Most critics greet Guys and Dolls warmly, with praise clustering around the songs, performances and energetic choreography. The reviews repeatedly credit the cast with bringing the musical’s theatrical world to life, particularly Jean Simmons, while Michael Kidd’s choreography draws specific praise. The songs remain a consistent pleasure across the reviews, with “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat” and Simmons’s rendition of “If I Were a Bell” singled out.
The spread is largely positive, with one mixed assessment and no outright rejection. Brando prompts the clearest disagreement: Radio Times calls him the definitive Sky Masterson, while Eye for Film criticises his singing and dancing, alongside the film’s length and lack of polish. The theatrical presentation also divides opinion: Little White Lies finds the sets stagey and some dialogue stilted, whereas The New Yorker praises the way theatrical artifice becomes cinema. These reservations rarely outweigh the enthusiasm for the musical numbers.