Say "YES!" but just once for this movie

Rating: 4/10 (2 December 2009)

Yes, it's predictable (extremely.) Yes, it's typical (Carrey.) Yes, it's a rip-off (Liar, Liar.) But, I find the most important "yes" is: Yes, it's actually funny and in some scenes genuine and heart-warming.
Well, some of it is. It's nice to see Carrey taking on more of an "adult" comedy role, not toning down his language humor. So, I found myself laughing a lot in Yes Man.
Unfortunately, every time I was laughing, or enjoying myself, it took a dive, whether a very slow-moving scene or an unoriginal idea or just into predictable territory. These were the movie's undoing. Oh, and that the leads (May-December at its best) had zero chemistry. That didn't help either.
The nice thing about the movie, unlike Carrey's better movies, Liar, Liar or The Mask, in this one, he's given the "choice" to be "a better man." So, I liked the so-called realism he finally portrayed.
Carl is a definite "no-man" in his life or job as a loan officer at a bank. When given the chance to attend a guru's workshop to say "yes" to opportunities, he actually attends and tries it out with success. When he does, in fact, say no, coincidentally, bad things happen.
There's a lesson to be learned, as in 90% of Carrey's films and predictability, you'll see it coming. Whether in his yes-choices or romance with the typically very good Deschanel (Carl's love interest) but in this case very misplaced. I loved her so much in (500) Days of Summer, but here, she looks so out of place, it's painful on how she tried to be "perky." For fans of Carrey's earlier work (Liar, Liar remains my favorite of his comedies) this is worth a viewing. In fact, it's his best comedy since Bruce Almighty (2003) but one of his weakest movies. And that's sad. For a lot of the movie, it's down-right hilarious and had scenes that can teach "loving life," but for most of the movie, it's so boring, expected and clichéd.