Howard Thompson of "The New York Times" opened his review by stating, "On the screen, 'The Adventurers' turn out to be an even duller bunch of meatballs than they were in Harold Robbins's best-selling novel." Arthur D. Murphy of "Variety" called it "a classic monument to bad taste ... marked by profligate and squandered production opulence; inferior, imitative and curiously old-hat direction; banal, ludicrous dialog; sub-standard, lifeless and embarrassing acting; cornball music; indulgent, gratuitous and boring violence; and luridly non-erotic sex." Gene Siskel of the "Chicago Tribune" gave the film 1 star out of 4 and wrote, "'The Adventurers' has nothing to recommend it. It is not erotic. It is not funny. It is violent to the point of obscenity and is as much the story of why film companies are losing millions as it is the story of Harold Robbins' best-selling novel."