What would you do if you could see things others couldn’t? If you had images in your head that belonged to no human world and gaping holes in your memory?
Welcome to the world of Clary Fray. One day she is a normal New York teenager, fighting with her mother about staying out too late, and the next she begins subconsciously drawing angelic symbols. Things go from bad to worse as she witnesses the murder of a young boy by three teenagers only she can see, and then her mother suddenly disappears without a trace. That’s when Clary meets Jace and the Shadowhunters, an elite fighting force of half-human, half-angel blood who have been protecting humans from demons for centuries. Thrust into a world that she can only just comprehend but inexplicably connects to with the handsome Jace Wayland distracting her at every turn, Clary races to find the missing Mortal Cup, an ancient Shadowhunter relic that her mother supposedly stole, and answer the question that everyone seems to be asking: Who is Clary Fray?
Based off the first book in New York Times bestselling series The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare and released with relatively little fanfare, City of Bones brilliantly captures the gritty yet magical world of the Shadowhunters in a way that keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. Even better, for fans of the books at least, few scenes are left out, and those that are altered have been altered in such a way that builds a more emotional impact and stronger characters in ways that Cassandra Clare did not, and you certainly do not need to know the books to enjoy this movie.
Starring Lily Collins as Clary Fray and Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace, the cast of this movie breathes new life into Cassandra Clare’s characters, who are so vivid in the books that many fans wondered if a screen adaption could ever do them justice. As a loyal fan of the book series, I can honestly say that Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower are everything one could hope for in an on-screen representation of Jace and Clary, and their cast mates Kevin Zegers, Jemima West, and Robert Sheehan provide intense drama and comic relieve to the romances and nuances of the story.
Action packed with brilliant fight choreography and mythical creatures both new and old, City of Bones is action and adventure and paranormal romance combined–and just like the book–is sure to have you hooked from the moment the opening credits roll.
Written by Sarah Fornshell’15
