Yes Man 2008

Critics score:
46 / 100

Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes

Ben Lyons, At the Movies: Contrived and silly to say the least. Read more

Dan Zak, Washington Post: In a comedy era ennobled by the crackling wit of Vince Vaughn, Steve Carell and Tina Fey, Yes Man comes across as innocent, quaint, pitiable, as one-note as borscht belt humor and not committed enough to support great slapstick. Read more

A.O. Scott, New York Times: Not far from that of Liar Liar, one of Mr. Carrey's biggest hits of the mid-'90s...That film was a philosophical tour de force compared with this one. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: It's nice to see a high-concept comedy with such a generous concept. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: Jim Carrey's new comedy is enjoyable enough for what it is, a clever idea developed by fits and starts. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: Yes Man is a typical Carrey vehicle (schematically, it's a lot like Liar Liar), but it's better than most of them due to a top-notch supporting cast. Read more

Keith Phipps, AV Club: Director Peyton Reed keeps the movie handsome, but there's little of the style he brought to the overlooked Down With Love or even the dire-but-distinctive The Break-Up. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: Is Yes Man worth the trouble, then? Not to belabor the point, but yes. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: It's a cynical attempt, ultimately, to make obnoxious people palatable by throwing them into a tub of romantic comedy. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: Yes Man starts out wobbly but ends up quite nicely, primarily because Carrey has a wonderful acting partner in Zooey Deschanel, the singer-actress with the saucer eyes and unpredictable, behind-the-beat comic timing. Read more

David Germain, Associated Press: Deschanel and Carrey make for indifferent romantic partners. Both are pleasant enough, but no one's going to look at the two together and think, what a great couple they make. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: It's obvious Carrey still has the juice; he just needs someone to give him the right squeeze. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: It has more chuckles than guffaws, maybe because Carrey has always been a comic actor who says yes yes yes. Literalizing that impulse only robs it of surprise. Read more

Amy Nicholson, I.E. Weekly: Director Peyton Reed isn't sure what to make of the premise: is this a therapeutic uplifter or an excuse to make Carrey mug while popping wheelies on expensive motorcycles? Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: Yes Man is fine as far as Carrey comedies go, but it's even better as a love story that just happens to make you laugh. Read more

Rafer Guzman, Newsday: Despite some brief vulgarity, this Carrey comedy has charm and -- surprise! -- a worthwhile message. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: It's a small, nice return to form by Jim Carrey. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: If you own the superior Liar Liar, you might as well stay home and watch it again. When Hollywood can't be both-ered to come up with new ideas, we have every right to just say no. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: The first time I saw Yes Man, I thought the concept was getting kind of stale toward the end. As it turns out, that was only the trailer. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: It's an often engaging romance shot through with sweetness, a movie that hangs on a handful of simple, magical scenes. Read more

Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: Given the gloom of this season's holiday releases it is positively cheering just to see a character turn his frown upside down. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: It's pleasant to watch something a little less intellectually taxing between all the would-be Oscar contenders. Yes Man is that movie -- undemanding, light, and enjoyable on its own terms. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Jim Carrey works the premise for all it's worth, but it doesn't allow him to bust loose and fly. Read more

Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com: With Yes Man, Carrey has bled the well dry, doing everything he knows how to do, over and over again, just to prove that he still knows how to do it. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: 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 more

Dana Stevens, Slate: Perhaps Yes Man's writers got confused by the film's tag line, 'Yes Is the New No.' In honor of that convoluted axiom, here's my one-word review. Should you go see Yes Man?: Yes. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: There are flat performances in the film, false situations and bad lines, but the laughs are there and the message about personal transformation is timeless. Read more

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail: Yes Man puts him back in the same old quandary and, once again, Carrey lacks an identity. Alas, this time, he also lacks a script. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: Some of it is funny. Much of it isn't. The committee-written plot seems tired and recycled. Read more

Ben Kenigsberg, Time Out: Read more

Nigel Floyd, Time Out: Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: The combination of the familiar scenario and his broadly comic style seems stale. Read more

Brian Lowry, Variety: Genial but slim. Read more

Robert Wilonsky, Village Voice: Nothing more than warmed-over holiday seconds, a repackaged best-of for those who already own the hits. Read more