The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones too predictable

We haven’t read the book upon which The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is based, but we sure didn’t find much of a compelling story in the film. Much like the Twilight series, this young adult fantasy series revolves around a young woman’s coming of age. And much like the Twilight series, it settles for the superficial, even as it makes much ado of the confusion that comes with a teen’s search for identity.

The film commences as Clary Fray (Lily Collins) heads off to poetry night at the local coffeehouse with guy pal Simon (Robert Sheehan). They decide to hit a nightclub after where Clary witnesses a horrific murder and runs for the exit. Turns out, Clary seems to be a “shadowhunter” and can see demons where others (i.e. Simon) can’t. And so an otherwise normal night out for a couple of teens quickly escalates into something surreal. By the time Clary gets home, a couple of demons have come after her mother (Lena Headey) and father (Aidan Turner) in search of some kind of Mortal Cup that they need to deliver to their master, Valentine (Jonathan Rhys Meyers).

From here, things get complicated. Clary falls for Jace (Jamie Campbell Bower), a tough, heavily tattooed shadowhunter with striking blonde hair and  sharp cheekbones. Her mother slips into some kind of coma to avoid giving up the Mortal Cup. And a veteran shadowhunter (Jared Harris) takes the group into his home, a safe haven for shadowhunters–or so they think. Valentine soon infiltrates the place, bringing with him a cadre of fierce demons that look like some kind of strange dark Neanderthals. Clary’s father, who turns out to be a werewolf, aids in defending his daughter against the forces of evil.

As much as the film features some well-choreographed fight scenes, Much like the Twilight series, this young adult fantasy series revolves around a young woman’s coming of age. And much like the Twilight series, it settles for the superficial, even as it makes much ado of the confusion that comes with a teen’s search for identity.the world of vampires and demos isn’t anything we haven’t already seen. Torn between two lovers — one who is human and another who is not — Clary is faced with the same dilemma that Bella had to deal with in Twilight. The acting isn’t horrible here and the special effects are decent, but this story has been told.