More May Movie Reviews: Three Films Worth Watching (The Covenant,Air, Dungeons & Dragons)

There’s a lot of junk out there when it comes to movies, so it’s always a pleasant surprise when I manage to watch three movies that I’d recommend in a row – it’s like Tic-Tac-Toe, but with good films.

Just like it’s nearly impossible to win at Tic-Tac-Toe (unless you are playing a baby), it’s nearly impossible to watch three quality movies in a row. Also Tic-Tac-Toe is a game and one of the movies below is based on a game, but that game is not Tic-Tac-Toe (sadly). I would watch a Tic-Tac-Toe movie though. I think everyone would. The world is finally ready for that Tic-Tac-Toe epic.

Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant (2023)

United Artists, 123 minutes

You’ve got to be pretty proud of a movie when you put your name in the title proclaiming that you’re the one who made it. There are actually reports that they added Guy Ritchie’s name to the title of this movie to avoid confusion with a 2006, PG-13, teen supernatural horror bomb of a movie also titled The Covenant (that has a 4% score on Rotten Tomatoes), but I’m not so sure that one was so remembered by movie audiences that it merited a name change here.*

*Note: Looking at the cast list for the 2006 movie now though, it definitely has some big names in it – Steven Strait (the main guy from The Expanse), Chase Crawford (who plays “The Deep” on The Boys), Taylor Kitsch (Riggins from Friday Night Lights), and Sebastian Stan (who’s in a ton of movies nowadays, including playing Marvel’s Winter Soldier). Maybe the 2006 film needs a watch to see if it falls into “so bad it’s good” territory after all.

If you get to this scene, be aware that you have been watching the wrong “The Covenant” movie!

Anyways, let’s get back to the 2023 Covenant. Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant was, in fact, directed, co-produced, and co-written by Guy Ritchie. I’d argue that even though it does have a couple of fast-paced action sequences, The Covenant is actually a film unlike what you likely think of when thinking of Ritchie’s work – it’s not a jump-cut filled, Jason Statham-starring, British gangster film with a large ensemble cast of wacky characters. Quite the opposite, this is a more serious war film focusing primarily on only its two leads.

Storywise, we follow a U.S. army sergeant (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) and an Afghan interpreter who survive an ambush and must then make their way back to a military base while being pursued by the Taliban. There’s more to it than that, but I won’t get into too much to avoid spoilers.

Overall, Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant is a well-made movie that paints what feels like a realistic portrait of what it was like for troops in Afghanistan. The film feels a lot like it could have been a true story, but it’s not based on an actual event or real people. I think that if it had been based on a true story, it would’ve really elevated how powerful the movie feels, though this is still a worthwhile watch. However, I don’t think this is a fantastic film by any means – it’s sort of one of those movies that’s pretty good while you watch it, but then you’ve forgotten most of it a week later. But if you’re in the mood for a realistic-feeling modern war movie, then Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant (but not the 2006 The Covenant) fits the bill. 

Grade: 7/10

Air (2023)

Amazon Studios, 112 minutes 

Air is a true story that focuses on Nike trying to secure a basketball shoe endorsement deal with Michael Jordan, who at the time had just been taken as the third pick in the NBA Draft and was about to begin his rookie season.

The film was directed by Ben Affleck, who also has a role as Nike’s CEO, but the movie’s main character is Nike’s basketball talent scout, Sonny Vaccaro (played by Matt Damon), who’s absolutely determined to get Jordan to agree to terms with Nike. Michael Jordan’s parents, particularly his mother, Deloris, also play a large role in the whole process and the negotiations.

Air is an enjoyable, feel-good drama. We’ve all heard of the Air Jordan sneaker line, so we know things are going to work out, and the fun of the movie is seeing how everything happened, and then just appreciating the level to which things did, in fact, work out for all of the parties involved.

One thing you’d expect to be in a story of this sort that’s absent is a little more focus on Sonny’s home life, and maybe some stresses there further driving home why the deal’s so important to him, or an encouraging figure (a girlfriend or wife character) that’s supporting him as he goes about his quest to convince Michael Jordan to sign with Nike. I don’t think the lack of Sonny’s home life, or any part of the film focusing on something other than the sneaker storyline really hampers the film though, since it allows it to really hone in on the story it’s trying to tell.

Air is a well-crafted drama that can be enjoyed by Nike-wearers (like myself) and non-Nike wearers alike. 

Grade: 8.5/10

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Paramount Pictures, 134 minutes

As far as PG-13 fantasy adventures films go, the new movie, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, is definitely better than expected. One of the film’s strongest attributes is its sense of humor. D&D does a great job at infusing jokes and other comedic aspects into its adventure story, without feeling like the same type of uninspired humor that’s been in every Marvel movie since Iron Man (which is the sort of comedy I more expected in a movie such as this one).

Another thing D&D really nails is its world building. The environments our colorful cast of characters finds themselves in are fun and full of life. There’s nothing super original with any of the fantasy settings, but what’s shown is all well-crafted and a good representation of fantasy as a whole, which is what they were clearly going for. The acting of the film is strong too, with the best performance coming from Chris Pine, who play Edgin, the leader of our group of outcast heroes. Pine is probably the best actual actor out of all of Hollywood’s many Chris’s (Pratt, Hemsworth, Evans).

The plot here is super cliché, but that’s mostly fine. My main issue with the film is its pacing in the second act. The first and third act of the film are really well-done, A-grade quality stuff, but the middle of the story really drags. Studios, nowadays, seem to feel obligated to make every blockbuster over two hours long, but it really hinders a lot of movies. I think that cutting out half an hour somewhere from the film’s second act could’ve really elevated D&D from “pretty good” to “great” territory. As it is though, there’s still some fun to be had here. 

Grade: 7/10