Happy Eternity Discussions: City of Bones Part 1
Hello, dearlings!
It’s that time of month again, where Happy Eternity Discussions takes place! In case you don’t know, Happy Eternity Discussions involve Jeann from Happy Indulgence and I discussing various topics. Be prepared for fangirling, swooning, critique, and snark.
Today’s discussion is about the movie adaptation of City of Bones!
Chiara: So today I am going to be fangirling over Jamie Campbell Bower
… I mean discussing the movie adaptation of City of Bones!
I’m going to start off by saying that I liked this movie. I know it was very different to the book (mainly from the second half onwards), but I am a fan. I sincerely hope they make the next one, to be honest!
Jeann: Aaannd that’s where I’ll jump in and say I thought it was one of the worst adaptations, if not movies I’ve ever seen! I thought it was terrible and as I sat there watching the dvd on my couch, I went from excited, to bored, to incredulous about how bad things were.
The acting was so incredibly strained and the direction so convoluted that even fellow Shadowhunter fans would have trouble following the movie. I know you loved JCB Chiara, but the amount of cheesy scenes between him and Lily Collins had me rolling my eyes out of my sockets.
Let me guess. We’re no longer friends?
Chiara: Uhm yes. WHY, JEANN? Give me reasons for your hatred! *sobs*
Okay yes I agree it was confusing and I felt for my friend who I saw it with who had NOT read the book. She was hella confused, poor thing.
But. But. He’s so prettyyyyyy and she’s so prettyyyyyy and they’re so darn prettyyyyyy together! I don’t even care about the cheese.
This is one of those movies I can watch over and over because it does not require any brain power. I love movies that I don’t adore. They’re fun :D
Although seriously I must mention Valentine. WHAT WAS GOING ON HERE, MOVIE MAKER PEOPLE? He’s supposed to be eerie and BLONDE and have LONG hair and I just. WOW. Seriously, like yes JRM is beautiful and he did a good job of the new Valentine that they gave him but WOW no. Just no.
Jeann: Oh your poor friend, I have read the book and even I barely followed it! I think this is one of those movies that tried to be too faithful to the book, leaving people who had never read it confused in their wake. Maybe this is a good example of following the book a bit TOO closely and then not even caring about making a good movie. XD
Buuuuttt I’ll try not to be too harsh because I know you loved the two leads. At least we won’t be fighting over Four, or James Bucky this time ;) I actually think Lily Collins did pretty well as Clary, she was fiery, independent and strong but this is one of those instances where she goes stupid when she meets a hot guy. Seeing it on screen just made me roll my eyes even more! Although arguably, if you were placed in from of JCB perhaps that would happen to you too ;) *teases*
HAHA yes I didn’t even know that was Valentine at the start because he was just so different!
Chiara: I felt like it wasn’t that faithful to the book, though! I definitely think there needed to be some more explaining. Like there was about two minutes of ‘yeah this is what a shadowhunter is’ and the rest was ‘find out for yourself hahahah’. So yeah I feel for people who saw the movie just for the movie…
You can have Four; I’ll take Bucky ;D
Although, I don’t think that Lily was a particularly good Clary. In my head Clary was completely different but I just think Lily is so cute and squishy. Even though she was different I did quite like her version of Clary even if she was squealing every five seconds T.T I am pretty sure I’d lose all my sense if I was surrounded by a leather-clad JCB every day, haha XD
He was really really different! Like wow is that even the same character different. I think it would have been better if he hadn’t had the icky uber long rats tails, and also maybe had a shirt on in his scene with Clary? That was NOT father-daughter chemistry right there, just sayin’.
ALSO. HAHAHAHA the moments that Jace and Clary had and Simon’s just standing there. POOR BOY HAHAHAHA.
Don’t forget to check out part two of this discussion over at Happy Indulgence!
What were your thoughts on the City of Bones movie? Let us know!
Until next time,
Hehehe I know you loved JCB Chiara! You can have him ;)
YESSSSS *dances*
The movie was good in a sense that it is like Twilight or Ever After; I can watch it again and again and not get bored. (It is a good laundry day movie. Lol) HOW EVER it is #3 on my list of most frustrating book movies. (1 is Elle Enchanted, 2 is the 1st Percy Jackson movie, for any on who wants to know.) It is on this list because it deviates so drastically from the actual book. It just drives me crazy when the “portal” opens in the sanctuary. Yeah, that’s in the book. NOT. I understand creative license and all of that, but this was just too far away from the book. So I guess I’m on the fence. Lol
Exactly! I can see myself rewatching this movie a thousand times because it doesn’t require any brain power, haha.
Oh yes Ella Enchanted was an awful book to movie adaptation. I’ve seen the Percy Jackson films but haven’t read the books. I quite like the movies, though!
