Top critic
Mid-Day
Film review ·
The story is formulaic to begin with but the lack of creativity in this film is staggering.


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.
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Not streaming in India
Critic consensus
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.
1 not-rated review isn't plotted
The Monk Score is weighted from a plain average of 3.5 · how scores work
Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10
AI-generated summary of 5 critic reviews · may contain errors
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Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated
Top critic
Film review ·
The story is formulaic to begin with but the lack of creativity in this film is staggering.
Top critic
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.
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.
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.
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.
Credits
Lily CollinsClary Fray
Jamie Campbell BowerJace Wayland
Robert SheehanSimon Lewis
Kevin ZegersAlec Lightwood
Jemima WestIsabelle Lightwood
Lena HeadeyJocelyn Fray
Aidan TurnerLuke Garroway
Jared HarrisHodge Starkweather
Jonathan Rhys MeyersValentine Morgenstern
Kevin DurandEmil Pangborn
Godfrey GaoMagnus Bane
C. C. H. PounderMadame Dorothea
Stephen R. HartBrother Jeremiah
Chad ConnellBlue-haired demon
Elyas M'BarekVampire lieutenant
KurrganSamuel Blackwell
Harald Zwart
Don Carmody
Robert Kulzer
Atli Örvarsson
Michael KahnEnglish films like The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones