Play the Game (2009)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:29
Fresh:8
Rotten:21
Average Rating:4.3/10
Consensus: Andy Griffith is his usually likable self, but he's stranded in a middling comedy that's surprisingly tasteless and poorly crafted.
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: Writer/Director Marc Fienberg’s PLAY THE GAME is an original comedy with surprising and clever twists about a young ladies' man, David, who teaches his dating tricks to his lonely, widowed... [More]
Starring: Andy Griffith, Paul Campbell, Liz Sheridan, Doris Roberts
Director: Marc Fienberg
Reviews for Play the Game
| Tomatometer | Critic | Review | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
 0/4 |
I never contemplated what Andy Griffith's face would look like during orgasm, and I curse this atrocious and shoddy romantic comedy for making Griffith do it and making anyone watch it. Full Review |
||
|
2/4 |
Surprisingly sexual in nature, and not just because it seems so concerned with the sex practices of the elderly. There's too much of that sort of material here and not nearly enough of the stuff we really want to see. Full Review |
||
|
1.5/4 |
There's a good comedy to be made about sex among seniors, but the low-budget indie film Play the Game is not that movie. Full Review |
||
 2.5/4 |
It isn't great movie-making, but it is a cheeky good time -- even if you've never wondered what Opie's pa would look like after a jolt of Viagra. Full Review |
||
|
D |
This isn't so much sitcom fare as dinner-theatre material, directed without an ounce of style or panache and played more broadly than an old vaudeville routine. Full Review |
||
|
3/5 |
Although occasionally slow Play the Game receives a boost from its capable cast. It's fun to see an old dog learn new tricks. Full Review |
||
|
|
The scene in which Alzheimer's is played as a dating dealbreaker is as stunningly tasteless as Fienberg's zooming-in on Joe's face when he receives his first blowjob. Full Review |
||
|
2.5/4 |
While Fienberg's direction is no great shakes, the film showcases its veteran cast. Full Review |
||
|
4/5 |
one of those endearingly cute, funny movies you'll see on cable and wonder why studios don't put their marketing machine behind this kind of film instead of the typical garbage we get passed off on us as summer 'entertainment.' Full Review |
||
|
|
Smart screenplay, good directing. Except for Griffith, casting is wrong. Full Review |
||
|
2/5 |
Stay home and find yourself a Golden Girls marathon. Full Review |
||
|
1/4 |
Play the Game has all kinds of good intentions, but the comedy is too broad and the pacing is clumsy. Take away the dirty parts, and this is the type of thing you can get for free on the Hallmark Channel every day. Full Review |
||
|
1/5 |
Veering between syrupy sweet and awkwardly dirty, Play the Game is a woefully scoreless exercise. Full Review |
||
|
|
The good news is that the seemingly perennial TV fixture is still funny and sharp and folksy. The bad news is that he lost the bet, or whatever it was that got him into Marc Fienberg's smarmy, lackluster comedy. Full Review |
||
|
2/4 |
Griffith improvises an orgasm that seems to last as long as the entire eight-year run of The Andy Griffith Show. Full Review |
||
|
1/4 |
Did you ever wonder what face Andy Griffith makes when he's having an intimate moment with a lady friend? Me neither. Yet that's one of many "delights" foisted on us during writer-director Marc Fienberg's feature-length debut comedy. Full Review |
||
|
2/4 |
There have been many things in this world I never thought I would see, and watching Andy Griffith receive, umm, "oral pleasure" was one of them Full Review |
||
|
8.75/10 |
Heartwarming, clever and very, very funny. It's a genuinely charming, uplifting and crowd-pleasing gem that must be seen by generations, young and old. Full Review |
||
|
1.5/5 |
Hearing Griffith say, 'David, grandpa's horny,' is not something anyone should have to experience. Full Review |
||
|
B- |
Opie, I don't think we're in Mayberry any more. Full Review |
CommentLatest News for Play the Game
August 27, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Guess Halloween 2's Tomatometer!
This week at the movies, we've got the return of Michael Myers (Halloween 2, starring Malcolm McDowell and Scout Taylor-Compton), three dimensional fatalities (The Final... More...
July 26, 2009:
Trailer & Poster review 
More...
More Movies
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 81% | Departures | 04/12 |
| 79% | Disgrace | 04/12 |
| 79% | Me and Orson Welles | 04/12 |
| 66% | The Merry Gentleman | 04/12 |
| 61% | The Girlfriend Experience | 04/12 |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds