Based on a worldwide best-selling book series? Check! Fantasy creatures? Check! Love story? Check! Can Clary and her gang of Shadowhunters make The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones the next big fantasy movie series?
Set in contemporary New York City, a seemingly ordinary teenager, Clary Fray (Lily Collins), discovers she is the descendant of a line of Shadowhunters, a secret cadre of young half-angel warriors locked in an ancient battle to protect our world from demons. After the disappearance of her mother (Lena Headey), Clary must join forces with a group of Shadowhunters, who introduce her to a dangerous alternate New York called Downworld, filled with demons, warlocks, vampires, werewolves and other deadly creatures.
As the synopsis includes the terms Shadowhunters, demons, warlocks, vampires and werewolves, I’m sorry to say that it’s not as great as it sounds. There are fantasy elements in the film that looks cool like the magical runes and the art direction of the sets but they are not enough to immerse you into this world. Honestly, I’m sick of werewolves and vampires. They are now becoming wearisome to watch in the big screen given how much we already saw them in the past years.
As for the cast, Lily Collins makes a beautiful Clary but she needs to improve her acting. I think Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace and Robert Sheehan as Simon were okay. I like Lena Headey as Clary’s mother. Jonathan Meyers was a miscast as the villain Valentine. I think Jarred Harris fits the role of The Institute’s tutor Hodge Starkweather.
Haral Zwart is seems like directing a Disney Channel TV movie. Pacing is a rushed and sometimes a bit dragging. There are some lines that are supposed to be funny but were not. The film has some bar and party scenes and they don’t look fun at all. There are also a lot of love triangles in the movie. There’s the usual best friend vs. new love (rest assured, they are not a vampire and a werewolf) and even a gay secret love. Sadly, they all weren’t translated interestingly in screen. To begin with, Collins and Bower have zero chemistry. Their first kiss looks cheesy with the sprinklers and the background song. Does it need to have a rainy kiss effect? Cliché much?
Overall, the movie feels like a fan fiction of Twilight and Harry Potter. I haven’t read the book and I still don’t plan to after seeing this film. I guess this film is truly for its fans. The fans who already accepted of what it is. In terms of adaptation, I heard this one didn’t stray much from the book so I think they would be pleased.
The Verdict:
I can’t recommend The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones unless if you’re already a fan of it. For me, this is another missed attempt to be the next big fantasy movie series.
Distributed by Sony Pictures, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is now showing nationwide!
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About the movie reviewer:
Orange Magazine TV‘s newest film critic is a self-confessed movie geek. John Albert Villanueva love movies so much, he watch every movies from the big screen and collects DVDs of classic movies. Read his other review here.
