Most critics arrive at the same two conclusions and then differ on how much they matter. Barbra Streisand carries the film: even the harshest reviews call her the main asset, and several single out her scenes with Louis Armstrong. The physical production is the other point of agreement. The sets, costumes, Technicolor and photography draw praise almost everywhere, including from critics who dislike the film as a whole.
The reservations gather around size and casting. Several reviews call the production elephantine, faulting Gene Kelly for inflating a slight story and for favouring spectacle over performance. Streisand is widely thought too young for Dolly Levi, though Radio Times treats this as a quibble in an otherwise lavish treat. The Jerry Herman score splits the reviews outright: some call it marvellous and enduring, others find it unmemorable. The spread is wide, from warm admiration to flat dismissal, and the negatives outnumber the positives.