Ron Weiskind of the "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette" perceived Reyes, Jr. as "a likable presence on screen" and Schneider to be occasionally humorous in his series of gaffes. Weiskind thought that even with the abundance of martial arts in the film, the scenes were generally too lifeless. Joe Holleman of the "St. Louis Post-Dispatch" thought that "Surf Ninjas" pushed "the right buttons to guarantee adolescent enjoyment". Holleman acknowledged that the film was "not exactly a milestone in cinematic achievement", but he applauded the acrobatic choreography and the delivery of Schneider's throwaway lines in "the movie's funniest moments". Sean P. Means of "The Salt Lake Tribune" described the film as a Toys "R" Us version of "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom", with "the cartoonish martial-arts sequences their entire existence to the villains' stupidity". Means thought that the film was ultimately "as silly as it is forgettable".