The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
Coming of age and moody as any teenager, Clary Fray (Lily Collins) is a little different than most girls her age; it appears her latest birthday has come with special supernatural gifts. As it turns out, Clary is actually a descendant of demon hunting warriors that protect our world. But, with this new found knowledge comes responsibility, and now that her mother (Lena Headey) has gone missing several problems will need addressing– rapidly. Specifically, in addition to finding her mother, Clary will need the help of her friends Jace (Jamie Campbell Bower), Isabelle (Jemima West), and Simon (Robert Sheehan) to locate and protect a powerful relic. Meanwhile the question of who is Clary’s father looms large, and where has he been all her life?
Confusing in plot, Hollywood’s latest attempt to translate popular teenage fiction to cinema magic has the best intentions but instead bites off more than can be reasonably chewed in one sitting. Combining elements of Twilight, Star Wars, Underworld, and a gazillion other fantasy fiction story lines it’s hard to find an original idea on the page. Furthermore and disappointingly so, on several occasions what actually starts out as an interesting concept gets quickly reduced to a schlocky joke covered in teen cheese whiz, gross. On the other hand, visually there’s plenty to admire, and it’s not as though the actors are doing a bad job, it really does come down to stale plot, and an overstayed welcome. Clocking in at two hours and 10 minutes, knee jerk reactions say this should have been cut closer to the 100 minute mark, oh decisions. Maybe a matinee but more of a rental for the teens, just be prepared for Velveeta..ugg. The Mortal Intruments: City of Bones is rated PG-13.