Niels Matthijs of Twitch Film praised the film, stating, "Not only is "Kokaku Kidotai" an essential film in the canon of Japanese animation, together with Kubrick's "" and Tarkovsky's "Solyaris" it completes a trio of book adaptations that transcend the popularity of their originals and a new meaning to an already popular brand." He ranked it #48 of his personal favorites. Clark Collis of "Empire" opined that the film was predictable, but praised its production values. Johnathan Mays of Anime News Network praised the animation combined with the computer effects, calling it "perhaps the best synthesis ever witnessed in anime". Helen McCarthy in "500 Essential Anime Movies" describes the film as "one of the best anime ever made", praising its screenplay and "atmospheric score", and adding that "action scenes as good as anything in the current Hollywood blockbuster are supported by CGI effects that can still astonish". In a 1996 review, film critic Roger Ebert rated the film three out of four stars, praising the visuals, soundtrack and themes, but felt that the film was "too complex and murky to reach a large audience ... it's not until the second hour that the story begins to reveal its meaning". In February 2004, "Cinefantastique" listed the anime as one of the "10 Essential Animations". It ranked 35 on Total Film's 2010 top list of 50 Animated Films. The film ranked on "Wizards Anime" Magazine on their "Top 50 Anime released in North America".