Guy Ritchie's The Covenant is a great movie with an interesting story on an important subject matter. It has some intense action scenes and many moments of suspense. The music is fantastic, elevating every scene. That's now three movies where I've noticed a great musical score by composer Christopher Benstead, along with Wrath of Man and Operation Fortune.

Jake Gyllenhaal gives a great performance as usual. The surprise stand out is Dar Salim, who did a great job of getting me invested in his character and wellbeing. I wish Antony Starr (The Boys, Banshee) had a bigger role, but it was cool to see him have scenes with a star of Gyllenhaal's caliber. He's such a great actor and I continue to wait for him to get major movie roles.

I'm impressed with the subject matter covered here. It's so sad and needs to be addressed. It's not the first time the American government has broken promises or shirked responsibilities resulting in catastrophic outcomes for the people who put their trust in them. Some people will immediately call you unpatriotic for even bringing this up. But wrong is wrong, regardless of who does it.

(1 viewing, opening Thursday 4/20/2023)

When Guy Ritchie out-Guy Ritchie's a Guy Ritchie film and finally again gives us the great filmmaking that made Guy Ritchie a great filmmaker. I can actually forgive Ritchie now for his Operation Fortune nonsense.

The first hour of this film alone was a great war-action film. It could've ended at that hour and I would've been fully satisfied, impressed and entertained. Then we get the bonus last hour of a separate recon and rescue mission mostly undertaken by one soldier, another epic film on its own.

Combine both stories, and you get a flawless film from every aspect, and one that is timely and hits home with a reality check on a bond, a pledge and a commitment. From the stellar directing to the perfect screenwriting, excellent cinematography, spot-on score, and stellar casting with outstanding performances by everyone especially Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim. The running time and pacing were perfect - I actually wanted more. The two hours were pure adrenaline as the remarkable and highly emotional journey unfolded. This film had everything and more, and even some surprising laugh out loud moments: I like what you did with your hair.

Alas, Guy Ritchie just out-Guy Ritchied, a Guy Ritchie film. Sheer brilliance from every angle. An epic must see film, and a perfect 10/10 from me. This one will be in my all-time greatest films collection for sure. It has a hook in me. One that you cannot see. But it is there.

In this straight-faced turn from Guy Ritchie, the pacing is certainly unorthodox, as over half the runtime is dedicated to set-up for an unexpectedly brisk final act. But all of it was so thoroughly investing that it didn't bother me.

And although a great deal of that set-up feels too rote, too similar to the many other war films seen in the last 20 years, The Covenant quickly carves out a thoroughly distinct feel for itself as it establishes its central theme of the indebtedness that comes with a spiritual bond people feel to each other.

Gyllenhaal is great as always, but the show-stealing star of this film is Dar Salim as Ahmed. He gives this film its emotional teeth and causes its hook of tension to sink into you and not let go till the end.

The pulse-pounding musical score and Ritchie's refreshingly restrained direction allow this film to truly have far more staying power than most run-of-the-mill war films.