Film Review: The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
Starring Lilly Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower, and Robert Sheehan
Directed by Harold Zwart
Written by Jessica Postigo, and based on the novel by Cassandra Clare
Rated PG-13


The IMBD Synopsis:
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. 

My Thoughts: 
Having not really cared for the book, I wasn't particularly eager to watch the film. Yet, my curiosity was nagging me and I get free movies so why the heck not? 
I'll say the film met my expectations. It was okay - entertaining for the two hours or so it is, but not entirely memorable. 

The script was quite similar to the book. Not exact, they never are. But City of Bones followed closely to the book. I've read some raving reviews about how the film got the novel all wrong, but one thing viewers must remember is that film and literature are two very different mediums. I may have mentioned this in my last review, but I think it's worth noting multiple times. Adaptations can be accurate with out being perfect. I appreciated the similarities this book shared with the book. People want to see what they read about, not watch a story they loved get slaughtered with misinterpretation. So through all of that I'm basically saying that I liked the translation of narratives, book to film. 

It's an interesting story, but contains too many plot holes. The book does this too. I believe the reason for this is that the novel tries to introduce too many ideas into one storyline. It makes for a fast-paced plot, but frankly I got a bit weary of coincidence as a device to move the plot along. 

I found the actors to be very suitable aesthetically - that is, they looked the part (despite some controversy over Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace, I believe he suited the part). Some of the acting was disappointing. Lilly Collins acting has yet to impress me - I find her character's so... stiff, I guess, for lack of a better word. Jamie Campell Bower did well in action scenes, but his and miss Collins chemistry was confused and unbelievable. On the other hand, Robert Sheehan was brilliant. I found his acting superb. He was the perfect Simon. 

Now let's talk about the demons, the villains  the action! The CGI was great. The demons were creative and actually pretty scary. They were actually represented much better in the film than in the novel. Valentine was a disappointment though. I had higher expectations for Jonathan Rhys Myers as far as his acting goes, but I don't think he was a good interpretation of Valentine. I don't think it was all his fault though, I think Valentine was just poorly scripted and designed. His costume was entirely different than what I expected. The film made him out to be wild, reckless, and even a bit immature. Whereas the book's Valentine was much more menacing and mysterious. He was a mastermind with dangerous ideas - not so in the movie, unfortunately. 

I'm going to give this film a three out of five stars. If you read the book, you'll find some elements of the film to be quite different, but not completely altering of the main plot. If you didn't read the book, the film is entertaining either way. This was a one time see for me. I don't regret watching it by any means, but it's not one I'll be buying to watch again. I'd say go watch it if you have a free afternoon ... and its raining. 

You can read my review of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare here. 

Book to Box Office: A Film Review of Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
Directed by Thor Freudenthal
Written by Marc Guggenheim and based on the novel by Rick Riordan
Starring Logan Lerman, Alexandra Deddario, and Brandon T. Jackson

The IMBD Synopsis:
In order to restore their dying safe haven, the son of Poseidon and his friends embark on a quest to the Sea of Monsters to find the mythical Golden Fleece while trying to stop an ancient evil from rising. 

My Review: 
I actually rather enjoyed this movie. I truthfully didn't have high expectations for it after the first film, but with a new director and writer, I did try to have a more open mind about it. 

First of all, the translation from novel to screenplay was well done. It certainly wasn't as bad as the first book. While this one did venture some from the original plot of the novel, much of it was forgivable. The characters were well done and casted. They were mostly true to their literary characters, which made the film so much more enjoyable. I thought the introduction of Tyson went well. His character was just as lovable as in the novel. Also, the actor change of Chiron and Mr. D worked out for the better. I can't think of better replacements than Anthony Head for Chiron and Stanley Tucci for Mr. D. Tucci especially, with his natural humor, helped the film really capture Riordan's witty narrative. 

The acting was well done. Again, I think the new characters were supreme, but I'm so glad they kept the main protagonists and antagonists the same as the first film. It definitely felt like a continuation of Percy's quest. While Logan Lerman seemed to have physically matured in the role, his acting was true to Percy's character from the novel and the previous film. And the presence of Nathan Fillion was extraordinary. 

Some of the setting and sets seemed hastily strewn together and sloppy. The major change of Circe's island from Spa to Carnival seemed unnecessary and the Cyclops cave was poorly created, whether it was the props, the set, or the CGI I can't identify, but something was just 'off'. 

The movie was still entertaining despite some cheesy lines and props. It captured the edge-of-seat thrill along with the comedic streak. The actors did a fine job with their characters and the introduction of new characters was smooth and even tasteful. Therefore, I give this a four out of five stars. 

You can read my review of Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan HERE

Book to Box Office: A Film Review of World War Z

World War Z
Starring Brad Pit, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz
Directed by Marc Forster
Rated PG-13

The IMBD Synopsis: 
United Nations employee Gerry Lane traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments, and threatening to destroy humanity itself. 

My Thoughts:
I was extremely excited to see how this book would be made into a film. After just finishing World War Z by Max Brooks, I couldn't quite see how this geo-political zombie warfare novel would be turned into a successful movie script. The novel is written like a historical document with many short clips from various survivors of WWZ. A film following even ten different war stories would have probably cost a fortune to make, so I wasn't too surprised when the trailer showed that the story would be told from a single vantage point. 
I think the film was a success. I really enjoyed the plot, despite it not being an actual part of the novel. It was clear that the film was inspired by the novel and I think the story of Gerry Lane was probable to the Brook's novel. The cast was well-chosen. There were some recognized faces and some actors that I didn't recognize, which made me appreciate the film more. The character's dress and makeup was very appropriate and, especially with the unfamiliar faces, I had no trouble believing in the cast. 
The zombies were good, but not quite what I was expecting. They seemed very tame compared to the zombies in Brook's novel. However, it should be taken into account that this film is rated PG-13 - the images couldn't be too graphic or it may have been rated R. Considering the rating, I was pleased with the zombies. They were sufficiently scary, but not disgusting and distasteful. 
The film seemed short, but I think it was actually a perfect length. It must have felt shorter because I was enjoying it so much! There was certainly a good level of suspense in the film with just the amount of relief. I wouldn't classify this as horrifying, but suspense/thriller would be an accurate genre. Perfect for me! I don't like too much gore. If you're the same then you'll love this movie. The ending is left with a few loose ends, but the novel is the same way. At first I was disappointed with the film's conclusion, but I don't think any other ending would have worked as well as that one did, especially in comparison to the novel. The film does have a major twist that doesn't occur in the novel. This twist was appropriate for the film adaption to move the plot along and give the movie its own unique attraction.
I would highly recommend this movie! Those interested in zombie films, this is a good one. Those looking for a good suspense or thriller, WWZ is a good film for lots of suspense without the horror. The zombies are appropriate for younger viewers, but they are still zombies - they might be too scary for some, but they are tame in comparison to the novels description. 

I give World War Z four out of five stars

you can read my review of World War Z by Max Brooks here