Aylmer to Zazzoo and Beyond: The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
(2013 - August 21)
Action | Adventure | Drama
2 hr 10 min

Rated: PG-13 Intense sequences of fantasy violence and action, and some suggestive content. Read more
Grade: C-

Director: Harald Zwart
Writers: Jessica Postigo (screenplay), Cassandra Clare (based on the novel by)
Stars: Lily Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower, Jemima West | See full cast and crew

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. Based on the worldwide best-selling book series.Written by Sony Pictures Entertainment

This film has it all...a bit of The Twilight Saga, Dr. Who, Beautiful Creatures, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and The Host. It has a little something for everyone, the Twilight love triangle, vampires including some gay ones, werewolves even biker werewolves, demons, warlocks, leather fetish and cross-dressing warlocks at that and then there is something a little different called Shadowhunters (the main one, Jace, kept reminding me of Ken Osmond aka Leave It To Beaver's Eddie Haskell). It's a movie full of high cheek bones

There are way too many characters, it creates a buckshot effect. Nothing about this film is really awful but nothing about it is awesome either. I have to assume that those who are big fans of the very popular best-seller books by Cassandra Clare are going to be disappointed.

Remember The Host, how silly turned out to be? Well, although The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones plays for laughs at times, it turns out to be pretty silly during its so called serious moments as well.

There are a few pluses, however, this film is actually teen friendly. It is not an R rated film targeted at teens or a PG-13 film intended for a teen audience that is riddled with profanity, sex and nudity. One need not be too concerned about the kids who read and liked the book seeing the movie. Its romance story doesn't get raunchy. The special effects are nothing to write home about but are pretty standard for these days. This is part of the reason I didn't give the film a D+. I tend to reward standards.