Saturday, September 7, 2013

Book-to-Movie Co-Review: City of Bones

With the recent release of the movie adaptation of Cassandra Clare's City of Bones, my dearest blogging friend,Amber from Paradise of Pages, and I both read the book around the same time (a re-read for me) and went to see the movie within a couple of weeks of each other. Here's the thing: Amber did not like it, and I found it had some redeeming qualities. So for those of you who thought you might want to see this movie but are feeling a bit unsure, we thought it would be a good idea for you to get both points of view, one from someone who didn't like it and one from someone who did.


IMDB.COM SYNOPSIS:

When her mother disappears, Clary Fray learns that she descends from a line of warriors who protect our world from demons. She joins forces with others like her and heads into a dangerous alternate New York called Downworld.

OUR REVIEW(S):

CASTING:

     Amber (Paradise of Pages):
I didn't like most of the appearances of the characters. I think it is more that they just didn't look like what I expected them to. Some of them were closer than others. Jocelyn, didn't expect the British accent from that one, it threw me off. Luke- he was okay for me, not anything special but he was one of the better ones for me. Clary- It mentioned bright red hair throughout all the books, short, freckles, light eyes....then she looks nothing like this in the movie. She is tall, no freckles really and really dark dyed red hair. I think she was quick in her lines she had. It was like she had them memorized and just wanted to spit them out so sometimes it seemed to cut the other one off. Jace- He looks close to what I expected. I just wish he had a little more emotion. He just seemed boring through most of it. I know he comes across as arrogant and full of himself in the book but in the movie I just didn't feel that. Simon- He was okay, like I said with Luke, but he still didn't stand out to me. Isabelle- She probably is one of the most that I disliked. She was supposed to be tall and very slender. Her whip isn't also a snake coil on her arm, it's a real whip she wears as a belt in the books. I just felt like she was corny and her acting was bad. She was nothing like the Izzy I've grown to love. Alec- He was pretty good. Had the hair, the eyes, all of it. even the hatred for Clary in the beginning. Magnus- ugh. Horrible. Nothing what I expected and was nothing like the book. all his flair wasn't there or any of his High Warlock attitude he had. He was just bland, bland, bland.Valentine- WTF is all I have to say. second I saw him come out, I wanted to leave. I was like okay, you did alot wrong with the others, but this, this is unforgivable.

     Amanda (i solemnly swear):
Going into the movie, I hated the casting for Jace, but I actually ended up loving him. He may not have been as sarcastic and witty but he was very convincing as a vulnerable boy with feelings for a girl that he didnt want to have. I was thrilled with the casting of Jocelyn, but I may be biased. She plays a character on the HBO series A Game of Thrones so I loved her, point blank. Everyone else was pretty good for me, I liked the attitudes they protrayed if not the way they looked. Magnus was a disappointment. Had the look, but absolutely awful acting. The only casting I HATED was Valentine. He looked ridiculous, and he played this outwardly crazed short slender man with an awful hairdo, not the large, composed, handsome Valentine we know. Otherwise I was OK with the way the casting turned out.

SEQUENCE OF EVENTS/COMPARISON TO THE BOOK

     Amber:
I think the book and the movie were nothing alike. From the first few minutes I could tell it was really different. things happening out of order, things from the second book coming into the first book instead, stuff being in places it's not supposed to be. I kept holding out for the movie to become more like the book and it never did. more and more changed and I just couldn't take it anymore. They were definitely staying on a budget and not wanting to put any extra than they had to, which took away from so much. I don't want to say more than that because of spoilers, but I just didn't like it, at all.

     Amanda:
I'll admit that the movie was very different from the book. The movie only kept the basic story line and switched the order of some scenes, combined some, took some out and even added some. Certain ones didnt bother me, such as the beginning where the club scene comes after the cafe scene followed by another cafe scene. Pointless, yes, but it was fine, it didnt take away from the story. Some parts were changed completely such as where the final fight scene took place and how it actually happened, which bothered me. It worked for the movie, for someone who was going to see it without reading the book, but for someone looking for a close adaptation, it kind of messed things around.


MAJOR SPOILER AT THE END (One involving Simon and one involving Clary and Jace)

     Amber:
This drove me nuts. Everything with Simon was just wrong. The events that unfold were just messed up and I don't know who decided it was a good idea, but whoever it is should be fired. And what is this, Spiderman?? Seriously. Ahhh I wanna scream just thinking about it again. [As for the Clary and Jace spoiler...] I spent a whole lot of time reading the books in the anticipation [of certain information] but for Hodge to throw that out in what comes out a lot later feels like they robbed us all on the suspense of the other movies that made a lot of the story more intense. They ruined it in ways they shouldn't have.

     Amanda:
I took my sister to see this movie, and she's never read the book. I spent the entire movie thinking how shocked she would be at the end when she finds out the big bombshell (about Clary and Jace) that is revealed at the end of the first book. Then I was instantly deflated when Hodge opened his big mouth and ruined it for me. I mean, my sister didnt really catch on to that (guess she wasnt paying very great attention, lol) and she was shocked when the scene went on just like I wanted her to be, but I then felt like a fraud! How could they take that suspense away from all the movie-goers that way? So mad! As for Simon, I mean, it seemed like they were trying to do some sort of foreshadowing there that fell flat. Something that happens in a later book is almost revealed here and that kind of sucked too.

FAVORITE AND LEAST FAVORITE ASPECTS OF THE MOVIE

     Amber:
Least Favorite- Valentine/Simon. I didn't like either of them. Simon as an actor wasn't horrible but how they made his character was bad. Valentine, everything about him to me was bad. His look, how he does things, all of it.
Favorite- This took some thought to be honest, I didn't really like anything about this movie. But I guess if I had to pick anything, I would say Jace. Especially about the part of if you want me to take my clothes off you should have just asked.

     Amanda:
Favorite for me was Clary and Jace's scene in the greenhouse except for the awful cheesy pop music they played!! If I close my ears and pretend that didnt happen though, I loved their chemistry and the budding of their romance. It brought that aspect of the book to life for me.
Least favorite for me was the scene where Hodge revealed that major info. Also when Jace and Valentine reunite kind of fell flat for me because it did nothing to portray the love Jace had for his father and how vulnerable he became upon his return.

OVERALL IMPRESSION

     Amber:
I know my opinion is way different than Amanda's. I give this movie a 0 out of 5. and I HATED it. I seriously regret spending the money on it. Unless the whole cast is different and they fire all the people that worked on the movie, AKA start completely over, I will not see the others. This movie ruined the books completely. If I was Cassandra Clare I would be embarrassed to say this was based off my book.

     Amanda:
Based on my enjoyment of the movie overall, I'd give this one a 4 out of 5. Factoring in how I felt about it in relation to the book I'll lower it to a 3 out of 5. I think many of the changes in the movie worked for the adaptation and made it more exciting and action packed, while being able to fit it into a 2+ hour movie slot, but I was still disappointed with some of the major changes.

We hope our differing opinions help you and that they don't make you more confused on whether or not you want to see it, haha. For those of you who have seen it, did you agree with either of us? Anything else to add? Love hearing from you guys.

Huge thanks to Amber for paying a visit to i solemnly swear, and make sure you all pay her a visit too!!!

A.

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A.