In an AllMusic review, Alex Ogg wrote: "The Circle Jerks were always a limited band that happened to cover the basics exceptionally well. However, Wonderful is the worst example of the treadmill approach to hard rock/punk that engulfed them in the mid-'80s.
According to an AllMusic review by Alex Ogg, The Circle Jerks' strengths lay in their ability to master the basics, but their music was also a victim of the trend towards formulaic hard rock/punk in the mid-1980s, as exemplified by their worst album, Wonderful.