It's a lazy comedy that relies on crudity and on other easy, cheap humor and jokes rather than trying to do something that's actually clever.
Comment
12/19/08
Yes Man (2008)
43
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:143
Fresh:62
Rotten:81
Average Rating:5.2/10
Consensus: Jim Carrey's comic convulsions are the only bright spots in this otherwise dim and predictable comedy.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Jan 1, 2009 Wide
US Box Office: $97,632,413
Synopsis: Jim Carrey returns to hilarious form with this romantic comedy in the same vein as the Carrey classic LIAR LIAR. After a few stints in more serious features like ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS... [More]
Starring: Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, Rhys Darby
Director: Peyton Reed
Reviews for Yes Man
81 - 100 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
It's nice to see a high-concept comedy with such a generous concept.
12/19/08
It's a cynical attempt, ultimately, to make obnoxious people palatable by throwing them into a tub of romantic comedy.
12/19/08
With a premise far more promising than anything offered up onscreen, and a star treading water where once he tore **** up, Yes Man is a comedy in theory only.
12/19/08
If ever a movie mistook a premise for a plot, it's this one. Some films suffer from a surfeit of one-liners. This picture evaporates midway through because the story itself is a one-liner.
12/19/08
"Yes Man" is enjoyable because Carrey, after making his fateful decision, instills such childlike exuberance in his character, whether it is learning to pilot a plane, play the guitar or speak Korean.
12/19/08
When a girl who makes 'life happen' meets a guy who needs to 'embrace the possible' -- well, the result ought to be harder to swallow than this generally agreeable romantic comedy.
12/19/08
Yes Man starts out wobbly but ends up quite nicely, primarily because Carrey has a wonderful acting partner in Zooey Deschanel, the singer-actress with the saucer eyes and unpredictable, behind-the-beat comic timing.
12/19/08
It's banal and inane; Jim Carrey needs better projects.
12/19/08
Parental Content Review
12/19/08
Making a hilarious jab at the self-help masses and their worked-up gurus, this latest Jim Carrey vehicle affords him delicious comedic opportunities as a newly recruited adherent to a kind of "Positivism for Dummies" movement. Worshippers of Carrey's timi
12/19/08
Yes! We can take everything that is intriguingly dark and almost sinister about crying-on-the-inside clown Jim Carrey and make it light! and upbeat! and unambiguous!
12/19/08
A frolicsome spiritual comedy about a loser whose life is turned around when he opens himself up to a new world of possibilities by saying yes to what presents itself.
12/19/08
Yes Man rediscovers Jim Carrey's comic mojo ... but it won't be enough to restore him as King of Film Comedy.
12/19/08
There's a thoughtful story here struggling to bloom, and the movie stamps it down at every opportunity. Even Jim Carrey's classic manic energy, usually so welcome, is oppressive.
12/19/08
The gimmick creates sets for Jim Carrey to be crazy. He's still at it, finding new ways to contort his body and twist his face. That's really the difference that makes any generic gimmick more entertaining than someone else's.
12/18/08
Yes Man is a pleasant, albeit minor, surprise that actually harkens back to Carrey's glory days with a solid, satisfying comedy that aims to please and mostly hits its mark.
12/18/08
Much like the self-help guru it enables, it exists solely to get your money like a good little follower and then ask you to ignore the doubt that comes with having plunked down exorbitant theater prices for a barely average comedy.
12/18/08
An especially lame comedy with a premise so threadbare that it might have been deemed unsuitable for a Rob Schneider direct-to-video vehicle and an execution so tired and listless that it almost makes you yearn for the likes of "Ace Ventura II"
12/18/08
Great concept, but no one has any idea what to do with it once they've gotten there.
12/18/08
Latest News for Yes Man
May 25, 2009:
Is Yes Man a riot? Yes, and no. Zooey doesn't have much to do except the laugh track thing to Carrey's antics. And on a positive note, Carrey gets to make out with three women and also moon the audience biker style, if that's your thing. 
More...
April 06, 2009:
RT on DVD: Bedtime Stories, Yes Man, Doubt Hit Shelves
This week's new releases include a few Hollywood takes on science fiction (Fox's remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still; the 1984 sequel 2010: The Year We Make Contact on... More...
December 22, 2008:
Box Office Wrapup: Audiences say Yes to Jim Carrey
THIS WEEKEND Moviegoers gave a clear yes to Jim Carrey and a definite maybe to Will Smith as the A-list Hollywood stars took the top two spots at the North American box office... More...
December 18, 2008:
Critics Consensus: No To Yes Man; Seven Pounds Is Too Heavy
This week at the movies, we've got self-improvement (Yes Man, starring Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel), mysterious altruism (Seven Pounds, starring Will Smith and Rosario... More...
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