In a retrospective review from Film.com, Eric D. Snider wrote, "[Steel Dawn] has a very simple plot, so the only way to stretch the material into 90 minutes is to spend some time with the characters and watch them inhabit their strange, futuristic world.
Eric D. Snider, in a retrospective review on Film.com, stated that "[Steel Dawn]" features a simple storyline; therefore, to lengthen it to 90 minutes, focus is needed on the characters and their exploration of the film's strange, future-oriented setting.