The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013)
Average Rating: 3.9/10
Reviews Counted: 114
Fresh: 14 | Rotten: 100
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones borrows ingredients from seemingly every fantasy franchise of the last 30 years -- but can't seem to figure out what to do with them.
Average Rating: 4.1/10
Critic Reviews: 30
Fresh: 4 | Rotten: 26
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones borrows ingredients from seemingly every fantasy franchise of the last 30 years -- but can't seem to figure out what to do with them.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.7/5
User Ratings: 35,291
Movie Info
Lily Collins stars as a young girl whose life is upended when she realizes that she's part of a long line of demon-slayers in this Screen Gems adaptation of Cassandra Clare's first book in her series of best-selling novels. Lena Headey and Jonathan Rhys Meyers head up the rest of the starring cast. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
Cast
-
Lily Collins
Clary -
Robert Maillet
Blackwell -
Kevin Durand
Pangborn -
Lena Headey
Jocelyn -
Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Valentine -
Godfrey Gao
Magnus Bane -
CCH Pounder
Dorothea -
Jared Harris
Hodge -
Jamie Campbell Bower
Jace -
Aidan Turner
Luke -
Kevin Zegers
Alec -
Robert Sheehan
Simon -
Jemima West
Isabelle -
Harry Van Gorkum
Alaric/Werewolf -
Stephen R. Hart
Brother Jeremiah -
Chad Connell
Lambert -
Chris Ratz
Eric -
Elyas M'Barek
The Vampire Leader -
Pedro Miguel Arce
Bouncer -
Matthew Cheng
Magnus' Bouncer -
Carlos Gonzalez-Vio
Vampire Henchman
ADVERTISEMENT
All Critics (114) | Top Critics (30) | Fresh (14) | Rotten (100)
"The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" plays like a "Scary Movie" parody.
Top CriticThis desperate Twilight wannabe hits more than its own share of clunky notes.
Every moviegoer will have his own breaking point, when "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" surpasses the mundane and enters the ridiculous.
Hollywood has more than enough high-caliber young adult lit to mine. Filmmakers should tap into richer human stories. We mere mortals would dearly appreciate it.
It desperately gathers clichés like a teen fantasy Frankenstein that doesn't realize its secret identity: parody.
Mortal Instruments manages to occupy 130 minutes of frantic, numbing, activity.
Awful, expensive, over-long, unremittingly dull attempt to start a Twilight-like franchise... plans were already underway for the sequel before this was released. They might just want to wait to see if anybody's interested first.
If you can overlook the lack of originality, the film actually makes a good fist of making something fresh and appealing from its second-hand ingredients.
Way to give overwrought fan fiction a bad name. No amount of fairy dust can make this bewitching.
Traz uma série de elementos interessantes que acabam sendo sacrificados pela vontade da história de investir num romance mergulhado em pieguice e clichês.
In the end it comes off as rather inoffensively been-there, done-that--except for Jamie Campbell Bower, that is, who is strictly WTF.
Who cares about a life-or-death battle with evil spirits when there's angst-ridden teen relationship drama in the mix?
Murky confusing adaptation of Cassandra Clare's book. No franchise here.
What Harald Zwart's film lacks is the focus that might make this cluttered set-up more than the sum of its dour design, raging hormones, incessant skirmishes and wearying exposition.
There are some interesting ideas and concepts within this fantasy world but they don't come through clearly enough, despite the 130 minute duration.
At least you're not forced to stare at Kristen Stewart's sour mug for two hours.
A shallow and somewhat spiritless picture.
In the end, this 'City of Bones' is all gnawed-over scraps from other, better movies.
This is a premise that might work in the hands of more eager filmmakers, but here it is reduced to a collection of fragmented scenes designed to mystify and infuriate.
The action sequences never quite attain the level of thrilling, though Jonathan Rhys-Meyers boldly vamps it up as the (very tightly) leather-clad villain of the piece
Cluttered, kooky and completely bonkers
The 130-minute running time is 40 minutes too long - but then there's enough repetitive plot exposition and 'who-is- really-related-to-who?' nonsense to cure insomnia.
Even with a rich and dark premise as well as a cast of thespians with actual acting chops, the story and movie are sub-par, forgettable, and crushingly boring.
