Say it a million times. Then say it a million more. And the word you will have said two million times is...

Rating: 6/10 (11 July 2009)

In 1997, Jim Carrey starred in a wonderful film called Liar Liar, about a lawyer who is forced to tell the truth for 24 hours. Now, in 2008, he was in Yes Man, about a banker who must say "yes" to every opportunity presented to him. Sound familiar? Although Yes Man was a decent film, it is nothing compared to Liar Liar. When a lawyer desperately wants to tell the truth, but cannot, it is funny. It provides many opportunities for Jim Carrey to go insane with his facial expressions and such. But when a man says "yes" to everything because he wants to Where's the tension? Jim Carrey's comedic talents are practically not employed in this film, which is a terrible shame.
Although Yes Man is enjoyable, there is one thing that I wish the film didn't do. Jim Carrey's character, Carl, has an elderly woman as his neighbour. One day, she asks him to come set up some shelves for her. As a method of compensation, she proposes to give him a "sexual release". What happens next— I just wish the film hadn't gone this far. There was no need. When Carl refused and fled, the scene was funny. When he returned, the scene momentarily switched from funny to disgusting.
Jim Carrey makes gargantuan efforts to carry the film, and he more or less succeeds. He is supported by a solid cast, but none (with the possible exception of Terence Stamp) do nearly as good of a job as Carrey.
One more thing about Yes Man that I have mixed feelings about: Carl's boss, Norm, is portrayed as a stereotypical, Hollywood "loser", hosting a Harry Potter dress-up party, and later, a similar one in honour of 300. He remains a gawky, two-dimensional caricature. Only in one of his final scenes, at his 300 party, does Norm actually feel like a real character, which is a fantastic, unexpected, and pleasing surprise. However, it's just barely worth the long wait for about 10 seconds of a good scene.
The Verdict: The film is enjoyable and entertaining, but far from memorable. A couple of flaws seriously detract from it. For a far better film with a similar premise, I recommend Liar Liar.
Overall Rating: 6/10