When it's over, this film had a bit of everything supernatural. There were witches, warlocks, demons, vampires, werewolves, and Shadowhunters. The last species was created by writer Cassandra Clare in her best selling young adult novel series, The Mortal Instruments. Clary (Lily Collins) is a normal girl who discovers she is a descendent of an ancient race that are half angel and half human. When her mother goes missing, Clary is befriended by Jace (Jamie Campbell Bower), a handsome Shadowhunter who helps her find the key to unlocking her past, some of which are better left unknown. I enjoyed this film, because everything moved well, and there were just enough action and pauses to keep me entertained and informed. The romantic interludes between Clary and Jace were a bit juvenile, but considering the film was targeted at teens and early twenty-somethings, the tender scenes were tolerable. The film touched on the relationship, but never dwelled on it, and perhaps this was one of the reasons why viewers were divided in their emotional responses toward the film. The filmmakers stuck with the storyline, instead of the romance. I think this was a smart choice. The visuals and special effects surprised me. I was expecting low budgeted CGI and poor acting, but this was not the case. The effects and set design were well thought out and when combined with a promising young cast, the film had a good pulse. I especially liked the effects done on the demons, the ones summoned by rogue Shadowhunter, Valentine (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), in the final act. The fight choreography was well played throughout the film, in particular, the lengthy sword play between Jace and Valentine. I had a fun time with this film, and I think it was mainly because I did not read the books.
My rating: 3.5 out of 5
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