“Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken” failed to make an impact during its theatrical run despite receiving mixed-to-average reviews from critics. Some reviews enthusiastically praised the picture. “One of the best family films of the year, ‘Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken’ has humor and heart, buoyant energy, witty and imaginative visuals, and never-less-than brilliant voice talent,” wrote RogerEbert.com critic Neil Minow.

On the other hand, Trace Saveur of The Austin Chronicle gave a more mixed take, writing, “No one has a memorable personality […] DreamWorks’ house animation style is nice, with fun character designs and lots of elastic movement, but nothing ever pops.” Audiences gave “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken” a decent A- CinemaScore, and the DreamWorks offering also boasts an 81% viewer score on Rotten Tomatoes. It sounds like standard middle-of-the-road fare for animation fans, perfect to watch on a relaxing weekend evening. 

Many have noted that Universal failed to properly promote the picture, leading to a lack of audience awareness stunting its growth. As a new IP, “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken” faced significant competition, including titles like “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” “Elemental,” and the fan-favorite “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” one of the best animated films of 2023.