Bee Movie received mixed reviews upon its release. The film received a rating of 53% on Rotten Tomatoes and 54% on Metacritic. Many of the reviews are moderate, pointing out humorous sequences for children, but not achieving the animated heights of many Pixar releases.

Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman awarded the movie an A-, calling it "agreeably skewed fun" and calls it "fresh" in comparison to Ratatouille. Peter Bradshaw from The Guardian gives the film four stars out of five, arguing that the jokes in the film are executed with "enormous invention and flair."

Roger Ebert gives Bee Movie two stars out of four, claiming that the screenplay fails to "take off" and cites the difficulty of an audience to care about a relationship between a human woman and a bee. The Los Angeles Times's Carina Chicano thinks the film lacks genuine laughs and attempts to coast on a "loopy and harebrained" story.

• Entertainment Weekly: Bee Movie Review (Grade: A-)
  • "The film is nutty, ecological, antically funny, and moving, all at the same time."

• New York Times: Bee Movie Review
  • "There is a plot... but it's a little beside the point. The real fun is the insect shtick."

• New York Observer: Bee Movie Review
  • "It is mercifully less than 90 minutes long, but make that an hour and a half of witty, captivating enchantment."

• Rolling Stone: Bee Movie Review (3/4)
  • "At its relaxed best, when it's about, well, nothing, the slyly comic Bee Movie is truly beguiling."

• Hollywood Reporter: Bee Movie Review
  • "Unfortunately, bees just aren't that funny... Nor is the odd story Seinfeld and his collaborators dreamed up very inspired."

• Variety: Bee Movie Review
  • "Amiable but no more, "Bee Movie" puts a hiveful of potent talent at the service of a zig-zigging, back-of-an-envelope story that's short on surprise and originality. "

• USA Today: Bee Movie Review
  • "It's so unfunny it almost stings."

• ComingSoon.net: Bee Movie Mini Review
  • "Seinfeld has completely dumbed-down his normal clever wit in order to appeal to younger kids, which may be fine, since they're probably the only ones who might possibly enjoy this."