A lot of likable characters plus a thoughtful story.

Rating: 8/10 (20 June 2009)

A lot of likable characters plus a thoughtful story. Apparently the movie is everything I didn't expect. It appeared to be a little too stereotypical when I saw the trailer. The protagonist got a dead-end life, and a chance of change just came in the form of a mental seminar. It sounds a lit too alike those "don't believe the cheap American dream" style of story. So I was expecting the "spiritual teacher" to turn out a cult hierarch who drives people into his whatever-magnitude conspiracy. And Jim Carrey's gonna do something to stop him. How stereotypical I was.
The story, implied by the plot outline on this site, was a self-exploration story which is relevant to us, everyone who's in a dead-end status quo on this planet. But it offered more, it's written with heart and the performances deserved many praises. The story managed to pull the brake at perfect timings before it's gone totally crazy for several times. Finally it turned out to be both hilarious and inspiring. It got the message delivered that those straight-minded people really deserved more care, understanding and guidance. Yet it's not really selling any tin-can theory on the big screen. The final moments are very well done. It could be one of the best comedic ending I've ever seen.Carrey's comfortable in the title role, though I am not sure if he was totally comfortable with everything he was asked to do during filming. Zooey did a her part and stole the show every single time she's on screen, not only for her hot appearance, but also for her comedian talents. Anyway audiences could be mislead by the trailer and skip it, but the movie's better than its trailer, and that's a rare thing in the industry today.
Well, there are some awkward moments, and all of them are related to an elder woman who tried to seduce Jim everyday. When I watched it, I shook my head and thought that's the only thing overdone. the makers managed to set the tones right and got the movie a PG-13 rating, but IMO that single scene could get the movie an R. Anyway the whole movie's too mature for a 13-years-old.
8 stars, if they delete or alter the scene I mentioned I'd give it 9.