Can one word provoke an entire movie?

Rating: 6/10 (26 December 2008)

When I first heard about "Yes Man", I was intrigued. In case you don't know, the plot line is pretty simple. It's about a man who has to say "yes" to every circumstance. I instantly started imagining Jim Carrey being thrown into ridiculous and crazy situations because he can't say "no." Yesterday, after finding out that "The Spirit" was not playing, I decided to see this movie. And I have to say that my original outline in my head isn't that far off from the actual film. There's no need to bore you with the details of what the film is about, so instead I'll cut right to my opinion: This movie had a lot of potential. It's one of the most unique ideas that I've heard about in years (and yes, I have seen Liar, Liar.) And there are some great scenes in this film. For example, there's a bar fight scene where Jim Carrey completely looses himself in his character. However, for a large amount of the scenes, one of two things happens. Either the scenes don't go far enough or the scenes don't connect at all to the movie. Yes, this is confusing, so let me explain. In some scenes, I felt as if the actors did not go far enough. They simply rushed through an idea, but did not extend enough to give the scene it's full potential. There were also moments when things didn't really connect, and it felt like the filmmakers randomly selected scenarios and copy and pasted them into the movie. My only problem with this is that it's not realistic. Yes, this is a comedy, but I personally believe that movies should still be realistic. My final concern with this film is the lack of a problem. This is the kind of movie where you walk in to the theater knowing that some sort of conflict will occur 3/4 of the way into the film. And, of course, it does. I don't want to spoil anything, so I will simply say that when the conflict does occur, it feels so small that you barely recognize it for what it is. But I've focused too much on the negative part of the film. I must say that all of the actors gave very good performances and got into their character. And, as stated previously, there were moments of comic genius. The plot line is so simple that it's almost daunting to know where to begin, and I applaud the filmmakers. And, out of everything, the message is clear: Live your life to the fullest.
---RisingStar12