The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
On the one hand, it’s very easy to look at “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones,” roll your eyes, and go, “Not another young adult supernatural movie.” Seriously, Hollywood? It’s not surprising, since H-Wood is always looking for trends to run into the ground, but it’s not as simple as “build it, and they will come.” But I really wish they’d stop aping other people’s ideas, and let writers and directors come up with their own.
In the end, though, “Mortal Instruments” has more going for it than just being another “Twilight” and “Hunger Games” wanna be, and that’s a good thing. Start with Lily Collins, who is a strong center for this type of movie (as was evidenced in “Mirror Mirror”), and plays the role of Carly, a young woman who has started seeing and drawing a strange symbol. Her mother (Lena Heady) and Luke, mom’s boyfriend, seem to know what’s up, but cryptically say things like, “She’s not ready to know, yet.” She’s about to find out anyway, when– while out with her best friend, Simon (Robert Sheehan) –she witnesses someone killed, in a way that doesn’t seem natural. The next day, she is confronted by the killer (Jace, played by Jason Campbell Bower) at the same time two people break into her apartment, and attack her mother. It turns out, Jace is a Shadowhunter, one of a long line of warriors who keep the world safe from demons disguised as humans. Carly’s mother is one such warrior, and guess what? So is Carly. I know; do what you can to contain your surprise.
The film is based on a novel by Cassandra Clare, who is really just jumping on the horror/fantasy bandwagon of “Twilight” and “True Blood” and “Grimm” with this world, while adding goth fashions to the equation. In all honesty, the main “hook” for the story and backdrop isn’t that compelling, although the visuals in director Harald Zwart’s film sometimes are. The main reason I can recommend this film, however slightly, is Lily Collins’s lead performance. She has a natural star look and personality, which is important for this type of “your life is turned upside down” story, and she brings enough determination and feeling to Carly that the idea of following the character for a franchise wouldn’t be a terrible one. “Mortal Instruments” probably won’t be that franchise, but hopefully, somebody will find a way to build one around her that people will flock to.
