Mayberry Man (2021) User Reviews

3.5 Stars

[Foutainoflife · 4/10 · 26 May 2022]

The premise is great. The execution, not so much.

I don't understand all the 10 star ratings and if you are looking for an honest review, you should start reading somewhere around the 5 star mark. I've watched the Andy Griffith Show reruns all my life. It is a wholesome family show and has a few life lessons thrown in as well. This was disappointing.

Some of the folks portraying the Mayberry characters weren't too bad but the rest of the acting was cheesy, subpar or just bad. The story wasn't very interesting as it lacked a solid plotline and there was no real reason to invest in any of the characters. It made it seem long and drawn out and the main character was annoying to watch.

Another disappointment was there was no one to impersonate Andy, Aunt Bee or Opie. However, the character impersonations we did see were The Mount Pilot Girls, Briscoe and Charlene Darling (hillbilly dad and his flirtatious daughter), Gomer and Goober Pyle (gas station attendant and his cousin), Floyd Lawson (the barber), Earnest T. Bass (town nut and troublemaker), Otis Campbell (town drunk) and Barney Fife. As I said, some of these were decent impersonations and this is why I'm giving it the 3.5 star rating.

Had they spent more time on the script, character development and plotline, this could have been a cute movie. I think Return to Mayberry, a made for television movie that brought some of the original characters to solve the mystery of a reported lake monster and see Opie become a first time father, was a far better film.

A novelty film that's strictly for diehard fans

[gjw · 4/10 · 3 August 2023]

The concept of this movie had potential. "The Andy Griffith Show" is a classic, with some of the most memorable characters in TV history. So the idea of making a movie around those characters and the town of Mayberry definitely has potential . But that potential is squandered here.

It's as though someone came up with an interesting idea, but no one involved in this film was capable of turning that idea into a professional film.

The script is paper-thin, most of the actors appear to be rank amateurs, and the one semi-professional, in the lead role, doesn't really have the kind of charisma it would take to single-handedly elevate this effort.

I suppose that isn't surprising, when you consider that the script was written and the movie was directed by a guy whose past credits are predominantly for Saturday morning cartoons.

Once we are in in the mock Mayberry town, and have met the people doing impressions of the classic characters such as Barney Fife and Floyd the Barber (some of which are pretty good, at least in small doses), the movie sort of runs out of gas - and ideas.

The film has its heart in the right place, and was obviously hoping to wring a profit from Mayberry nostalgia, but that just isn't enough.

In sum, if you are a diehard fan of "The Andy Griffith Show", who is easily thrilled by anything Mayberry, then this novelty film will amuse you, at least for a while, and you may be able to ignore its obvious flaws. But keep your expectations low.

I suspect that the main fans of this movie will be the town residents of Danville, Indiana, where the movie was filmed, and the friends and family members of the people doing the impressions of the Mayberry characters, who will doubtlessly be thrilled by seeing their hometown starring in a movie.

(But come to think of it, Indiana is a long way from North Carolina.)

Weak in every possible way!!!

[augleaner · 4/10 · 21 May 2022]

I'm gonna have to agree with angelanepereny's review. It's pretty obvious there has been an organized campaign to hype this movie. I wouldn't believe most of the 10 star reviews here. Granted the original TV series may have stirred up the emotion in some people as well. I don't think you can blame or judge any of the actors because they didn't have much to work with. I believe the script took an afternoon to write which was easy when you start out by trying to copy as much of the movie "Doc Hollywood" that you can without getting sued. They even included the scene where he lost control of his car and drove off the road. There really is no storyline worth following, no character development or even characters you care about. I gotta say Barney and Floyd were fairly well done.

Enjoyable watch

[msp482 · 5/10 · 23 September 2023]

Cheesy but very enjoyable. Laughed out loud a number of times.

Some wonderful acting of Mayberry characters by unassuming actors.

It was nice to see some life lessons thrown in.

Location shoots were nice to see.

Good story line.

Headline actor did a very good job of portraying self absorbed Hollywood actor.

His fictitious home is said to be Clark Gables old home in movie. Unknown if this is true but it is a lovely piece of architecture.

The extras in the movie a fun to watch. A few sun plots are charming to see.

This was a labor of love dedicated to the concept of Mayberry. It showcases the closeness many of of long for in neighbors, friendships and family.

