When her mother disappears, Clary Fray learns that she descends from a line of warriors who protect our world from demons. She joins forces with others like her and heads into a dangerous alternate New York called Downworld.
***
1. The cast:
The cast is quite good actually. First of all I have to say they nailed Clary and Simon. Clary is exactly how I imagine her to be. Lily Collins IS Clary. I'm glad that the crew casts her as Clary because in my mind she's Clary. Simon is almost exactly the same case. I mean, I pictured Logan Lerman as Simon before Simon is cast but after they cast Simon, I was like, "hey this is Simon too! And he has the nerdy look that Simon always has when he puts on a pair of glasses". Jace... I have to say Jamie is the closest guy that looks like and can play Jace. I'm really glad they cast him. I still can't believe there are still some out there saying Alex Pettyfer should be Jace because he said so that he wouldn't play a teen role. Jamie IS Jace to me. Alec... well, it's pretty much the same case as Jace, because although Kevin is a little bit older to play Alec, he's also the closest guy I can imagine. Isabelle is not exactly how I imagine her. But her accent... her accent is just so cool. I think she's okay to play the role even though she's not exactly how I picture Isabelle. Magnus is just PERFECT with an extra-large P. He's just so sexy that it's hard to imagine someone else to play the role and he's Asian!
2. The acting:
The acting is generally good. Jamie did an excellent job at playing Jace. I mean, he can totally play a guy with hard edges and sarcasm on the outside and a tender and breakable heart on the inside. Just look at this scene:
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There. It pretty much says everything. Jamie is excellent in playing Jace. Oh and he gives me the feeling that I had when I first read the book. You know, slightly annoyed by his attitude on one side and falling hopeless for this character on the other.
Lily and Robert are also good at playing their characters too. Although I can picture some more sassy sarcasm on Clary's part, I think that Lily shows enough that viewers will think that there's a sassy sarcasm undertone in her personality and I think that's good enough. Simon, well the whole confronting Clary and declaring his love for her and his voice BREAKS when he says it says enough. Oh and he can play a nerdy handsome boy really well. Especially with the glasses. Kevin and Jemima do a decent job in the film too. Although I don't remember Alec being this bitchy to Clary in the book :p Isabelle... I told you guys that Isabelle in the film is not exactly how I picture her, but I can totally feel the fierceness from Jemima in the film and that's the one thing I'm expecting. So I think Jemima does well in playing Isabelle. Magnus... well, there's not much about him in CoB so I can't say too much, but I think his voice can be darker and more wise so he sounds like a warlock who has lived a long life. But otherwise he's good and I can totally feel his sassy undertone.
3. The script:
I think it's mostly good. Although I have a few minor problems with some flaws. One of them is the words. I understand that it's hard to show a five-hundred-something-page book in about one and a half hour especially when the feelings in the book is so complicated. But I think some of the words that Alec or Jace says are too harsh and it might actually give a wrong impression to those who haven't read the book and don't know the Jace and Alec in the book. And some of my favorite quotes are missing. Not that it's the script writer's fault. Like I said, it's hard to show everything in an hour and a half. But just because I understand it doesn't mean I like it. Especially when this is missing:
"It means, 'Shadowhunters, Looking Better In Black Than The Widows of Our Enemies Since 1234'."
Yeah, that infuriates me. A lot. But it's not anyone's fault, I guess.
4. The prioritizing and sequence:
The prioritizing is mostly good. I mean, it shows everything that is important in the book and it portrays everything that makes the book special. The sequence thing annoys me a little though. Especially when I can never understand how Clary can experience so many stuff before she faints from the effect of the Ravener poison. But hey, the sequence thing always annoys me when it comes to book adaptation. Don't get hard feelings.
5. The props and special effects and stunts:
The props are mostly okay. Except for a few things. 1) Where the hell is Alec's bow and arrows? 2) What is with the vampire gun thing? I know that (Spoiler!) the vampire gun is mostly like a thing that shoots out stakes (But not flying through the air kind of shooting out) and then you hold the handle of the gun and stab somebody with it (End of spoiler). I get that, but for some reason that still doesn't make me feel better because I know all too well that people/Shadowhunters/Downworlder/Vampire Hunters (Seriously)/Whoever you are can't use a gun against vampires . 3) Flame thrower? Seriously? I mean it's kinda cool to see the world burning (god I sound like Sebastian) but it feels weird that someone would rune a flame thrower and actually uses it against demons and 4) the seraph blade. It's okay, I mean, it's clear. But I can totally see that it's made from acrylic and... well that alone makes things really weird.
The special effects are quite good actually. The demons are... you know, quite creepy and disgusting and even more than I imagine they would be. Perhaps I'm just not into too-disgusting things. The portal is okay, although it's not like a big silver thing that is described in Clockwork Princess. And the rest is good. They look believable.
