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Covenant, The

4/10

Stars: Steven Strait, Laura Ramsey. Sebastian Stan, Jessica Lucas, Toby Hemingway, Wendy Crewson, Taylor Kitsch, Chace Crawford

Director: Renny Harlin

You've heard of the Witches of Eastwick. Now meet the Sons of Ipswich. Doesn't have quite the same ring, does it? This is a testosterone-driven version of The Craft, centring on four senior high-school boys who have The Power (to float through the air, move objects, or hurl force fields).

'These powers,' says the mother (Crewson) of one, 'are nothing to what you'll get when you Ascend.' Aha. Alas, an interloper with a grudge (and The Power) infiltrates the Gang of Four, and soon plans to...well, it's never clear what he plans to do, except destroy those with The Power and get them to give it to him.

The film's a very mild dose of horror-fantasy with truly average special effects and no visible reason for existence. Harlin was once a director to be reckoned with, but has long since lost his touch. At least the boys are all good-looking and well-toned (if too much alike) and the girls well-fit also. So you'll stay in your seats. Maybe. 'All that he wanted to do,' groans Crewson, ' was end the suffering.' Amen to that.

David Quinlan

USA 2006. UK Distributor: Sony (Columbia). Colour by De Luxe.
97 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: 12A.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 1, Drugs 0, Swearing 0.

Review date: 04 Dec 2006