The movie begins in New York, with Clary Fray (Lily Collins) drawing a particular symbol. As she leaves for poetry gig, her mum, Jocelyn Fray (Lena Headey) saw the symbol and worries. Her friend, Luke (Aidan Turner) advise that it is time to tell Clary the truth.
As Clary and her best friend, Simon (Robert Sheehan), passed by a club, she saw the symbol on the club but no one else saw it. As they are in the club, she saw a guy murdered. She freaks out and leaves. Next morning as she woke up, she saw that her bedroom was filled with the symbol that she drawn...drawing in her sleep. She goes to the coffee shop and asked Simon what is it. Her mum, at home, is visited by the bad guys. She fights them off as they seek the cup (all powerful cup). Her mum tries to call Clary, but Clary ignores the call. She tries to call Simon and Simon ignores the call too. After picking up the phone call, finally, Jocelyn warns Clary to not come home and find Luke. Clary panics and rush home to find her mum missing and a dog waiting for her. The dog shape-shifts into an ugly beast and attacks her. She lights the stove and 'BOOM!', the kitchen explodes, dog explodes into pieces and she is shielded by the door..hmm...the dog revives itself and is killed by Jace Wayland, a shadowhunter. Shadowhunters are those who hunt demons on Earth. And is revealed that Clary is a shadowhunter too, like her mother. Jace is drawn by Clary.
Clary meets Madame Dorothea, her downstairs neighbour, and asked about her mum whereabouts. Madame Dorothea asks Clary to pick a tarot card and reveal that Valentine is after the Mortal Cup (Mortal Instruments? hmm...Mortals). The cup was given by the Angel Raziel, with his blood to whosoever drinks from the cup will be half-angel.
They head off to find Luke. Luke is captured by Valentine's bad guys (Pangborn and Blackwell). And as you know it, just as Jace picks up the cage, Clary trips on a vase and it alerts the bad guys. They fight and are able to escape. Outside, as Simon awaits, policemen came and is killed by Jace. Simon freaks out and said, 'you killed a policeman' repeatedly.
The trio returns to the institute. The institute used to house the shadowhunters. In the institute, Simon and Clary are introduced to Isabelle, Alec and Hodge. Hodge is the older shadowhunter that is cursed to remain in the institute. He tells the story of Valentine, who use to be a shadowhunter. Then he turned around and wanted to use the Mortal Cup to control the shadowhunters and demons. But failed. As Jocelyn steals the cup and run away.
The next part is where we encounter the title of the movie, 'City of Bones'. Jace brings Clary to the City of Bones, where shadowhunters are laid to rest. The Silent Brothers help Clary to regain her memory that are protected. But failed. As it is revealed that the one who put the block on her memories is Magnus Bane, a warlock or sorcerer.
Magnus Bane reveals that he was the one that block the memories of Clary and also buys the paintings that Jocelyn drew, to support her. Simon gets kidnapped by vampires. They go on a hunt to find him. At this part, we see that any religion will help the shadowhunters. In the church, they have stored their weapons and the symbol that Clary drew is on the markings on the floor. As they rescue Simon, a pack of werewolves intervene and help them. Werewolves have a truce with shadowhunters. It's kind of like, any religion or beasts that is not in favour of demons, will help the shadowhunters.
As they return to the institute, Clary notice that there was a vampire bite on Simon's shoulder. It could lead to revealing Simon to turn into a vampire (which is the case in the next series). Clary gets warned from Alec to stay out of the institute. And Clary says that Alec is in love with Jace (awkward!). Clary goes to see Jace playing the piano and reveals Bach to be a shadowhunter. At the same time, Clary falls for Jace. They kiss at the greenhouse to celebrate Clary's birthday. Then the sprinklers went off, they rush back to the room and are about to kiss when Simon interrupts. Then Jace said that it was Clary that wanted to kiss him and bring him to the room. At this point of the movie, I find it awkward. As much of a romance scene that is inserted into the movie, this part was awkward. Jace wants to kiss, then tells the girl it was her fault, and said she wants to bring him to her room, taking off his shirt...awkward!
Simon, broken hearted, went off. And all of a sudden, the next scene is Clary calmly drinking tea and reading about runes (writings or words of the shadowhunters). As she puts the cup back on the table, she realises the cup is imprinted into the book. She sees it to be 2D, then puts her hand into the book and pulled out the cup of tea. She realises that the cup is actually back in her apartment in the tarot card. They head back to the apartment to see Madame Dorothea. Alec and Isabelle uses some metal/iron fillings. Like the science experiment you do with iron and magnet on a paper. Alec and Isabelle use it to detect demons. As they thought the demon to be in Clary's apartment, it wasn't. In Madame Dorothea's apartment, Jace plays a song by Bach (it is said Bach was a shadowhunter that puts into his music piece, the music note, when played, that will help shadowhunters reveal demons. As demons don't like Bach's music. They get annoyed and change form.) Who knew, music was a cover for a demon detector. As Madame Dorothea is revealed to be a demon, replacing the real Madame Dorothea, they fight. And Alec gets wounded. Simon comes along to the apartment, as he receives a text saying Clary was in the apartment. Simon sees Clary trap in the apartment and rushes to save her by fighting the demon (now that's fighting for someone you love!).
They head back to the institute to treat Alec. Gives the cup to Hodge. Hodge is revealed to betrayed them by giving the cup to Valentine. Clary escapes to Luke, using the portal. The portal is said to teleport you to any place you think of. Luke calls his friends to help. Valentine opens a portal to summon the demons. Valentine reveals to Jace that he and Clary are siblings to trick him to join his cause. Then Simon and Isabelle found out that Jocelyn is actually kept in the basement of the institute. Simon tells Clary. Magnus appears to heal Alec (Magnus was eyeing Alec at Magnus' place). As Clary returns, demons appear at the basement. She draws a rune on her palm and the demons freezes. The demons slowly reanimate and the werewolves fight them off. Most of them are killed, except Luke, whom kill Pangborn.
In the library, Jace helps Valentine. However, then he turns against Valentine. And they fight. Simon and Isabelle fights the demons to close the portal (on the roof). Hodge helps them as he realises that he was wrong to betray them. Clary then appears at the portal (in the library) with a fake cup (seen earlier in the film). She convinces Valentine to take the cup and pushes him into the portal. As we think it is over, Valentine pulls Clary into the portal but is saved by Jace.
At the hospital, Luke, Clary and Simon looks after Jocelyn to recover. Simon is told that he will find someone (he did, in the upcoming series. But I think Simon could be Clary's brother at this point of the movie...but her real brother is...). Anyways, Clary returns home. Fixes the apartment with a rune written on her hand. Jace comes and invites her to join the shadowhunters. He tells her that he doesn't believe that she is his sister. And there's a love connection going on between them (like a Korean drama!). And they set off on Jace's bike.
The movie was ok. I like the story line but not the acting. I heard Alex Pettyfer was supposed to play the lead role. It wouldn't be good. We'll give this new guy a shot. Acting wasn't the best for this movie.
