Metacritic reviews

A silly, impenetrable movie starring Sean Connery (attired in the dumbest costume ever) as a ponytailed barbarian who obeys a giant stone head.

Every once in a while, a movie like that comes along; a movie you’ve got to see so that you, too, can be in the dark about it.

The script gradually falls apart into a mess of philosophical pottage under the whimsically pretentious Tolkien influence. But visually the film remains a sparkling display of fireworks, brilliantly shot and directed.

A brilliant premise which unfortunately washes out in climactic sound and fury.

Zardoz quickly degenerates from a voyage through a labyrinth into an ego trip round and round the inside of a goldfish bowl. [28 Feb 1974, p.62]

More confusing than exciting even with a frenetic, shoot‐em‐up climax.

With ideas skimmed off the top of various systems of thought, Zardoz is a glittering cultural trash pile.

Frequently brilliant director Boorman--always an interesting visual stylist--falls flat on his face with this pretentious piece of science-fiction claptrap that presents its dull ideas in such a confused and annoying fashion as to anger even the most devoted fan of the genre.

Dodgy on every level.