Critical response
Ladyhawke has a rating of 68% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 31 critics' reviews. The site's consensus states: "There's pacing problems, but Ladyhawke has an undeniable romantic sweep that's stronger than most fantasy epics of its ilk." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 64 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
Vincent Canby in The New York Times called the film "divided against itself", and went on to say that "scenes of high adventure or of visual splendor... are spliced between other scenes with dialogue of a banality that recalls the famous Tony Curtis line, 'Yondah lies my faddah's castle.'" Time Out called it "all rather facile sword-and-sorcery stuff, of course, but at times very funny... and always beautifully photographed". Variety described the film as a "very likeable, very well-made fairytale... worthwhile for its extremely authentic look alone". Siskel and Ebert both gave the film positive "thumbs up" reviews on their syndicated television show and thought Ladyhawke was beautifully filmed with the potential to achieve lasting success as a classic in its genre. Siskel's only major complaint was that Broderick's role was almost anachronistic in his 1980s-style jokes, while Ebert felt Broderick's comedic elements were fitting.
The New York Times singled out Matthew Broderick's skill in coming "very close to transforming contemporary wisecracks – particularly, his asides to God – into a more ageless kind of comedy", and said of Michelle Pfeiffer that her "presence, both ethereal and erotic, is so vivid that even when she's represented as a hawk, she still seems to be on the screen". Variety praised the casting of the lead actors, considering Pfeiffer "perfect as the enchanting beauty". Time Out called Rutger Hauer "camp" and Pfeiffer "decorative".
Colin Greenland reviewed Ladyhawke for Imagine magazine, and stated that "a singular tale of witchcraft, love and courage, with a fascinating idea that it almost makes the most of".
John Nubbin reviewed Ladyhawke for Different Worlds magazine and stated that "It is extremely well filmed, but not very well thought out. And, although this isn't the first time such a thing has happened, one gets to the point where such productions go beyond a shake of the head and a shrugging, 'Oh, well.'."
Matthew Broderick received criticism for his attempted British accent in his portrayal of Phillipe Gaston, an example of the convention of using British accents in historical or medieval settings. One reviewer described the performance as displaying an "uncertainty with a British accent" that was "periodically cringeworthy and sporadically risible".
