MovieChat Forums > The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013) Discussion > Coming from the book perspective..

Coming from the book perspective..

posted 11 years ago by Raugutt
17 replies | jump to latest

This movie...had me raging a little. I shall now list my rages.

1. It seemed too move too fast, and linger on parts that did not need lingering on.

2. The casting. Jace, you look at him, and you don't really feel threatened. Clary, just...not at all how she is portrayed in the books (to me, at least). Isabelle, wasn't she supposed to come off as a prissy bitch? Sort of? Alec, supposed to be blond, right? And Valentine...came off as "Grrr, I angry. Know how to summon demons. Bye bye" instead of mastermindish.

3. The Morgenstern ring. Just a letter. No symbol?

4. Madame Dorothea was a demon? COME ON!

Yeah, I'm touchy about books-to-movies and felt the need to rage. Sorry. Please do criticize my raging, and have fun doing so.

Good day.

[–] JosephCurwenJr 11 years ago

I stopped long ago thinking they'll do "faithful adaptations" of books or comics. First a book and a movie don't use the same methods of storytelling, discussions will be much longer in a book, action will be described in a different way ... And characters are not described in books with enough precision to choose an actor (if they're dexcribed more than "man in his 30s" like some King or Barker books).
So as long as the general story or feeling of what's happening, characters have nearly the same background story and act the same, I'm satisfied.
In the MI:CoB case I didn't read the book at all, never read Twilight or Beautiful creatures, I simply hate Twilight as a movie as it's a weak love story using the vampire mythology to attract attention, the actors chosen are especially bland. I like Beautiful creatures a lot, characters are sympathetic, story is consistent enough, the images are beautiful, I only hated Emma Thompson as she was caricatural.
I really liked MI:CoB and I'll let the "I am your father" as a joke as story wise it's beyond pathetic. As I discovered everything nothing stroke me as plotholes, the creatures were interesting, so it was OK.

[–] catarinaloss 11 years ago

I would just like to point out that Dorothea was possessed by a demon. Just as she was in the book.

[–] Raugutt 11 years ago

It implied to me that she was a demon the whole time, and so died.

[–] matt_shade 11 years ago

Jocelyn hid the cup with her so I'll go with her getting possessed mid-movie.

It's not nihilism if there's a question mark at the end.

[–] xybernauts 11 years ago

While whatmyou say os true, a faithful adaption would have gone a long way towards making this movie tolerable. I mean they absolutly butched the book with their changes. I understand making minor changes to accomadate budget and time constraints, but they made so many changes that it took away from the story telling style that made the book unique and interesting. Also they failed to focus enough on the thing that made this book series unique.

[–] trancevidel 11 years ago

Alec had black hair and blue eyes in the book. The morgernstern ring looks exactly like it its supposed to the "m" with a star on each side. Madame Dorthea is possessed by a demon in the book and in the movie but in the book she doesn't know she's even possessed, it's like dormant that's why the sensor doesn't go off and when it comes out it like explodes out of her and Dorthea's teeth are scattered everywhere and the way it's described in the book is so much more terrifying than in the movie. Abbodon(the abyss demon).... The demons in the movie looked stupid... the director got his "inspiration" from the exorcist movies, looks to me like he copied that "inspiration"... it was lame, sorry!

[–] stellarsiren 11 years ago

That Dorothea scene was done the way it was because of whatever they had for the Budget. It would've cost A LOT to do it as it's described in the book.

As for the characters--I thought the casting was all right. Jamie as Jace I still kinda question even though overall he did fine with what he was given. I don't exactly picture full-on people necessarily when I'm reading. I mean I use whatever the description given for characters to think of someone I know or know of who physically fits the part but when it comes to actually Casting IF a book is made, it's 50/50 for me, or 40/60--40% physical resemblance, 60% energy/essence, ie. do I think-- based on what I've seen of an actor or the impression I get off of the actor's picture--the energy fits what was written?

[–] xybernauts 11 years ago

Hells no. The actor who played Jace was the single worst thing about this movie. I mean there were alot of things wrong with this movie, but he was at the center of it all. Most all the interactions in the book center around Jace and Clary. Somehow the Jace in the book was cocky and brazen, fearless (or atleast he seemed that way) with utter disregard for consequence. The Jace in this movie didn't come across that way to me at all. He was alittle too nice and the actor playing the character didn't come across as being very confident or obnoxious. He seemed awkward. There was constantly this look of fear in the actors eyes. He came across as a geeky guy trying to act cool as opposed to a confident cool guy who was the center of attention.

[–] Yellolo 11 years ago

I could not agree with you more.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] Lauritaz 11 years ago

I also agree with you, plus some more details...

When you read the books you imagine Jace as this hot, breathtaking teenager, but the actor portraying Jace in the movie is not appropriate AT ALL. His face is too skinny and his eyes seem to bulge. He also lacks that carelesness that Jace has in the books.

Second...Valentine. Come on! Couldn't they get an actor that is more presentable? Valentine is described in the books like someone who looks good in a suit, respectable...not this random dude with some braids in his hair!!! This really annoyed me.

AND WHAT'S UP WITH FREAKIN' DEMONS IN THE INSTITUTE and Jocelyn being in the Institute the whole time!?! This pissed me off even more.

I also agree with you about Isabelle. Overall, the movie was a complete disappointment me, who read the book. I'm not saying the special effects weren't good, but it totally misses the point of the book.

[–] jroseg-240-294641 11 years ago

I'm pretty sure that in the book they describe Jace as very skinny and it explains that he is not conventionally good looking. Based on that description, I think Jamie is perfect for the role of Jace!

[–] down-right-mystical 11 years ago

Not at all -- it's mentioned time and again how gorgeous, sexy, etc Jace is supposed to be! Even from the first tiny description of him, less than ten pages in, he's described as being as pretty as Isabelle (who incidentally had already been described in very flattering terms). The only descriptions that might suggest he isn't 'conventionally' good looking come from Clary saying he reminds her of a lion, but even that's a matter of opinion on if it's a good or a bad thing.

[–] Thought_Criminal_J62377 11 years ago

I hate popular books made into movies because then you have the whiners comparing the 2 and crying. This movie was ridiculous! Why didn't they kill the demons when Clary froze them at the institute? Instead they waited for the spell to wear off so that more of the good guys had to get killed. Stupid!

[–] thomas261989 11 years ago

You forgot the point that they made Clary a witch with magic coming off her finger tips. There was no such thing in the book and what she could do in the movie making the point of having to use the runes moot.

[–] FatalxKrystal 10 years ago

And Valentine...came off as "Grrr, I angry. Know how to summon demons. Bye bye" instead of mastermindish.

That Dorothea scene was done the way it was because of whatever they had for the Budget. It would've cost A LOT to do it as it's described in the book.

So instead they made her look like a cheap version of Michael Jackson's Thriller zombie makeup?

I would always rather be happy than dignified.

[–] kelever97 10 years ago

Alec had dark hair, and Madame Dorothea was a demon.