Review of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013) by Erica M — 26 Jan 2014

I think that this film has been criticised a bit harshly. I, myself am a huge fan of Clare's Mortal Instruments series. The books are beautifully written. They are fresh and totally original. But, on the contrary, this is not a review for the books. If it were I would have rated it five stars. I waited a very long time to see this film. Ever since Clare announced that Sony Pictures was working on putting this series into the big screen a few years ago. I knew before watching the movie that it was going to be a challenge to create the demons. The descriptions that Clare gives of the demons are very different then anything I have ever seen or heard of. A task that I think even the best special effect directors would find difficult.

In my opinion, all books will always far surpass their movie counterparts. Literature can do things that film will never be able to do, and that's pull the reader completely in. Make the reader a part of the story, you can become the unimaginable. And when it comes to supernatural and fantasy, you imagine and picture the descriptions in your mind and they appear more realistic then seeing it on the big screen done by special affects.

My issue with City of Bones is that the male lead, Jase, is played by Jamie Campbell. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING that day in casting?! Jase is described to be an otherworldly beautiful. Maybe it's just me, but Jamie Campbell was the worst choice ever. If the producers had to have him then he should play Sebastians character (if you haven't read the books and IF there is another movie, his character will be revealed later on). I also found that Valentine, the villain, was all wrong. I pictured him much more calm, calculating, and sophisticated. Instead he appeared more like some crazed samurai warrior wannabe.

Now, the demons are poorly created. In no way do they appear realistic. The fight in the nightclub in the very beginning was very poorly acted out. The werewolves are very ugly and once again, unrealistic.

I was very pleased with how the Silent Brothers and the whole Silent City turned out. It was very true to the novel and realistic looking. Lily Collins did a great job as the lead character. The Shadow Hunter New York Institute was beautiful in every way. It was perfect. All of the sets and scenes in the film were amazing and appeared very realistic.

Even though I was let down some by this film, I still enjoyed it greatly as did my whole family, who have never read any of the books. The comments about City of Bones reminding them of Twilight are ludicrous. Everything about the Mortal Instruments series is different then the Twilight Saga.

This movie is a first of it's kind. It is based on the first book of a series of soon to be seven book's. Hopefully this film was a learning experience for the cast and crew and they will get better with the next.