hˈeɪld æz "mˈɑːɹvələs" baɪ ðə wˈɔːl stɹˈiːt dʒˈɜːnəl, "pˈækt wɪð ˌɪnfɚmˈeɪʃən" baɪ ðə nˈuː jˈɔːɹk tˈaɪmz, ænd "bjˈuːɾɪfəli kɹˈæftᵻd" baɪ ðə bˈɔstən ɡlˈoʊb, ðə vˈɪlɪdʒ vˈɔɪs kəmˈɛndz ðə fˈɪlm fɔːɹ "vˈɪvɪdli bɹˈɪŋ ˈɪŋ bˈæk tə lˈaɪf ɐ mˈæn hˌuː dˈiːpli ænd bɹˈɪliəntli ˈɪnfluːənst ðə kˈoːɹs ʌvðə sˈɪvəl ɹˈaɪts ænd pˈiːs mˈuːvmənts.
Hailed as "marvelous" by The Wall Street Journal, "packed with information" by The New York Times, and "beautifully crafted" by The Boston Globe, the Village Voice commends the film for "vividly bring[ing] back to life a man who deeply and brilliantly influenced the course of the civil rights and peace movements.