British Actress Blog

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013)

Score: 7/10

Director: Harald Zwart

Stars: Lena Heady, Lily Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower, Robert Sheehan, Jemima West, Kevin Zegers.

The Mortal Instruments

City of Bones

Synopsis: When Clary’s mother disappears, she learns that she descends from a line of warriors who protect earth from the forces of evil.

Review: Clary ( Lily Collins ) is a young girl whose mother Jocelyn ( Lena Heady ) goes missing when she leaves the house. She returns home and finds out that she can see people and objects that no one else can. She is attacked and is saved by a very typical handsome blond warrior named Jace ( Jamie Campbell Bower ) who just happen to be ”into” her ( very typical young adult media that everyone hates ). She joins forces with other young people like her and they head straight into a dangerous alternate New York called “the Shadow World”.

Jocelyn

Lena Heady

Lena Heady does not play a big part in this film, but she does do a good job at it. It’s a shame that she was not utilized more in this movie, especially considering the fact that Lena Heady is a veteran actress with dynamic range. Jamie Campbell Bower does well in this movie. Of course we know him as King Arthur from the STARZ TV show Camelot. He is much better suited in this movie than a “noble” King of England. He was simply wrongfully cast in that show. He plays a young, dashing, blond haired, and handsome young fellow. This is very typical of both vampire films ( yes there are vampires in this movie ) and films mainly directed at young teen aged females. Lily Collins does very good as well but her look is basically Eliza Dushku’s character from Buffy the Vampire slayer “Faith” and the FOX TV show Dollhouse “Echo”. It’s a bit strange since I would have thought that the creators of this movie would have chosen a look that was more created and unique. This movie copies a whole lot from other films.

Jace

Jamie Bower

This movie reminds me of Wanted (2008) with James McAvoy, where a young person wants an adventure where they are special. Luckily this film takes heavily from the Harry Potter series with all of the different super natural elements that kind of just pop up out of nowhere as the main protagonist moves along the story. Of course this a one of those movies that fall into the “young adult” section that are extremely predictable. You can just guess what the story is going to be by imagining all of the tired movie hero’s journey clichés that some Star Wars fan boys are amazingly addicted to.

Jace

and Clary

The cinematography is very good. The lighting, set dressing, color, backgrounds, and wardrobe are all very well done. You can tell that a lot of attention to detail has been paid to them, especially post production. The film uses many different clichés from other films like the Star Gate (1994) they just happen to have in their institute. They could have at the very least made their star gate look different. They literally just copied the thing straight out of the original movie, the water effects and all! The thing just doesn’t spin. If you’re into fantasy films with a modern twist, that has magical adventures like the TV show Angel, then definitely give this one a watch. The film is better than average but highly predictable and not to be taken seriously at all.

More Films Reviews

Suffragette (2015)

Fight Club (1999)

The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet (2013)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

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