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The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
| Released |
21 August 2013 |
| Director |
Harald Zwart |
Starring
|
Lena Headey, Lily Collins, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jamie Campbell Bower, Kevin Durand, Kevin Zegers, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Turner, Jemima West, Robert Maillet, Jared Harris |
| Writer(s) |
Jessica Postigo |
| Producer(s) |
Don Carmody, Robert Kulzer |
| Origin |
United States, Germany |
| Running Time |
130 minutes |
| Genre |
Action, adventure, drama |
| Rating |
12A |
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Mortal sins.
So apparently The Mortal Instruments is big news in the world of the teenage girl. The screening I attended had an audible fan presence - cooing and squealing at the love interests and laughing heartily at series in-jokes. It wasn’t until I was leaving the screening that I realised the girls were wearing a uniform of sorts - leather jackets worn with skinny jeans, moody eye make-up and an enthusiasm for studs. A kind of parent-friendly goth look. Then, on any available piece of flesh, they had etched curving black symbols in eyeliner, matching exactly those I had just seen on the film's characters. Now that’s dedication.
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is the first film based on the series of young adult fantasy books written by Cassandra Clare. We meet the series’ heroine, Clary (Lily Collins) on her birthday as she and her best friend Simon (Robert Sheehan) decide to try out a goth nightclub. At the club, Clary witnesses a murder that only she seems to see, perpetrated by a lithe fellow with blonde hair (Jamie Campbell Bower). As it turns out, what Clary witnessed was the extermination of a demon and the blonde, Jace, is part of a league of Shadow Hunters - mystical warriors who work against evil forces. When Clary’s mother (Lena Headey) is kidnapped, she discovers her own links to this underworld and works with Jace to rescue her mother.
The fact that this is the first film of the series means that it has the mammoth task of establishing the world of the book - its characters, rules and history. Coming fresh to the series as I was, I found this all a little overwhelming. There are werewolves and vampires, demons, hidden buildings, runes, a magic cup, angels, portals and Jared Harris wearing a hooded cape. In short, it’s all a little too much. The only thing to do is accept bewilderment and go with it. If you manage to do this, you’ll probably have a good time. The film is undeniably campy and the cast, particularly Campbell Bower, seem happy to indulge their silly side, leading to several laugh out loud moments.
On the technical side, the film looks well and the action sequences are nicely choreographed and paced. Of course, it’s all tremendously silly but if you approach it as such, then it’s a fluffy piece of fun.
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Linda O’Brien |