Not only have we seen this all before, but we were probably hoping to not see it again.
" ... any more generic and this supernatural teen-lit adaptation might as well have a plain unbleached-paper label and a title in comic sans."
It quite often feels like fantasy movie making by numbers and is particularly uninspired.
Audience Reviews for The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
Super Reviewer
Clary is a decently badass chick who is just fragile and girly enough to still want love, and Lily Collins plays her with winsome gusto. I think I'm officially a fan of Collins' heavy eyebrows and distinctly Audrey Hepburn air. The legs of the love triangle, played by Jamie Campbell Bower and Robert Sheehan, are satisfyingly edgy and adorable, respectively. JCB is actually rather funny in a cold, sardonic way. All the rest of the supporting cast are great: Jonathan Rhys Meyers is sexy and evil; Lena Headey is daring and angelic; Jemima West is bold but understated; and pantsless Godfrey Gao is a charismatic new guard of the Asian Persuasion.
Having never read the books, I was pleasantly thrilled and surprised by all the twists and turns. I also give the books and movie kudos for GOING THERE, you know what I mean? The twistiest of turns is balanced and open.
Super Reviewer
-
- Jace: But my heart says different.
-
- Clary: Have you fallen in love with the wrong person yet?
- Jace: Unfortunately, Lady of the Haven, my one true love remains myself.
- Clary: At least, you don't have to worry about rejection.
- Jace: Not necessarily. I turn myself down occasionally, just to keep it interesting.
-
- Jace: Let me guess you have a drawing emergency and wanted a nude model
-
- Simon: So, how do you kill a zombie? Oh wait you can't it's already dead.
- Isabelle: No, Zombie's don't exist.
-
- Jace: In the future Clarissa, it might be wise to mention that you already have a man in your bed, to avoid such tedious situations.
- Simon: You invited him into bed?!
- Jace: Ridiculous, isn't it? We would never have all fit.
-
- Clary: Isn't this the part where you start tearing off pieces of your shirt to bind my wounds?
- Jace: If you wanted me to take my clothes off all you had to do was ask.
Discussion Forum
| Topic | Last Post | Replies |
|---|---|---|
| Tomatometer Predictions?????? | 31 days ago | 154 |
| City of Bones: Book vs. Movie. | 9 days ago | 104 |
| Looks like shit | 4 days ago | 38 |
| When? | 37 days ago | 22 |
| Has anyone seen the 5 minute preview? Whatcha think? | 34 days ago | 7 |
What's Hot On RT
New Desolation of Smaug trailer!
Naomi Watts is Princess Di
Gravity sets new record
Trailer for a squirrely heist flick
See what's on TV tonight
Latest News on The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
September 11, 2013:
Mortal Instruments Sequel DelayedThe studio is looking for "more time to reposition the film in the current marketplace."
August 22, 2013:
Critics Consensus: The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones Is a Derivative FantasyThis week at the movies, we've got a teenage demon-slayer (The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones,...
Fresh Links
Featured
Halloween Movies For Wimps
Scary movies too scary for you? Here are some alternatives for October 31st.
10 Best Superhero TV Shows
HitFix combs through TV history to compile a superpowered list.
Ridiculous Movie Mistakes
RollingStone proves even the best movies miss a details here and there.
Deadly Movie Kids
Moviefone lists 11 Movie Kids Who Could Kick Our Asses.
50 States, 50 Movies
For July 4th, TimeOut has compiled 50 state-specific movie choices.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter!
Spice up your feed with hourly Tomatometer updates!
Featured on RT
- NYFF: Joaquin Phoenix and James Gray talk The Immigrant 0
- Box Office Guru Wrapup: Gravity Stuns with Record $55M Launch 27
- Primetime Preview: Witches of East End, Once Upon a Time and More 1
- Weekly Ketchup: Disney Plans Live Action Cruella de Vil Movie 34
- Primetime Preview: Last Man Standing, The Neighbors and More 5
- Critics Consensus: Gravity is Certified Fresh 68
- Parental Guidance: Gravity and Parkland 2
Top Headlines
Foreign Titles
- Chroniken der Unterwelt - City of Bones (DE)
- The Mortal Instruments (UK)
