''Kalakalappu'' opened to positive reviews from critics. ''[[The Times of India]]'' claimed that "''Kalakalappu'' remains true to its title and is jolly good fun throughout".<ref>{{cite news |last=Suganth |first=M |date=12 May 2012 |title=Kalakalappu |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/tamil/movie-reviews/Kalakalappu/movie-review/13106085.cms | work=The Times of India | title=Kalakalappu — The Times of India | accessurl-datestatus=14 May 2012live | archive-date=14 November 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114231404/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/tamil/movie-reviews/Kalakalappu/movie-review/13106085.cms |archive-date=14 urlNovember 2013 |access-statusdate=live14 May 2012 |work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> Sify's critic described the film as "good fun while it lasts, with the second half better than the first".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130703101156/http://www.sify.com/movies/kalakalappu-review-tamil-14998487.html Movie Review:Kalakalappu<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Behindwoods termed ''Kalakalappu'' as "a jolly good time".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kalakalappu Movie Review |url=http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-reviews/reviews-2/may-12-02/kalakalappu-review.html |title=Kalakalappu Review – Kalakalappu Movie Review<!url-- Bot generated title --> |access-datestatus=12 May 2012 |archive-date=13 May 2012live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513205203/http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-reviews/reviews-2/may-12-02/kalakalappu-review.html |urlarchive-statusdate=live13 May 2012 |access-date=12 May 2012 |website=Behindwoods}}</ref> Indiaglitz wrote: "Fun unlimited, Sundar C has shown his value as a director of commercial entertainers earlier and reinforces it again with a bang with 'Kalakalappu', which sure turns out to be a summer treat".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120407083020/http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/review/14388.html IndiaGlitz – Kalakalappu Tamil Movie Review<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ''[[Deccan Chronicle]]'' wrote: "It's fun and funny, unpretentious and yet quite nutty!".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kalakalappu review: Served with a lot of fun |url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/showbiz/movie-reviews/kalakalappu-review-served-lot-fun-099 |title=Kalakalappu review: Served with a lot of fun {{!}} Deccan Chronicle<!url-- Bot generated title --> |access-datestatus=14 May 2012 |archive-date=29 May 2012dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120529021249/http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/showbiz/movie-reviews/kalakalappu-review-served-lot-fun-099 |urlarchive-statusdate=live29 May 2012 |access-date=14 May 2012 |website=[[Deccan Chronicle]]}}</ref>
[[Rediff]]'s Pavithra Srinivasan gave it 2.5 out of 5 stars and stated that it did have "its funny moments but only a few of them work".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Srinivasan |first=Pavithra |date=11 May 2012 |title=Review: Kalakalappu fails to impress |url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/south-review-kalakalappu-fails-to-impress/20120511.htm |title=Review: Kalakalappu fails to impress – Rediff.com Movies<!url-- Bot generated title --> |access-datestatus=12 May 2012 |archive-date=14 May 2012live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120514020404/http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/south-review-kalakalappu-fails-to-impress/20120511.htm |urlarchive-statusdate=live14 May 2012 |access-date=12 May 2012 |website=[[Rediff.com]]}}</ref> ''[[In.com]]'' wrote: "Kalakalappu works only in bits and pieces!".<ref>[https://archive.today/20130126052852/http://www.in.com/news/currentafairs/kalakalappu-works-only-in-bits-and-pieces-23030886-in-1.html Kalakalappu works only in bits and pieces!<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Rohit Ramachandran of Nowrunning.com rated it 2 out of 5 stating that "Sundar C's Kalakalappu conforms to Kollywood film-making by being silly unfunny mediocre nonsense."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ramachandran |first=Rohit |title=Kalakalappu Review |url=http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/9730/tamil/kalakalappu/3707/review.htm |title=Kalakalappu Review – Tamil Movie Review by Rohit Ramachandran<!url-- Bot generated title --> |access-datestatus=12 May 2012 |archive-date=15 May 2012dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515021731/http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/9730/tamil/kalakalappu/3707/review.htm |urlarchive-statusdate=live15 May 2012 |access-date=12 May 2012 |website=Nowrunning.com}}</ref>
