The Mortal Instruments: La Cité des ténèbres

Movie was fine and entertaining.

I'm not going to give lots of details about what happened in the movie but just wanted to comment about what a lot of other people had said about it.

It feels like much of the hate must be from people trying to just buck the trend or with some emotional spur of the moment thing going on lol. Some people gave it 1 star which... according to them... makes it one of the worst movies ever made (worse than Battlefield Earth, or Killing Spree?? lol), but there are a lot of 10 star ratings... (So it was as good as The Godfather, Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction etc??)... too which always makes you think they were people involved with the movie but then again maybe people rate them in on their expectations of the movie compared to what they actually get, rather than rating in comparison to other movies?

It had a budget of $60 million and box office was around $76 million most likely way down on what they though it would be but not exactly a big flop, yeah there was probably millions spent on promoting but they probably made up for that and more with DVD and BR sales and rentals, and looking through various sites, the critics reviews seem to be around average or just below and cinema goers reviews seem to be average to above average. At the time of typing this it has a 6.1 rating on IMDb which shows that most here think it is at least better than average.

This movie is about getting to know the characters, an intro into the series if you like, there will be loose ends because there will be at least one sequel. The next movie will be much the same plus developing the characters with a big finale or if there is a 3rd and final movie the big finale will be there, that is usually how it works. There will always be similarities and comparisons... (Twighlight, Harry Potter, Stargate, Underworld... whatever!)... to other movies when especially when they are in the same genre, it would be almost impossible to make the movie 100% unique.

As for always comparing movies with books people will nearly always prefer the 1st version of something they read, see, hear etc which most often than not is the original, whether it be a book, movie, TV series or music. Its pointless reading the book and then moaning that it is not as the same. Making it exactly the same... which is hard anyway across the two completely different formats... would be also pointless as once you have read or seen one then there would be no point reading or seeing the other and people would still moan because its the same.

I agree it was a little too long and also agree with someone who mentioned the film score, it does seem somewhat out of place, like it was taken from another movie plus a lot of scenes were too dark, not much point spending money on filming a scene that no-one can see, but over all it was fine and entertaining. :)

BTW Took me a while to recognise Robert Sheehan, he was funny in Misfits TV series. :)

Wow i've never read the books on this film but what I stunning visual film this was, right from the start it throw you into a world of mystery that open up to a whole new world of beauty & darkness as the story is revealed. I will say tho this film might not be for everyone as it does come across as a Gothic teen feel to the film which is a cross between i'am number four & the seeker: dark is rising, but with a much better storyline & concept. I love the storyline & concept of this film, mundane , born human with immense power half angel/half human shadow hunters guardian of the light against the dark, this is what fantasy film's are all about. Lily Collins who plays Clary, wow she looking so beautiful in this film & a brilliantly done performance from her with her character as she really shows motion & believable character as she come to term with her destiny as a shadow hunter when she see things that go beyond reality.Like I said before this film is visually stunning with special effect & concept, the special effect on the face change was brilliant don't to show a dark horror tone to the demons as well as the beauty of the garden at midnight. The action scenes were fair there are a few moments where it does get a little slow but it acceptable as you don't fall asleep or get board of watch it because it does throw you into special scenes where things get interesting. I also love the back story of the angel warrior Azazel who gave his own blood to create the mundane to protect the world from demons. Like I said before a well this film won't be for everyone if you like the dark fantasy films this film you will probably like, but if not your going to find this film is bad or sucks because it won't be your type of film. But it worth watching & making it a part of the DVD collection. Dislikes : There wasn't much in describing the demonic world other than that there are people that have been taken over by demons that was the only thing I kind of felt should of gone more in depth with since the concept of the film is about a war between the light & dark but if you can over see this then you find this film brilliantly done.

Since the success of films like Harry Potter and Twilight, film studios have been looking for the next young adult book series to adapt. With five books already out and a sixth on the way, The Mortal Instruments is latest series to diving into a cinematic adaptation, being more fantasy, than supernatural romance.

Clary Fray (Lily Collins) is a seemingly normal New York teenager, who lives with her artistic single mother, Jocelyn (Lena Headey). Her best friend, Simon (Richard Sheehan), has a crush for the young woman, but she sees him more as a brother. Clary leads a normal life, but starts to draw a strange symbol, that leads to changes in her life. She begins to see it everywhere, leading her and Simon to a nightclub where she sees people, no one else can. Soon, Clary's mother is kidnapped and her only ally is Jace (Jamie Campbell Bower), a Shadowhunter, a half-angel, half- human creature, who hunts demons. Clary is thrust into a strange world of demons, vampires, witches, warlocks and werewolves and has to open up her own suppressed memories as an evil Shadowhunter. Valentine (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is looking for the lost Mortal Cup that can create more Shadowhunters.

