"I'm going to make you my weyotch!" Never has a line of dialogue defined a movie like this one does in The Covenant. Uttered during the showdown between two warlocks in the finale, this bastardization of modern urban slang is just one of many inanities in J.S. Cardone's script. Trying to be a "hip" male version of The Craft (a 1996 effort with similar story that might not be very good itself, but is better than this), Cardone's story is pretty dull, weakly structured and thinly explained with the makers of the movie hoping a few fancy CGI effects, an early teen friendly PG-13 rating and cast of 'hot' young twenty something's would still bring in an audience. Judging from the movie's poor box office totals, it didn't.

Four teenage friends who are attending Massachusetts private school, Spenser Academy, have earned the name of the "Sons of Ipswich" due to the fact they are direct descendents of families who survived the Salem witch hunt of 1692. They're a popular bunch of guys, due to the fact they're attractive and athletic members of the school's swim team. But they also happen to share a secret. Seems the power of witchcraft has been passed down their bloodline to them and they each share a vow to keep such a thing secret.

But all of that is about to change when the group's unofficial leader, Caleb (Steven Strait), starts to have weird visions and fellow students start turning up dead. It's mere days before Caleb is due to turn eighteen and "ascend" which will unleash his full power as a warlock. In the meantime, however, he becomes interested in new transfer student Sarah (Laura Ramsey, who's really only on hand for love interest purposes) and the group befriends Chase (Sebastian Stan), who's also new to the school.

Chase isn't who he seems, though, as it turns out he's the fifth "Son" who was thought to be dead. Obviously, he isn't, but what makes matters worse is that he's out for revenge and wants to absorb Caleb's powers not caring who he has to walk over to get them.

Despite a few moments sporting decent effects (the opening cliff leap, a scene where Caleb splits and reforms his car before getting in an accident and a mildly cool scene involving spiders) and being competently directed by Renny Harlin, The Covenant is still as passable as they come. And it all falls on Cardone.

Also responsible for penning 2001's The Forsaken, Cardone retreads the formula of that movie by taking a previous horror flick (in that movie's case Near Dark) and tacking on enough "crowd pleasing" elements (such as pop culture references) to try and draw in the younger moviegoers. The problem, though, is that it's almost like he forgot to put in enough action instead preferring to pile on tons of boring dialogue and back story that not only goes nowhere but generally doesn't make sense. His script is so full of such things that when the final showdown between Caleb and Chase (that is loaded with plenty of lame looking physical and magical brawling - a kick here, a hurled magical fireball there) and the hard rock soundtrack backing it doesn't even manage to lull you out of your stupor. In fact, the only thing I found at all interesting about Cardone's script is the fact he compares using "magic" to drug addiction, it's an idea explored before in such Vampire movies as The Addiction and it could've made for a much more compelling film than this pablum.

I'd like to think that the younger horror viewers out there don't need all the flash The Covenant tosses at the screen to truly enjoy this type of movie. I believe that they're smarter than that. It's unfortunate that the makers of this don't think the same. (Chris Hartley, 2/7/07)

Directed By: Renny Harlin.
Written By: J.S. Cardone.

Starring: Steven Strait, Sebastian Stan, Laura Ramsey, Taylor Kitsch.