3 stars (out of 4)

Released 2013

Teenager Clary Fray suddenly discovers she can see things that other people can’t. Subsequently, her mother disappears after their home is attacked. Clary herself is saved by a shadowhunter and falls in with them upon learning that she is also of the half-angel bloodline. The Shadowhunters help her to understand her new powers and, of course, working with them offers the best hope of finding her mother.

Alright, let’s get the film’s main flaw out of the way first: namely, the generally weak, unnatural dialogue. For example, some lines that sounded like they should have been thoughts were spoken aloud instead. My unbunny sister brutally described it as having the feel of a “Canadian film”. (Incidentally, she was not surprised to learn that the movie was partially shot in Toronto, but I digress.) I do give the actors credit, though, for managing to handle the sometimes-clumsy lines just well enough that I didn’t start laughing inappropriately at the wrong times.

The one-liners also weren’t terribly funny, but the attempted humour was light-hearted and inoffensive at least, so I don’t hold it against the movie too much.

In spite of the shortcomings, I still enjoyed the film. The characters were strong and likeable and the storytelling was good. I liked that elements that were introduced earlier came into play logically later on. Additionally, some of the demons were genuinely terrifying.

I confess I also have a certain fondness for dark gothic themes and dark gothic costumes. So if those sorts of things don’t appeal to you, then it’s possible your mileage may vary.