Robert Koehler of "Variety" wrote a generally negative review of the film: "Resembling a story session where many ideas are brainstormed and few stick, "The Myth" messily reps Jackie Chan in epic mode as a archaeologist drawn into a plot to plunder the treasure of the Qin Dynasty's first emperor. As part of a movement in H.K. cinema to return to the ambitious movies of yore, helmer Stanley Tong's multi-period adventure flirts with considerable entertainment on one hand and near self-destruction on the other. Whether Chan's star power will pull in enough international bizbiz is doubtful, though ancillary should flex muscles in most territories."