--- title: "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-mortal-instruments-city-of-bones/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-mortal-instruments-city-of-bones" critics_score: 38 critics_reviews: 16 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013): what the critics said Critics' score 38 from 16 reviews: 0 positive, 6 mixed, 10 negative. The reviews lean firmly negative. None of the critics recommends the film, and the kindest settle for mixed. Where praise exists it sits at the edges: the flashes of humour and self-aware silliness, which several critics find a relief from the plot, and the effects and production design, which earn a grudging word even from writers who dislike everything else. The Wrap credits Jonathan Rhys Meyers with a brief and welcome burst of camp. The complaints are more consistent than the praise. Most critics call the story incoherent, the exposition clunky and the whole thing a borrowed mix of Twilight, Harry Potter and Buffy. Lily Collins divides opinion: The Hollywood Reporter finds she conveys real empathy, while the Los Angeles Times calls her heroine unconvincing. The spread is narrow in direction and wide in degree, running from two-star shrugs to outright dismissal, with The Guardian going as far as to call the film cynical. ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page content is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be confirmed. No praise or complaint from the review is available to report. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-mortal-instruments-city-of-bones-2013) ## Screen Daily — Brent Simon Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 22 August 2013. The page identifies this as a review, but its critical assessment is unavailable in the excerpt. The visible text does not reveal the critic’s verdict or what they praise or complain about. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/the-mortal-instruments-city-of-bones/5059418.article) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 21 August 2013. The page is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be established. No specific praise or complaint is available from the page text. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/21/movies/in-the-mortal-instruments-shadowhunters-prowl-new-york.html) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 3/5. Jones finds the fantasy familiar, blending territory associated with Twilight and Harry Potter. He notes its supernatural creatures and humour, which softens the horror. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-n1nweb/the-mortal-instruments-city-of-bones/) ## Slant Magazine — R. Kurt Osenlund Rating 2/4. 21 August 2013. Osenlund finds the film briefly entertaining as absurd, self-aware genre excess, but ultimately undone by shoddy filmmaking. He praises its kooky humor and flamboyant collection of characters, while criticizing the incoherent action and choppy editing. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-mortal-instruments-city-of-bones/) ## Time Out — Anna Smith Rating 2/5. 19 August 2013. Smith gives the film two stars, indicating a negative verdict. She singles out its familiar mix of Twilight, Buffy, Percy Jackson and Harry Potter as an unconvincing bid for tween popularity. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-mortal-instruments-city-of-bones) ## Evening Standard — The Standard Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 23 August 2013. The critic finds the fantasy adventure foolish and its lead performance blank-eyed, though the love rivals bring some life to the film. They praise the end-credits song choice and refreshing casual references to homosexuality. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-mortal-instruments-city-of-bones-film-review-8782143.html) ## Variety — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 20 August 2013. Chang finds the film a muddled, largely incoherent fantasy, though its self-aware silliness offers some redemption. He praises the flashes of humor and offbeat nightlife-inspired touches as welcome distractions from the convoluted story. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/film-review-the-mortal-instruments-city-of-bones-1200582502/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — THR Staff Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 20 August 2013. The critic finds the film an overlong, melodramatic knockoff that struggles to escape its clunky dialogue and familiar franchise formula. Lily Collins is praised for conveying empathy, while the visual effects and production design also receive some credit. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/mortal-instruments-city-bones-film-609702/) ## Empire — Helen O'Hara Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 8 April 2013. O'Hara finds the film muddled, thinly characterized, and unlikely to satisfy audiences beyond book fans. She gives some credit to its effects and design, but says that cannot redeem the incoherent romance and uncertain tone. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/mortal-instruments-city-bones-review/) ## The Guardian — Francesca Steele Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 22 August 2013. Steele calls the film cynical and says its story fails to make sense. She singles out clunky exposition and derivative material that leave viewers confused about the film’s fantasy world. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/aug/22/the-mortal-instruments-city-of-bones-review) ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 21 August 2013. Ebiri finds the film uninspired and derivative, with its dramatic possibilities left largely unexplored. He praises its brisk pace and occasional humor but faults its lack of visual imagination. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2013/08/movie-review-the-mortal-instruments.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Mark Olsen Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 20 August 2013. Olsen finds the film a sloppy, passionless jumble that fails to make its fantasy mythology compelling. He singles out Lily Collins’s unconvincing heroine and the cluttered story that seems mainly to set up a sequel. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2013-aug-20-la-et-mn-mortal-instruments-20130821-story.html) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 21 August 2013. The accessible page does not expose the review or its verdict. Its URL identifies a review of the 2013 film, but no praise or complaint can be verified. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-the-mortal-instruments-city-of-bones-starring-lily-collins-jamie-campbell-bower-more-20130821/) ## Digital Spy — Stella Papamichael Rating 2/5. 19 August 2013. The review finds the film dull and poorly constructed rather than a worthy successor to Twilight. It singles out incoherent storytelling and sketchily drawn characters as major problems. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a507538/the-mortal-instruments-city-of-bones-review-is-it-the-new-twilight/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 20 August 2013. The critic finds the film dreary, familiar, and ultimately tedious. Jonathan Rhys Meyers’s over-the-top performance briefly provides an amusing burst of camp. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/mortal-instruments-city-bones-review-part-harry-potter-part-twilight-all-dull-111916/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-mortal-instruments-city-of-bones.md