REVIEW: Yes Man

STARRING: Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel View Trailer RELEASE DATE: 12/19/2008 DATE SCREENED: 12/15/2008 The Verdict OK - Wait for the DVD

Jim Carrey goes back to his comedic roots with Yes Man. Carrey was last seen in a dramatic role in The Number 23, a critical and financial disappointment which only grossed $35 million in the U.S. Yes Man marks a swift return to the physical comedy he’s been know for since his days on In Living Color.

In Yes Man, Carrey plays Carl, a divorced loan officer who spends his days rejecting loan applications and his nights watching DVDs. His best friend Peter is constantly trying to get him to go out, but Carl always has some bogus excuse. “No” seems to be Carl’s favorite word. A chance meeting with an old friend introduces Carl to the concept of becoming a “Yes Man”. The friend invites him to the next seminar, promising it will change his life. Carl shows up at the seminar, led by Terrence (Terence Stamp). Carl is singled out as being a new member unsure about the idea of being a “Yes Man”. Terrence is able to convince Carl to honor a covenant of saying “Yes” to every opportunity, no matter what it is, and promises it will change his life. Upon leaving the seminar, Carl reluctantly says yes to a homeless guy asking for a ride. After dropping off the homeless man, Carl ends up stranded on the road, and meets Allison (Zooey Deschanel) at a gas station. Allison seems to be the cute spontaneous girl of his dreams, so Carl becomes committed to being a “Yes Man”. He says yes to things ranging from accepting an offer from persianwives.com, to bungee jumping off of a bridge, to planning his best friend’s wedding shower. Approving every small loan application unwittingly leads to a promotion at work and his relationship with Allison is making him forget about his ex-wife. This saying “yes” thing really works, for the most part. Eventually things begin to unravel and Carl learns important life lessons along the way.

I was never a big fan of Carrey’s work, and “Yes Man” reminded me of “Liar Liar”, in which Carrey is under a spell that prevents him from lying. When I'm watching a Carrey comedy I alternate between laughing and thinking that it's too stupid. This is the typical Carrey comedy. Carrey falls down, Carrey makes funny faces, Carrey runs around, Carrey makes silly jokes... change the scenery and then repeat. Some of it is amusing, but most is not. Then the movie ends with a typical romantic comedy ending. If you are a big fan of Carrey, you should enjoy yourself. If you aren’t, then you shouldn’t spend the time/money to see this in the theater. Wait for the DVD and you will at least get a few laughs while sitting on the couch.