In New York City, Clary Fray, a seemingly ordinary teenager, learns that she is descended from a line of Shadowhunters — half-angel warriors who protect humanity from evil forces. After her mother disappears, Clary joins forces with a group of Shadowhunters and enters Downworld, an alternate realm filled with demons, vampires, and a host of other creatures. Clary and her companions must find and protect an ancient cup that holds the key to her mother's future.
Hollywood has more than enough high-caliber young adult lit to mine. Filmmakers should tap into richer human stories. We mere mortals would dearly appreciate it.
– Randy Myers,
San Jose Mercury News,
22 Aug 2013
rotten:
Every moviegoer will have his own breaking point, when "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" surpasses the mundane and enters the ridiculous.
– Peter Hartlaub,
San Francisco Chronicle,
22 Aug 2013
rotten:
This desperate Twilight wannabe hits more than its own share of clunky notes.
– Michael Rechtshaffen,
Hollywood Reporter,
22 Aug 2013
rotten:
"The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" plays like a "Scary Movie" parody.
– Peter Keough,
Boston Globe,
22 Aug 2013
rotten:
Every fantasy creature except zombies get a workout in this overstuffed spectacle about a teenage girl who discovers she has angelic blood in her veins.