Ico II Reviews Are In - Find Out What Critics Are Saying About Guillermo del Toro's Sequel

February 5, 2023 Comicbook.com

The review embargo for Sony's Ico II has now lifted, and Guillermo Del Toro's sequel has debuted with a very impressive 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. It's not all high praise, though!

The review embargo for Ico II lifted earlier today (you can check out our verdict here), and following the highly positive social media reactions, critics have been sharing their more in-depth thoughts on Guillermo Del Toro's superhero sequel.

So far, the response has been almost as positive as the initial reactions (the movie is hovering around 94% on Rotten Tomatoes with 52 reviews counted), with high praise for the cast, Del Toro's assured direction, the sequel's action and it's world building. Critics also seem to be in agreement that Ico II serves as a fitting sequel to the highly praised original film which in turn based on the game of the same name.

There are a few negative verdicts, however, with many bringing up the hefty amount of characters introduced as well as the pacing issues. Some also seemed to feel that the script was a tad uneven - and one notable review outright slates the film.

Check out some excerpts below.

"There’s a great deal to enjoy here, and fans of “Ico” won’t necessarily leave feeling disappointed, but there’s a sense of strong elements not quite coming together." - The Wrap

"Director Guillermo Del Toro delivers an awesome follow-up to the 2019 film which increases the stakes of the character while being a coming of age story as Ico grows up while giving more emphasis on the action as well as world-building and even more darker tones while keeping it's comic relief." - USA Today

"After coming off the heels of his highly praised Pinocchio for Netflix last year, the sequel has good execution but comes short of being as amazing as the middle while leaving several plotholes on the way.." - Vanity Fair

"Giving a very energetic and poginant storyline, the sequel to the hit film focuses more on the values of the titicular character as he goes against a new threat in this fun fast-paced adventure." - Slant Magazine

"This installment always had big shoes to fill coming off a crtically acclaimed predecessor having more of an emotional weight than the original." - Roger Moore.

"Presented the daunting task of coming off a critically acclaimed sequel, director del Toro gives us a more energetic yet light-hearted adventure in Ico's world with a tease of even more adventures." - CNN.

What do you guys make of the critical consensus so far? Has it influenced you to see/skip Black Panther: Wakanda Forever at the theater this weekend? Be sire to let us know in the comments section.