Good job on a nice movie!

Barney and Floyd Forever

[trrsb · 7/10 · 12 November 2023]

OK. Here is the correct review of this film, omitting the extremes on both sides (hopefully), and from a typical Mayberry lover.

Yes, the storyline is cheesy while the script and much of the acting is pretty lame. That's nearly expected when the producers likely wanted to make a cheap film using non-actors. So let's give that criticism a break. What should we expect? After all, who among us wouldn't want to be in a movie about Mayberry? As for the pros, the Brett and Ashley "prof acting" characters still made for a decent and likable downhome couple. That said about the acting, I still enjoyed the film.

I will give Mayberry Man a thumbs up of 7 for the following two reasons: Barney and Floyd. These guys were perfect. How people could not see that, I don't know. Just like the show itself, when Barney and Floyd were on camera, regardless of who else was on screen with them, they stole the spotlight. Now, I am a pretty tough critic, but as the movie progresses, I found these two amiable "tribute actors' got so good they made a not so good script and imperfect film worth watching. When these two were in the squad car alone, improvising as they went, they WERE Barney and Floyd for me. And, when that happens and you can suspend belief a bit, these two amazing recreations made this trip to Mayberry all worthwhile.

Hang with It all to the end and see what I mean.

So many things wrong

[annikavenable · 1/10 · 14 July 2023]

This is honestly just a really bad movie. You can see what they are going for, but they failed. They didn't mention Andy, Opie, or Aunt Bee. The main actor was mediocre at best. The person that played Barney was horrendous! The love plotline in the movie just wasn't it. Let's be honest this movie really just wasn't it! The storyline was corny the actors were kinda icky.... When the movie first started I wanted to shut it off but over time you just start laughing at how bad it is. There are so many plot holes. The plot almost isn't there, there are so many holes. The movie is great if you are someone like me who makes fun of and talks through movies. But overall it barely got a 1/10.

But Where's Andy

[angelacarnesparker · 6/10 · 14 December 2021]

This film was a cute idea and a good family movie, but how can you have a movie about a Mayberry Festival and not even mention Andy? The characters were a bit exaggerated as all North Carolinians do not act or talk like country bumpkins and neither did all of the characters on the show. I read that Andy's daughter was a producer so I'm even more disappointed that he wasn't mentioned. At least Opy's picture was shown on the front of a DVD.

Very poor movie, badly executed.

[francois-616-453165 · 1/10 · 23 May 2022]

It's a pain to watch. I wouldn't recommend it at all. It really looks like it's been written, shot and edited in a week. Could have been shot with a smartphone.

Family deserve better movies.

The only people rating this as a 10 had to be in the movie.

[angelanepereny · 1/10 · 14 October 2021]

The story line is appealing but the execution is lacking. Acting is mostly horrible except for some of the people portraying Mayberry characters. This is an hour and half of my life I will never get back.

Watch This Movie With Your Kids and Family ! Life Lessons Are Always Good!

[Rod_Duke · 9/10 · 10 October 2021]

If you are a fan of the movies, do this. Get your popcorn, get your soda, get your junior mints, turn the lights down, and yes, turn up the surround sound or music bar on your system.

This is a solid story line, with good directing and good acting. And they must have done all this in during the pandemic of course.

The Tribute artist are awesome. Especially Floyd and Barney. Man, they each have the voice and the mannerisms of the charters they mimic.

Chris - Needed what the judge sentenced him to. More judges should do something similar to this in the future. I can think of another actor or two in Hollywood who just might benefit from a week at Mayberry Days.

Good job to the director, actors and crews. If you every paid attention to Floyd the Barber - Two Chairs No Waiting - you know that Allan Newsome has him down to a T. Very funny expressions. Zoom in!!

Now this is a movie fans can enjoy forever. It is timeless, and the message is timeless.

Moving it up near Waking Ned Devine as one of my favorite movies. Oh, you haven't seen Waking Ned Devine? Well you are in for another treat. Especially if you ever dreamed of winning the lottery.

Cheers all,

now, where is that popcorn. Let's watch this moving again.

