The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

2013

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

Critics Consensus

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.

14%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 125

58%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 57,343

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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
  • Rating:
    PG-13 (for intense sequences of fantasy violence and action, and some suggestive content)
  • Genre:
    Action & Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction & Fantasy
  • Directed By:
    Harald Zwart
  • Written By:
    Jessica Postigo Paquette, I. Marlene King
  • In Theaters:
     wide
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Box Office:
    $31,165,421
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    Sony Pictures

Cast

Lily Collins
as Clary
Robert Maillet
as Blackwell
Kevin Durand
as Pangborn
Lena Headey
as Jocelyn
Jonathan Rhys Meyers
as Valentine
Jamie Campbell Bower
as Jace
Robert Sheehan
as Simon
Godfrey Gao
as Magnus Bane
CCH Pounder
as Dorothea
Jared Harris
as Hodge
Aidan Turner
as Luke
Kevin Zegers
as Alec
Jemima West
as Isabelle
Harry Van Gorkum
as Alaric/Werewolf
Stephen R. Hart
as Brother Jeremiah
Chad Connell
as Lambert
Chris Ratz
as Eric
Elyas M'Barek
as The Vampire Leader
Pedro Miguel Arce
as Bouncer
Matthew Cheng
as Magnus' Bouncer
Carlos Gonzalez-Vio
as Vampire Henchman
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News & Interviews for The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

2014 GLAAD Media Awards Winners
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Parental Guidance: Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
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Critic Reviews for The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

All Critics (125) | Top Critics (36) | Fresh (17) | Rotten (108)

View All Critic Reviews (125)

Audience Reviews for The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

  • Dec 06, 2016
    I like science fiction, so I enjoyed most of the story. This movie does suffer from an un-understandable story line at times, and it is not that unique, but it is fun when Clary finds out what she is.
    Red L Super Reviewer
  • Feb 12, 2015
    I'm sure the book series is good...it's really popular and has many sequels, but this is just not a good movie, plain and simple. It's confusing as hell, and badly explained on top of that. The acting is okay, but the writing is awful and makes this feel like a Twilight Clone with magic. So I'll just chock this up as another badly-adapted young adult book series.
    Stephen S Super Reviewer
  • Apr 20, 2014
    First of all, I haven't read the books, so I couldn't say if this is a good adaptation or not. Judging by the comments of those who have, I am going to say probably not. I did manage to sit through the whole thing, but it wore it's welcome out by a good forty minutes. Cast are fine, story had potential, but was silly. Then again it's not a favourite genre of mine to start with. I have seen the Twilight movies and wasn't impressed past the first two. This just seemed cliched past those. Cheesy as all hell, but not romantic enough to get away with it. Really am getting fed up with these "fantasy" movies and books.
    Nicki M Super Reviewer
  • Jan 27, 2014
    Great action but the acting isn't really on an "immortal" level, if you know what I mean. (I really don't know how Jonathan Rhys Meyers will be able to live with himself.) The story is difficult to follow, frankly, but the faults are made up for in mindless adventure fun.
    Christian C Super Reviewer
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