Roger Ebert gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, writing that "'Sharky's Machine' contains all of the ingredients of a tough, violent, cynical big-city cop movie, but what makes it intriguing is the way that Burt Reynolds ... plays against those conventions....
Roger Ebert awarded the film 3.75 stars, noting that "'Sharky's Machine' encompasses the typical ingredients for a gritty, action-packed urban police drama, yet its appeal lies in Burt Reynolds' performance that subverts these expectations...