D.A.R.Y.L. was released in the United States on June 14, 1985 and later in Singapore on May 5, 1986. The original music score was composed by Marvin Hamlisch.
D.A.R.Y.L. could not make it into the box office top five. The movie got mixed reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes the movie has 53% approval rating based on 17 reviews.[4] A 1985 reviewer for The New York Times wrote, "The best that can be said about D.A.R.Y.L.... is that it's inoffensive."[5] In his review for Entertainment Tonight, Leonard Maltin said, "This is one of the blandest movies I've seen all year. No punch. No surprises. No juice, especially in the way it's directed."[6]
DVD Verdict states "wooden" acting and a "preposterous" plot. But it ultimately ends with "a formulaic slice of family entertainment that doesn't do much new but follows the blueprint well enough to warrant a look."[7]