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.
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
The Daily Dahl - Sunday Edition
28 July 2013
With my new book club, reading books before they are made into films, I became curious about past film adaptations. I wonder how book-to-movie films have fared over the years. Recently, it seems a high percentage of film adaptations come from popular young adult novels. While I enjoy a fast-paced paranormal fiction as much as the next, I wonder what the purpose of so many film adaptations for this specific genre may be. I don't have any kind of answer, I'm simply musing. Is this what sells? Is this what the next generation of movie-goers wants to see? It must be.
Some older films based on books that I loved include The Godfather, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Blade Runner, and Misery.
Recently, some great films have included Perks of Being a Wallflower, Silver Linings Playbook,Life of Pi, The Great Gatsby, and pretty much all of the Harry Potter films.
I'm really excited for some upcoming movies this year too - Sea of Monsters comes out soon and looks adventurous, I'm thrilled for Ender's Game, and at the end of the year I look forward to The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
Share your favorites! Any book-to-film adaptations that really bombed? I'm curious about your opinions.
Here's a great post about some of the top 100 books made into films, and if you're interested what's upcoming, check out this list.