The stunts are fantastic. Especially when you consider the cast doing their own stunts. I have the Official Illustrated Movie Companion and it shows how Jamie and Kevin doing their own stunts and it's just freaking cool and awesome. Bravo. And hey, they fight like how I imagine they will fight and that's really good enough.
6. The ending:
The ending is what disappoints me. Okay, I know that City of Bones is just the first out of three/six (I have no idea if there will be a CoFA movie). And those guys don't know if CoB will make a franchise or not. And clearly the ending from the book is not a end-of-series ending. So it's practically impossible to write an ending that can fit the one in the book perfectly and is not that much of a cliffhanger that the viewers will be annoyed that they can't read what happens next in case CoB will not create a franchise. I can understand that. But as a book reader, I'm just so frustrated that the ending is not how I picture them. The Simon and Clary part is okay but the Jace and Clary part is NOT. I mean, (Spoiler from the book!) they argued at the end of the book (End of book spoiler but there's another spoiler from the movie) but they act like it's not big deal that they are siblings and doesn't even have anything close to an argument in the movie (End of movie spoiler). I can feel that I had a WTH face. I can't... I just can't.
My favorite scenes:
I can't just pick one. Sorry. (Actually I'm not sorry at all XD)
Oh and beware of the spoilers because there are plenty so avoid it if you don't want to be spoiled.
Oh and excuse me while I fangirl.
1. Greenhouse scene
THERE. GREENHOUSE SCENE. ANYONE WHO HAS READ THE BOOK KNOWS THAT THIS DOENS'T EVEN NEED AN EXPLANATION BECAUSE GREENHOUSE SCENE IS JUST SO PERFECT AND PASSIONATE AND HOT AND OH ALL MY CLACE FEELS ARE BURSTING OUT LIKE RAINBOWS I CAN'T EVEN SAY HOW HAPPY I AM TO SEE THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS ON SCREEN OH BY THE ANGEL I JUST CAN'T. I WILL TOTALLY GO DOWN WITH THIS SHIP.
2. Club scene in which Magnus meets Alec
MY MALEC FEELS. I DON'T CARE IF THAT IS CITY OF BONES AND THERE'S NOT MUCH ABOUT ALEC AND MAGNUS TOGETHER. MAGNUS IS ATTRACTED TO ALEC'S BLUE EYES AND OH ALL MY MALEC FEELS AND WILL HERONDALE FEELS ARE BURSTING BECAUSE I KNOW ALL TOO WELL THAT ALEC IS GABRIEL AND CECILY'S DESCENDANT AND HE TOTALLY HAS THE DARK BLUE EYES AND BLACK HAIR AND ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT IS THE INFERNAL DEVICES AND OH MY FEELS I CAN'T EVEN.
3. City of Bones scene.
Okay, first the rational parts. I love how the whole memory-reviewing works and it's really cool. And the Silent Brothers are how I imagine they would be too.
Now to the fangirling:
When I see the Brothers approach, ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT IS WHAT IF JEM IS ONE OF THEM AND ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT IS MORE INFERNAL DEVICES FEELS AND OH MY JEM. Yeah, I still can't get over the fact that Jem was a Silent Brother in 2007.
Alright enough of the fangirling. Forgive me if I annoy you with these.
Rating: 7.5/10
***
Extra content: for die-hard fans like me and not for those who haven't even read The Mortal Instruments books and are not down for some violence.
Below are two REAL (I repeat, real!) scenes that happened when I and my friend watch City of Bones movie together. My friend hasn't read any TMI books (NONE!) while I've read all 5 of the TMI books and all TID books and all TBC novellas. Bear that in mind.
http://smoking-hot-books.tumblr.com/post/59101667876/so-i-go-to-the-theater-and-watch-city-of-bones
http://smoking-hot-books.tumblr.com/post/59106042663/its-real-watching-cob-movie-together-friend
Yeah, that's my tumblr side, where I mostly fangirl and post my theories, in case you are wondering. I don't normally fangirl in this website.
***
Extra content: for die-hard fans like me and not for those who haven't even read The Mortal Instruments books and are not down for some violence.
Below are two REAL (I repeat, real!) scenes that happened when I and my friend watch City of Bones movie together. My friend hasn't read any TMI books (NONE!) while I've read all 5 of the TMI books and all TID books and all TBC novellas. Bear that in mind.
http://smoking-hot-books.tumblr.com/post/59101667876/so-i-go-to-the-theater-and-watch-city-of-bones
http://smoking-hot-books.tumblr.com/post/59106042663/its-real-watching-cob-movie-together-friend
Yeah, that's my tumblr side, where I mostly fangirl and post my theories, in case you are wondering. I don't normally fangirl in this website.
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