On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 14% based on 111 reviews, with an average rating of 3.58/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Though its visuals are unique, "The Spirit's" plot is almost incomprehensible, the dialogue is ludicrously mannered, and the characters are unmemorable." Metacritic gave it an aggregate score of 30 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "generally negative reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C–" on an A+ to F scale.