler territory. As much as I hate to reveal potentially “hidden” plot information, I didn’t sweat it here because John’s rescue mission becomes such a crucial part of the story.

As with many movies, Covenant cares more about the journey than the destination. Sure, we know John will survive, and we can probably figure out what will happen with Ahmed as well.

Does any of this semi-predictability damage Covenant? Not in the least, as Ritchie delivers a taut and compelling drama.

One for which I admit Ritchie seems like an unlikely match, though. Best known for glib, violent gangster flicks, Ritchie doesn’t feel as though he suits this kind of earnest tale.

Sure, Covenant comes with lots of combat, and Ritchie knows his way around that sort of material. However, despite its prevalence, the war scenes don’t become the focus on the movie.

Instead, we really get a character drama dressed up in violent clothes. When battles occur, they do so to motivate the narrative, not to exist as action set pieces.

I wouldn’t want to refer to Covenant as a platonic love story between Ahmed and John. Honestly, it feels like the men more respect than genuinely like each other.

Instead, the tale deals with the bonds of brotherhood in times of crisis. It absorbs honor and obligation as themes, and it explores them well.

As noted, virtually nothing about the narrative we get here should come as a surprise. However, Ritchie manages to tell this story in a dynamic manner that keeps us on the proverbial edge of our seat nonetheless.

Even if we sense where matters will go, the execution ensures that we sorta kinda question these assumptions. Ritchie presents the dual quests – Ahmed’s work to keep John safe and then John’s attempts to extricate Ahmed and family – as thrillers and forces us to worry about various fates despite our awareness of how the tales probably conclude.

A good cast helps, and I appreciate how much of the movie focuses on Ahmed’s POV. Too many movies of this sort concentrate on the white character almost exclusively and deal with non-white roles in a supporting manner.

Yes, Gyllenhaal comes to us as the star, and he does act as the central aspect of the story. However, he spends a lot of the movie’s first half incapacitated, and that allows Ahmed’s side to come to the fore.

Both lead actors fare well. Gyllenhaal offers a solid turn as the cynical but still duty-bound veteran, and Salim brings real personality and spark to the interpreter with more skills than the average bear.

We find excellent chemistry between these two as well. They never beg for love or audience affection, and they make their interactions without the overt, sloppy sentiment that would ruin many movies – and ring false for these parts.

I can’t claim Covenant reinvents any wheels, but it works. A tight tale of characters in wartime, it becomes a rich, involving tale.


The Disc Grades: Picture B+/ Audio A-/ Bonus F

Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.39:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. This became a strong presentation.

Sharpness seemed solid. The movie offered very good delineation, with only a handful of soft shots during a few dimly-lit scenes.

No signs of moiré effects or jagged edges materialized, and edge haloes failed to appear. I also didn’t see any source flaws.

To the surprise of no one, Covenant opted for a heavily amber/orange and teal palette. While predictable, the transfer executed those hues well.

Blacks looked dark and tight, while shadows looked smooth and clear. Everything about the image satisfied.

Downconverted to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, the movie’s Dolby Atmos soundtrack added strong involvement to the experience. With the level of bombast expected from a movie with many scenes of combat, the soundfield used the various speakers well.

Obviously, battles proved the most involving, as they engulfed the viewer with the sounds of the setting. That side of things worked best, but other sequences also seemed good.

Even quieter sections placed the viewer in the action and consistently satisfied. Surround usage was pleasing throughout the film, as the back speakers bolstered the various settings well.

Audio quality was also good. Speech appeared natural, and the lines never demonstrated intelligibility problems.

Music was quite dynamic and lively, as the score showed excellent range and delineation. Effects were also bright and bold, with nice low-end to boot. Across the board, this was an excellent track that deserved a solid “A-”.

Absolutely no extras – not even previews – appear here.

We do find a DVD copy of the film, though. Unsurprisingly, it also includes no supplements.

Nothing about The Covenant will surprise viewers, but the movie turns into a winner nonetheless. We find a compelling tale of brotherhood during battle that springs to life in an involving manner. The Blu-ray offers strong picture and audio but it lacks bonus materials. The lack of extras disappoints but I nonetheless recommend this quality film.

Viewer Film Ratings: 3 Stars Number of Votes: 1
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