Unwatchable

[sidiousjk · 1/10 · 3 August 2023]

I don't understand the high ratings. This is one of the worst movies I have ever watched. The plot has been done much better many times. The townspeople portraying the Mayberry characters more like caricatures. I didn't find one redeeming quality in this movie. It's a complete waste of time. If a town existed that acted like these people, I would drive over 100 mph to get out of it too. The assistant character was unlikable. The Floyd character is aggravating with every word. The premise that no one recognizes a movie star is ridiculous. Of course, the daddy issues is expected from the main character. Don't waist your time.

Difficult to watch

[djswansonapr · 3/10 · 30 August 2023]

The producers and actors meant well, but this is an excruciatingly dull movie from start to finish. It didn't hold my interest at all. I didn't care what happened to the characters. I didn't try to imagine how the movie was going to end. There's nothing exciting about the storyline. Several of the characters are especially annoying; when they show up I just want them to move on and come back stronger in a future scene. It's billed as a comedy but I saw nothing worthy of even a little chuckle. Did the filmmakers use a lot of 'untrained' actors? It's like they pulled people off the street? I'm confused...

My. Airy is the Actual Mayberry not Danville, Indiana

[silvrbk · 4/10 · 15 August 2023]

The least you could have done is have it in the town Andy based it on, the same town the actual Mayberry fest is held. Mt, Airy, NC is a living tribute to the show. It's highly unfair you traded up the actual town for the Hendricks County Courthouse rather than have it in Mt. Airy itself located in actual North Carolina. Pilot Mountain, Raleigh all the real places from which the show was based. I know the DesiLu sets aren't intact but yet there will always be Mt. Airy, Andy's actual hometown. Real fans know the difference! Cheap imagery and change ups lead people to only follow the story because it refers to Mayberry. After 30 minutes in it appears to more of a cheap money grab imitation.

" Doc Hollywood " Without the Humor

[Helismoke · 5/10 · 31 July 2023]

If you aren't over 50 years old, don't watch the movie. Almost everything is dated and is primarily for the older folks who grew up on " The Andy Griffith Show". The premise is almost identical to " Doc Hollywood ": Narcissistic actor has to stay in ancient America due to misdeed of some sort and actually learns to become human.

Read " Grinch Gets a Heart ". But after the first really slow 10 minutes, a true Mayberry fan gets to enjoy the character reminiscing and the plot slightly picks up with some Trivia tidbits tossed out and that actually makes this movie interesting. You can't help but get a warm feeling if you remember small town America without all the electronic gizmos. People actually sat outside and talked to each other, can you believe? Life was indeed simpler, and the Mayberry characters were interesting in a silly, aw shucks way.

Reviews are suspicious

[B_Truth · 1/10 · 29 May 2022]

The cast and crew must be the ones rating this a 10.

It's generic, obvious and just bland.

It's so cringe.

Lost me when I waited for what was telegraphed.

Hollywood bad boy couldn't take his eyes off the locals girl. What made it laughable was this guys around Hollywood starlets and the most beautiful women in the world. But he's a chump and can't take his eyes of the below average looking town girl?

Great family movie!

[jkowalsky-16857 · 10/10 · 3 October 2021]

Kudos to Cort & Stark Howell and the whole Mayberry Man team. This is not a Mayberry do over. This is a fun, entertaining, family movie about Mayberry fans and includes the tribute actors that portray the original characters. This film can make you laugh. It can make you cry. It is a wonderful movie with a great musical score.

Low-concept schmaltz for goody-two-shoes saps.

[CineVidReviewer · 1/10 · 3 July 2023]

A so-called Hollywood type is sentenced to TV sitcom hell peopled with Mayberry RFD rejects. He is tortured with adolescent life lessons from white-bread Midwestern folks apparently living it up in a small-town Christian conservative craphole that worships The Andy Griffith Show. Sadly, you can't even enjoy this as a twisted satire of America when it was supposedly great. The plethora of good reviews here are so blatantly phoney that you can be pretty sure they were targeted audiences probably attending free screeners in the basement of their local church (or worse). What you have here is the cheapest kind of rube sentimentality imaginable. Corny and superficial.

Peach pits

[nogodnomasters · 2/10 · 7 June 2023]

Actor Chris Stone (Brett Varvel) violates the law in Georgia and is sentenced to go to go to a Mayberry Festival for a week as a legacy for his dad in North Carolina. Not sure how that legally works. At this point we know what will happen as Hollywood likes to recycle scripts. He meets good people an has a change of heart. Karen Knotts the daughter of Don Knotts plays herself as the only real legacy. This is your basic feel good film.