But yes there were a few too many deviations from the book in City of Bones.
I love that you described Lily as “cute and squishy” :D I actually liked her as Clary, but I felt there were too many “I am panicking and Jace you have to save me” scenes – that’s a problem I have with the book, as well (and Mockingjay, for that matter, why do they have to be hysterical all the time??).
JCB was really cute … but you have to admit the greenhouse scene was atrociously overcheesy! What with the night-blooming flowers, the sprinklers, the stone – too much.
Haha, I really think she is – she has such a cute face :P Oh gosh yes there was too much squealing and damsel in distress-ing, for sure.
I think YA heroines can be hysterical sometimes, but I much prefer my main character’s to be independent.
The greenhouse scene WAS quite cheesy but I could overlook it because of JCB + water ;D
Aha! Controversy is afoot ;)
I liked this movie too Chiara! But I think that they seriously made a mistake in not following the book closely. If there’s one way to infuriate book lovers…especially since we’re the ones who probably freaked out about it being made into a movie and made their friends come.
Can I just say that I love Jamie Campbell Bower’s accent?
Of the good-hearted kind, I assure you!
YAY. I do think they made a mistake by straying too far from the original story, too, but I could still appreciate it as a separate entity, I suppose.
I love everything about Jamie Campbell Bower.
Haha, I’m with Jeann, this was just bad. I’m at least glad I didn’t waste my money to see it in theatre! :P I watched it at home on the computer, while doing other stuff, and it was so bad that I ended up working more on my assignments I needed to be doing just so I could avoid watching it. Muhahaha. (Okay, maybe it wasn’t that bad, but it wasn’t good enough to keep my attention.) I’m just not one for cheesy. And while I don’t mind JCB, he’s not enough to make me care about a movie. Sorry Chiara ;)
NOOO, ASTI.
Sigh. At least I can have JCB without any competition from your evil world dominating ways ;D
This is one movie I don’t think I’ll ever watch, haha. :P I mean, I like to keep my memories of good books pure and untampered with by greedy little directors and producers… *cough* Percy Jackson *cough* And am I the only one who doesn’t think JCB is that great? I could see his and Lily’s chemistry even in the trailer (and OKAY it made me smile a little because the both of them are pretty cute together), but I still don’t like him much, heh.
Oh well, if anything, at least Lily did a good job as Clary, and JCB was a good Jace. I haven’t read the books yet but I have the whole series so hopefully I will soon! :D
WHY, MEG, WHY? D:
I’m surprised by how many people are leaving me to have JCB all to myself. I think he’s gorgeous. Originally I hated him as Jace, but now I think he’s perfect. And YES him + Clary are cute together. :3
The series isn’t one of my favourites, so maybe that’s why I didn’t mind too much about the deviation etc. *shrugs*
I never saw the movie because I wasn’t a huge fan of the book to begin with, but it’s a shame you found it so poorly done Jeann! :( It’s always disappointing when a book-to-movie adaption turns out completely differently from the book and has its own issues on top of that! :( I’m glad you liked it a bit more than Jeann did Chiara, even if it wasn’t your favorite adaption.
It’s a shame, because there are so many wonderful YA books that can be turned into movies, but if sloppy ones like this keep being released, the interest in YA book to movie adaptions won’t be as strong anymore, which would be a shame! :|
Thanks for sharing girls, and, as always, BRILLIANT review! <3
I did like this movie! I was disappointed that it wasn’t more ‘to the book’, but I still enjoyed it :D
Yeah YA book to movies adaptations aren’t going so well at the moment, and I hope it doesn’t reflect on the industry as a whole. Like you said, there are so many amazing books out there that would make great movies! Hopefully we can focus on the really good adaptations, rather than the mediocre ones.
Thank you, lovely!
… I’m going to have to take Jeann’s side here. I was sitting in the movie theater just glaring at the screen the whole time. While it wasn’t a completely bad movie, I can’t say I was completely in love with it. My main irritation is kind of the same irritations as Jeann’s. I was actually lost in one part and I’ve read all the books!
Fun Fact: They reason the second part (and onwards) is so different from the book is because originally they never thought the movie would be succesful enough to earn a sequel. They tried to give it a “proper” ending just in case no one wanted to pick up the sequel. Apparently the next movie will be much better since now they know what a huge fanbase they have. Gotta love them Cassie Clare fans xD
Yeah, I was actually excited to see it too, when I watch VA at least I will expect it to be bad and hopefully be surprised. That’s an interesting fact Marianne, no wonder it was a cheesy ending *shudderS*
Haha, they really did make it confusing!
Awh, no. That’s so weird! I, for one, would definitely see the sequel, so I hope it ends up happening. I mean how could I say no to more JCB?