writing for rogerebert.com, odie henderson awarded it three out of four stars, saying "conventional documentary or not, i got something of positive value and insight out of "to be takei." ign awarded it 8 out of 10, saying "star trek legend george takei is the subject of a new documentary that highlights his career and activism." "slant magazine" also awarded it a positive review, saying "to be takei works most productively when allowing takei's acting career to speak for itself on screen."