10 Big Films From 2013 You've Probably Already Forgotten About

2. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

U.S. Release Date: August 21st What was this about again? A teenager learns that she descends from a line of warriors who protect the world from demons. She joins forces with a group of Shadowhunters, after the disappearance of her mother, and they introduce her to a dangerous alternate New York City called Downworld. I can understand why nobody really wanted to see this one. Every time I try reading the title of this movie, I start to fall asleep. Seriously, "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" sounds like the title of an album by the worst '70s prog-rock band of all-time. Like "R.I.P.D.," this movie never seemed like it had a chance in the first place. Released towards the tail-end of August, "Mortal Instruments" was another movie that attempted to capitalize on the success of "Twilight" and it just fizzled once it came out. For this one, there just did not seem to be any aspects of the movie that helped make it stand out. The trailers for the movie made it seem so generic, and I think this is a case of a studio assuming that the audience was going to be there no matter what they did. You want to know how I know that? Because a sequel for "City of Bones" was in the works months before the first film came out. Before "The Hunger Games" was released, for example, there was a feeling that it was about to become a huge hit. The movie featured a young actress (who was already nominated for an Oscar at that point) that was destined to become a breakout star. There was lots of hype surrounding it. Everyone was reading the book, not just pre-teens. That comes into stark contrast with "The Mortal Instruments." Why a studio would be so confident in a potential sequel, despite there being zero demand for one, is anyone's guess.