THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS : CITY OF BONES
review by
ANIZ FILMVALA
*****
In New York City, teenager Clary Fray (Lily Collins) begins seeing strange symbols, concerning her mother Jocelyn Fray (Lena Headey) and her mother's friend Luke Garroway (Aidan Turner). Later, while attending a nightclub with her friend Simon Lewis (Robert Sheehan), Clary witnesses a bear being murdered by Jace Wayland (Jamie Campbell Bower), whom only Clary appears to see. Meanwhile, Jocelyn is abducted by two men, Emil Pangborn (Kevin Durand) and Samuel Blackwell (Robert Maillet), and leaves a message for Clary warning her that someone named Valentine is coming after her. Returning home, Clary is attacked by a demon and rescued by Jace, who reveals himself to be a Shadowhunter, a warrior trained to slay demons hidden on Earth, such as the man in the nightclub. Jocelyn was a Shadowhunter as well, and Clary has inherited her powers, including the ability to read runes.
Clary and Jace visit Clary's neighbor and friend, Madame Dorothea (C. C. H. Pounder), a witch who reveals that Pangborn and Blackwell are after the Mortal Cup, one of the three Mortal Instruments given to the first Shadowhunter by the Angel Raziel, that allows humans to become half-Angel. Simon, now able see Jace, joins them as they leave to meet Luke in his bookstore. There, Luke is being interrogated by Pangborn and Blackwell, and reveals that he is after the Mortal Cup himself. The trio then escapes to the Shadowhunters' base of operations, the Institute, where Clary and Simon meet Jace's fellow Shadowhunters, Alec Lightwood (Kevin Zegers) and Isabelle Lightwood (Jemima West), and their leader, Hodge Starkweather (Jared Harris), who reveals that Pangborn and Blackwell are working for Valentine Morgenstern (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), a ex-Shadowhunter who betrayed the group and sought to steal the Mortal Cup for himself in order to gain control of Shadowhunters and demons alike.
Believing the key to find the Mortal Cup lies within Clary's mind, Starkweather instructs Jace to take Clary to the City of Bones, where fallen Shadowhunters are laid to rest, to meet Brother Jeremiah (Stephen R. Hart), a dead Shadowhunter that probes Clary's mind and learns of her connection to a powerful sorcerer, Magnus Bane (Godfrey Gao). Clary, Jace, Simon, Alec and Isabelle meet Bane in a nightclub, where he reveals that Jocelyn hired him to block knowledge of the Shadowhunters from Clary's mind. Their conversation is interrupted when Simon is kidnapped by vampires, leading to a confrontation in a nearby hotel, in which the group is nearly killed before werewolves that hold a truce with the Shadowhunters intervene and save them.
Back in the Institute, Clary falls in love with Jace while joining him on a romantic evening with him in the greenhouse inside of the institute. Later on in the evening, Jace and Clary share a kiss and head back to her room. As Jace and Cary kiss the second time, Simon interrupts by opening the door, causing an awkward presence for the trio. After Jace leaves feeling confused and angered once Clary says to Simon " we were just kissing ", Simon then confesses to Clary that he loves her and always has. Although, Clary does not respond to this as she is surprised; allowing Simon to feel heart broken, and leaves the room. She eventually realizes that the Mortal Cup is hidden inside a tarot card belonging to her mother, and the group returns to Clary's apartment to retrieve it. There, they discover Madame Dorothea is a demon sent to steal the Mortal Cup. It is killed by Simon and Jace after mortally wounding Alec, while Clary retrieves the Mortal Cup.
The group then returns to the Institute, where they are betrayed by Starkweather, who steals the Mortal Cup and summons Morgenstern. He reveals himself to be Clary's father and attempts to force her to join him, but she refuses and escapes with help from Luke, the werewolf that saved them earlier, and who is truly loyal to Jocelyn. Luke reveals that Clary has a brother, Jonathan Morgenstern, and returns to the Institute with her and his pack to fight Morgenstern, who uses the Mortal Cup to open a portal and summon an army of demons to New York. Simon and Isabelle manage to close the portal with help from Starkweather, who sees the error of his ways and sacrifices himself to kill Blackwell. Meanwhile, Bane protects Alec and Luke kills Pangborn.
Clary and Jace fight Morgenstern, who reveals that they are siblings, and Jace is Jonathan. He tries to convince them to join him, but they refuse and push him through the portal with a duplicate Mortal Cup, which is then closed by Jace. Jocelyn is rescued and recovers in the hospital, where she is reunited with Luke. Clary assures Simon that, although she doesn't love him, someone will. Clary then heads back home and uses her powers to repair the damage done to her apartment. Shortly thereafter, Jace appears and confesses that he needs her and wants her to come back to the Institute. Once she agrees to go with him, Jace states that he does not believe that they are siblings. Clary then gets on his motorcycle and they drive off to their destination.
CRITIC VIEW.
Directed by Harald Zwart "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" does not have the Twilight series caliber or can't seem to match the standards of such milestones.
"The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" outclass the mundane and enters the torpid pace in whole.None of the character enthuse you in thier voyage of rescue.
A teenage fantasy as the “Twilight” and ''Harry Potter''films, invite audience for thier intriguing storytelling, smart character design that gives a engaging experience.
Some good work by Francois Seguin production designer has created imppressive visual effects, director of photography, Cinematography by Geir Hartly Andreassen is well crafted and also the CGI's are in good state, especially during a vampire-filled room in the climax.
The movie is strictly for the young and restless who care a damn for perfection rather more for their momentary pleasure.
CAST.
Directed by Harald Zwart
Produced by Don Carmody,Robert Kulzer
Screenplay by Jessica Postigo Paquette
Based on City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Starring Jamie Campbell Bower,Robert Sheehan,Kevin Zegers,Lena Headey,Kevin,Durand Aidan Turner,Jemima West,Godfrey Gao,C. C. H. Pounder,Jared HarrisJonathan Rhys Meyers
Music by Atli Örvarsson
Cinematography Geir Hartly Andreassen
Editing by Michael Kahn
Studio Constantin Film
Distributed by Screen Gems (US),Entertainment One (UK)