To get the Twilight comparisons out of the way, yes there is a love triangle and a teenage girl has a romance with a supernatural creature. But, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones borrows much more from the Harry Potter, having a world within world, many mystical creatures, having a term to describe humans and focuses on a young character who could be more powerful then she realises and discovers her real past. The character of Alec (Kevin Zegers) is the Rosalie of the film, having animosity to our major character.

Continuing with Twilight comparisons, Clary is dependence on the other characters, but that is more due to the fact she is in a strange world and the Shadowhunters are much more experience. But, Clary is still resourceful, asks the right questions and is a go-getter who wants to get stuck in with the adventure.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is a standard fantasy adventure that, as already mentioned, borrows highly from Harry Potter. This is a film that has many predictable plot points, that we've seen many times before. This is a film that does follow The Hero With A Thousand Faces formula, but also makes you dive head first into its world and mythology, where other series would be much more gradual when bringing you into their worlds.

Harald Zwart of Agent Cody Banks and The Karate Kid (2010) fame took on the directing duties and he makes a darker film to his previous efforts. Zwart brings in Gothic visuals throughout the film, from the use of a catacomb that is run by creatures with sewed up mouths and the Shadowhunter's being like a church: but Institute's interior looks very much like Hogwarts. There are some gruesome moments (even for the PG-13 rating) involving the demon dog and the extra limbs demons can grow. But despite all this, death is kept to a minimum.

While The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones does have Judo-Christian iconography with its use of angel statutes and paintings, this is a film that actually side-steps being be a Christian, saying all religions are valid and avoids any mention of God or the afterlife.

The acting for the most part is decent enough, though the dialogue is predictable and a little clichéd at times. We do get to see Clary transform from a regular teenager to a Shadowhunter wearing a short dresses, a leather jacket and thigh high boots. While Campbell Bower brings a sardonic wit to Jace and there is strange aspect that all the Shadowhunters speak with English accents whilst the werewolves are Irish. Actors like Headey and Jared Harris do offer a little gravitas to proceedings but there are really extended cameos with the young actors being front and centre.

Zwart did show his action credentials when he directed The Karate Kid; but he seem to regress for his follow up film. The action sequences are for the most part fairly bland, typical fare. But Jemima West's Isabelle has some moments with a whip and looking really bad-ass when she has a flamethrower. Hell, give her a film.

The special effects are nothing to write home about. There are not bad, but due to the limited budget the digital looked obvious at times, particularly the werewolves. Yet, the demons near the end of the film does have a cool, glowing effort and have a similar look to Kronos' minions in Wrath of the Titans.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones has been have a torrid time with mainstream critics, but in all honesty, it is a perfectly serviceable fantasy adventure that is better to the Twilight series it has been compared to and will please fans of the novels.

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I read this book before watching the film and i was apprehensive to see if they would get all the important things from the book into the film. I think they did a very good job to get it all in, in just over two hours.

Cast: I thought they cast this film perfectly and all the characters played there roles perfectly. My favourite character from the book and film is Jace as he was so witty and he was really witty in the film which is good.

Story line: The story in this film is all very cramped together as the book was quite big so i think the screenwriter done a good job fitting it all in the 2 hours.

Music: The music in this film was perfect and fitted in with the film perfectly.

overall i think this film was impressive but there was some things that they changed which makes me wonder how they will be changing the story line in the second film.

Worth a watch...

7/10

In the tradition of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson etc. the Canadians have started a series of films based on Mortal Instruments. This first in the series, City Of Bones has a strong resemblance to the quest for the Holy Grail in modern times.

Young Lily Collins when her mother disappears she discovers that she's a belongs to a group of demon hunters and these demons seem to be everywhere. Among the great unwashed of Mundanes which is what these kids call the vast rest of us here on earth.

These demon hunters led by the leather clad Jamie Campbell Bower search in and among us Mundanes for demons. Lily makes their acquaintance when after going to a Goth type club she sees a murder no one else sees. It's Bower and he's done in a demon. After that mom disappears and Lily joins Bower and his crew searching for the Cup of Immortality which mom very skillfully hid.

I see already another film is in the works for this series. City Of Bones was nicely done with an attractive cast. But it will have to go some to reach the popularity of Harry Potter or Twilight.