Mayberry was first know as the "Andy Griffith Show." While we see every character imitated and mentioned, the main character is noticeably absent. The iconic opening whistling tune everyone knows was also never used. This reminds me of the Jimi Hendrix biopic they did when they had no rights to any of his music. Good for the family.

Guide: No swearing, sex, or nudity.

Definitely not Mayberry

[beksbaby · 2/10 · 24 August 2023]

Why not use the real Mayberry? That has a real Mayberry Days festival, that gets over 200,000 people total. They didn't even try to hide the fact that they're in Danville, Indiana. The first Mayberry scene has stores with the names of the location on them. I couldn't finish it. It's just not good in any way. Did a great job at insulting the people who actually live in and love the real thing. Just that one little thing would have changed this whole movie, the real place, where Floyd 's Barber Shop, and the Snappy lunch still exist, where you can catch Andy's Sheriff car cruising around on any given weekend. This movie is a let down to any real fan.

Failed Tribute Film, Honest Opinion

[akmediascope · 4/10 · 1 July 2023]

One of the maxims of the original show was honesty. So that is what I owe you. This film could not decide what it wanted to be. The floundering is in the writing. It's like the writer tried to make a salad of everything they wanted it to be and just failed on most counts. #1 not enough backstop development. We want to see it, not hear about it. #2. Characters are rich and beautiful except for the main character who does not ring true and so when he becomes enamored of the town folk it is just not believable but hallow and fake. But throw in a ghost and that makes the story a gem? No .it doesn't. This is really poor writing that dies not do justice to the legacy. The acting is wonderful but the writing is poor quality. The story is formulaic and disappointingly fake. The objectives are just not there. So sad because the characters are spot on. But the original show was only anchored by characters, not driven by them. In this case, these beautiful characters are left adrift in open water and shamefully left to drown in stereotypical buffoonery. They are to precious towaste in a performance like that. Andy's kindness and human qualities were the fulcrum and cornerstone that captained all the drama. You could have changed that any number of ways. Main character---> with likeable qualities; he had none. The love interest as someone FROM LA, also stuggling to understanding the value of country simplicity. This is a much bigger story than what you wrote. . And actually, it is REAL! -- a real stuggle of values. Small town can be a lovely setting, kind and heartfelt. It's worth examing and has a lot to write about but I think you squandered that expecting magic where there's none.

Cheesy but not in a good way. Spoilers

[bsue-97519 · 2/10 · 26 August 2023]

Very forced storyline. I'm willing to go along with the initial premise but a lot of the others were mostly WTF moments. Why was he so nice to the characters and offer to take them to see a car, but then so mean to them? Why would Katie be upset he was forced to go to the festival? She had 2 conversations with him and the first one he was a creep. Then she "looked him up" and saw he was a big star? How big if she had to look him up? What was the point of the car thieves? A way to bond characters?

It just seemed a little hokey. Maybe because they had to squeeze everything into 99 minutes there wasn't time to develop any story.

Mayberry all the way! Delightful humor

[vendab · 10/10 · 7 October 2021]

My husband and I love the move Mayberry Man. I couldn't wait to share it with friends and family. It is a delight to watch and laugh at the humor as well as to learn the heart touching lesson the Mayberry Man learns for himself. I give it a big thumbs up.

Feel good,snd family friendly

[johnnyobx · 8/10 · 30 September 2021]

Heartwarming fun movie with a little bit of something for everyone.

....Above average for a crowd funded effort..

Whether a Mayberry fan or not, this movie is a must see!

[ringadingding-67358 · 10/10 · 29 November 2021]

Mayberry Man Movie caused me to re-think what is most important in my life and to slow down to enjoy it more.

I was part of the crowd that funded the movie and am a tribute artist in a small part in the movie. The music, story line, tribute artists, and actors made me laugh and almost cry at the same time. To share the spirit of Mayberry on film is what everyone needs in this crazy world.

The leading man, Chris Stone, had no idea what he was in for when he was sentenced by the judge to "Mayberry Fest." He found that traditional values and family were the most important. Oh, that each one of us would be given the same sentence!

Very enjoyable film

[paul-35935 · 10/10 · 30 September 2021]

You might have to be a fan of the Andy Griffith Show, or maybe not, excellent film. I was particularly impressed by the acting and the music.