Canby labelled the film an "instant classic" and one of the most humorous and stylish American films ever made. He described it as having refined the old serial films into their most perfect form for a modern audience. Roger Ebert called it a series of "breathless and incredible" adventures inspired by and celebrating childhood stories told in comic books and movies. He concluded the film is successful in its singular goal of entertaining, creating an adventure epic in the vein of "Star Wars", the James Bond films, and "Superman". Writing for "The Hollywood Reporter", Arthur Knight said Lucas and Spielberg had successfully created another "goldmine" film. The review continued that a constant stream of thrills kept the film moving at a steady pace. Writing for "Variety", Stephen Klain called the film "exhilarating escapist entertainment". He continued that the film successfully balanced action, comedy, and suspense with mystical mythologies. Michael Sragow described it as the "ultimate Saturday action matinee". Gene Siskel said it was as entertaining as a "commercial movie" could be; the kind of film that makes children excited about cinema.