Yes ManMovie Reviews

Poster art for "Yes Man."

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So-so
Avg. Critic Score: 46 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
13 Iffy for 13+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 70
    The Hollywood Reporter | Michael Rechtshaffen

    Carrey's most satisfying live-action effort since "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." Read full review

  • 67
    Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman

    This is basically a nerd-loosening-his-tie romantic comedy done in the manic-compulsive mode of "Liar Liar." Read full review

  • 63
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    Yes, yes, it's Liar Liar 2. Read full review

  • 60
    Variety | Brian Lowry

    Genial but slim, picture is certainly a light-hearted alternative to weighty year-end awards bait, but the conceit isn't realized fully enough. Read full review

  • 50
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    If you're thinking "yuck," you're right. I added the extra star for Zooey Deschanel, who is so delicious as his honey that you want not to say no to Yes Man. Read full review

  • 50
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    Jim Carrey works the premise for all it's worth, but it doesn't allow him to bust loose and fly. Read full review

  • 40
    Wall Street Journal | Joe Morgenstern

    Enjoyable enough for what it is, a clever idea developed by fits and starts. Read full review

  • 40
    The New York Times | A.O. Scott

    Yes Man rarely rises to genuine hilarity. It takes no risks, finds no inspiration and settles, like its hero, into a dull, noncommittal middle ground. Should you see this movie? Maybe. Whatever. I don't care. Read full review

  • 30
    Washington Post |

    Even though Carrey is a bit mellower these days, the schtick feels dated. He's doing material from the '90s. Read full review

  • 25
    San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle

    The comedy, to the extent there is any, consists mainly of Carrey's verbal asides and strained reactions to people. The script gives him very little to work with. Read full review

View more reviews for Yes Man on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 13+ Carrey comedy breaks no new ground but draws ample laughs.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that this comedy will likely appeal to young Jim Carrey fans excited to see him back on familiar (i.e. non-dramatic) turf. Although it's not as crude as the "gross out" comedies that have been so popular recently, there is some iffy stuff -- including a scene in which an elderly woman offers to perform oral sex on the main character (his facial expressions are shown) and another in which his bare butt is visible. There's also plenty of swearing -- everything from "ass" to "f--k" -- and a lot of product placement.
  • Families can talk about why kids want to see this movie -- is it because of the story or because Jim Carrey is in it?
  • What makes something a "Jim Carrey" comedy? Would you like his movies as much if a different actor starred in them? Do you like his dramatic movies? Why or why not?
  • Discuss the movie's message. Why is Carl the way he is in the beginning? What does he learn? Is the lesson applicable in real life, or just fodder for a Hollywood blockbuster?
The good stuff
  • message true1 Positive messages: A man learns only to say "yes" when he means it.
  • rolemodels true1 Positive role models: A man tries to inject joy and excitement into his life by saying "yes" to any opportunity that comes his way, even if he doesn't want to.  In doing so, he misleads others into thinking that he's saying "yes" because he wants to, though he doesn't mean any harm.
What to watch for
  • violence false2 Violence: A man gets beaten up after he unknowingly makes a pass at someone else's girlfriend while drunk. He makes matters worse by hurling more insults during the fight. Another character throws a rock at a window and shatters it, causing guards to come running after him.
  • sex false3 Sex: Kissing (some chaste, some fairly passionate); a man shows off his backside while wearing a hospital gown. An elderly woman propositions a much younger man and pleasures him orally; she takes off her dentures, and then the man's face is shown on camera morphing from overwhelmed to shocked to ecstatic.
  • language false3 Language: A fair amount for a PG-13-rated film. Words include "bastard," "s--t," "f--k," and more.
  • consumerism false4 Consumerism: Hello, product placement! The treatment is sort of subtle, but many brands are name checked, including Starbucks, Super Shuttle, Big 5, Sports Chalet, Brea Federal, Nokia, Rolling Rock, and more.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: A fair amount of imbibing -- mostly social drinking, though sometimes the goal is to get drunk.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

Looking for more reviews? Movies.com Critics Say:

Dave White

4.5

Dave White Profile See Dave White's Profile

[Carrey]'s dialed back the onscreen insanity... Read full review See Dave White's on MOVIENAME on Movies.com

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