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The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones backdrop

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

29 August 2013English2h 10m
out of 10
Unfavorablemost critics didn't like it
Monk Score · 4 scored reviews · 1 not rated

Weighted from a 3.5 average · Why?

A tangled, joyless YA fantasy that can't make its world worth caring about.

Verdict tier Unfavorable, most critics didn't like it, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.

  • Praised: Less self-serious than Twilight
  • Criticised: Formulaic, tedious, unengaging plot

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Not streaming in India

Critic consensus

What 5 critics are saying

Critical reception for The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is largely negative, with most reviewers finding it a formulaic and creatively bankrupt addition to the young adult fantasy genre. Critics frequently cited a tedious, overcomplicated plot that fails to sustain interest and underdeveloped characters that audiences struggle to care about. Director Harald Zwart was seen as unable to manage the tonal inconsistencies and narrative sprawl. The only modest concession from reviewers was that it is less self-serious than the Twilight films and may hold some appeal for fans of similar action-fantasy franchises.

How the 4 scores spread

1 not-rated review isn't plotted

The Monk Score is weighted from a plain average of 3.5 · how scores work

Positive / mixed / negative reviews

Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10

AI-generated summary of 5 critic reviews · may contain errors

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From the papers

Critic reviews (5)

Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated

  1. Top critic

    Mid-Day

    Film review ·

    The story is formulaic to begin with but the lack of creativity in this film is staggering.
  2. Top critic

    TheFrontRow

    Film review ·

    Earlier this year, when I watched The Host, I thought this is so bad that it makes The Twilight series look like The Godfather. Well, as it turns out we weren't at the bottom of the barrel yet. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is so bad that it makes The Host look like high art.
  3. DNA India

    Film review ·

    Director Harald Zwart, who earlier presented Karate Kid, struggles to deliver this rather overtly complicated story effectively. There's so much bouncing around in tone and story that the film flounders with its cheesiness. There are features worth revealing in the film, and thankfully, it is less self-serious than the Twilight films. Nevertheless, the young and the exuberant will find The Mortal Instruments - City Of Bones worth a watch.
  4. The Navhind Times

    Film review ·

    The plot is so tedious and boring that it doesn't hold your interest for more than the first ten minutes. And with every passing minute, you couldn't care less about any of the characters.
  5. Times Of India

    Film review ·

    If you fancy action-fantasies like Underworld, Twilight, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, you might like this one.

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