The film has garnered critical acclaim over the years, having a score of 85% Fresh on the film critics site, Rotten Tomatoes, deeming it fresh.
The film has long been regarded as a cult hit,[REF] and was often viewed as superior to Rollerball, a much more expensive major studio drama released later in the same year; another dystopian science-fiction sports film similarly focusing on the use of dangerous sports as an "opiate" [REF].