The reviews lean towards disappointment, though several find entertainment in Hard Rain’s flooded-town thriller. Praise centres on individual set-pieces and supporting performances rather than the story: Morgan Freeman earns credit even from critics unconvinced by the film around him. Radio Times enjoys the tongue-in-cheek playing of Freeman and Randy Quaid, finding the film preposterous but brisk. Empire also praises the technically impressive flood effects and the unusual, fractious disaster-heist setup.
The divide is over how much those pleasures compensate for weak plotting and characterisation, with responses ranging from qualified enjoyment to outright dismissal. Total Film admires the school jet-ski chase but finds the characters stereotypical and the cast wasted. Variety credits Freeman with bringing intelligence to a poorly written role, while criticising murky action and unconvincing drama. Eye for Film is less forgiving still, finding that neither effects nor performances rescue the absurd plot.