Review of Yes Man (2008) by Jon J — 02 Apr 2011

Jim Carrey is most likely used to holding up his films with his wittiness and overall likability, even though the actual script isn't all that spectacular. For reference, just look at the Ace Ventura movies. However, with all his comic timing and overall exuberance, Yes Man just falls short on both its premise and promises. It lacks a sort of comedic focus prevalent in many of Carrey's former work and ends up as a forgettable, occasionally funny but ultimately disappointing fare.

Carl Allen is a negative person. So negative, in fact, that he'll basically say "no" whenever the opportunity presents itself. One of his only friends manages to convince him to join a self-help class, where the point is to make you a more positive person. This class, however, is far from what he expected. The instructor, played by the here oddly annoying Terrence Stamp, has only one piece of advice: "Just say yes". Carl soon takes that bit of advice very literally and it leads to both positive outcomes and others not so fortunate.

This premise is relatively similar to LiarLiar, where Jim couldn't tell a lie. However, the "yes" mechanic and that he always does it willingly makes it more of a gimmick than anything else. He makes some smart decisions, but in a serious plea for suspension of disbelief, we're also supposed to assume that he'd order mailbrides and partake in an act of fellatio done by an obsessed old woman. This in turn makes Carl not a very understandable character, though Jim does his best to be the charming man that he can be.

The rest of the cast is pretty good all things considered. Zooey Deschanel is radiant and charming as Carl's love interest and Bradley Cooper does a good job as Carl's friend. Rhys Darby is also one of the highlights of the film, playing a pretty hopeless nerd/bank manager who wishes nothing more than to be the number one boss.

Unfortunately, it's just not enough to keep the entire experience afloat. There are some scenes of genuine hilarity but the gimmick gets old relatively fast. And as mentioned before, the fact that he's always in complete control of his fate in contrast to being forced to be embarrassing and unconventional removes much of the pity one could have given to Carl. That is where LiarLiar succeeded, and where Yes Man stumbles. There's enjoyment to be found if you just enjoy seeing Jim Carrey do his thing, but everything else feels simply too formulaic. It most certainly doesn't come close to some of Jim Carrey's finest, at least, which is a shame.