Movies
Weekend Box Office
Film Awards & Top 10s By Year
All-Time High Scores
All-Time Low Scores
Wide Releases
Now In Theaters
76
(500) Days of Summer
49
2012
60
9
17
All About Steve
37
Amelia
53
Astro Boy
70
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
52
Blind Side
47
Box, The
61
Capitalism: A Love Story
55
Christmas Carol, A
43
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
66
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
23
Couples Retreat
39
Fame
30
Final Destination, The
34
Fourth Kind, The
41
G-Force
46
Halloween II
73
Hangover, The
78
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
66
Informant!, The
69
Inglourious Basterds
58
Invention of Lying, The
47
Jennifer's Body
66
Julie & Julia
34
Law Abiding Citizen
54
Men Who Stare At Goats, The
67
Michael Jackson's This Is It
28
Pandorum
58
Pirate Radio
39
Planet 51
30
Saw VI
53
Shorts
33
Stepfather, The
45
Surrogates
46
Twilight Saga: New Moon, The
71
Where the Wild Things Are
67
Whip It
28
Whiteout
73
Zombieland
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
Limited Releases
Now In Theaters
58
(Untitled)
96
35 Shots of Rum
56
Adam
39
Adventures of Power
66
Afterschool
73
Amreeka
49
Antichrist
76
Baader Meinhof Complex, The
86
Beaches of Agnes, The
71
Big Fan
65
Black Dynamite
76
Bliss
26
Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, The
44
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men
81
Bright Star
76
Broken Embraces
70
Bronson
62
Cloud 9
65
Coco Before Chanel
69
Cold Souls
60
Collapse
82
Cove, The
75
Crude
82
Damned United, The
53
Dare
50
Defamation
67
Departures
70
Earth Days
85
Education, An
55
Endgame
88
Fantastic Mr. Fox
31
Fix
49
Food Beware: The French Organic Revolution
80
Food, Inc.
xx
From Mexico with Love
28
Gentlemen Broncos
72
Good Hair
89
Goodbye Solo
63
Horse Boy, The
74
House of the Devil, The
xx
How to Seduce Difficult Women
26
I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell
70
It Might Get Loud
46
Killing Kasztner
43
Little Traitor, The
34
Looking for Palladin
80
Lorna's Silence
46
Love Hurts
84
Maid, The
45
Mammoth
75
Messenger, The
55
Missing Person, The
59
More Than a Game
34
Motherhood
62
My One and Only
48
New York, I Love You
66
No Impact Man
26
Oh My God
68
Paranormal Activity
68
Paris
79
Precious: Based on the Novel by Sapphire
73
Red Cliff
69
September Issue, The
79
Serious Man, A
65
Skin
41
Splinterheads
42
Staten Island
50
Stoning of Soraya M., The
58
Storm
82
Sun, The
49
Ten9Eight: Shoot for the Moon
73
That Evening Sun
61
Trucker
49
Turning Green
83
U2 3D
45
Uncertainty
67
Visual Acoustics
32
War on Kids
67
Way We Get By, The
65
Wedding Song, The
xx
White on Rice
59
William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe
74
Woman in Berlin, A
43
Women in Trouble
69
Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
Yes Man
EMAILPRINTWarner Bros. Pictures
Mixed or average reviews
Based on 30 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 62 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Comedy
Written by:
Nicholas Stoller
Jarrad Paul
Andrew Mogel
Directed by: Peyton Reed
Release Date:
Theatrical: December 19, 2008
DVD: April 7, 2009
Running Time: 104 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: PG-13 for crude sexual humor, language and brief nudity
Starring Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, Rhys Darby, John Michael Higgins, Danny Masterson, and Terence Stamp
Carl Allen's life is going nowhere--the operative word being "no"--until he signs up for a self-help program based on one simple covenant: say "yes" to everything...and anything. Unleashing the power of "YES" begins to transform Carl's life in amazing and unexpected ways, getting him promoted at work and opening the door to a new romance. But his willingness to embrace every opportunity might just become too much of a good thing. (Warner Bros.)
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips
Starts out wobbly but ends up quite nicely, primarily because Carrey has a wonderful acting partner in Zooey Deschanel.
Read Full Review >Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez
It's even better as a love story that just happens to make you laugh.
Read Full Review >The Hollywood Reporter Michael Rechtshaffen
Carrey's most satisfying live-action effort since "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."
Read Full Review >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 >Portland Oregonian Marc Mohan
Of all the roles where the star has played a character transformed from ordinary to goofy ("The Mask," "Me, Myself & Irene," "Liar Liar"), this is the one where he seems the most human, achieving that elusive quality in a Carrey film: tolerability.
Read Full Review >Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey
Like many previous Carrey vehicles, the point of this one directed by Peyton Reed is that one should not live at the extremes, but should achieve a balance between low and high, no and yes.
Read Full Review >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 >Empire Philip Wilding
It's charming enough with some nice comedy touches, but the initially intriguing premise is soon railroaded out of sight by its desire to conform to a tried-and-tested cinematic formula.
Read Full Review >Film Threat Scott Mendelson
If the slightly generic Yes Man is symbolic of the new, happier Jim Carrey, then it is a small price to pay for his piece of mind.
Read Full Review >Seattle Post-Intelligencer Travis Nichols
Though it's a star vehicle, Carrey seems only marginally interested in rehashing the role of sweet spaz, and so he almost feels miscast.
Read Full Review >Boston Globe Wesley Morris
The biggest problem with this movie - not that it's mediocre, dull, or barely written (though it's guilty on all counts). It's that Carrey himself is miscast.
Read Full Review >Village Voice Robert Wilonsky
Yes Man is nothing more than warmed-over holiday seconds, a repackaged best-of for those who already own the hits.
Read Full Review >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 >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 >TV Guide Perry Seibert
Yes Man isn't without a few simple charms, but it ends up being about as funny, profound, and memorable as the average bumper sticker.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Keith Phipps
The film contains so many plugs for Warner Bros. movies like the "Harry Potter" series and "300" that it could almost double as an infomercial.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader J.R. Jones
It's nice to see a high-concept comedy with such a generous concept.
Read Full Review >Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow
This picture evaporates midway through because the story itself is a one-liner. Yet it also has a cast that gets into the silliness.
Read Full Review >The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen
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 Full Review >Time Richard Corliss
Though the movie is no more than agreeable, it does provide a swell showcase for New Zealand wundercomic Rhys Darby (Murray the hapless agent on HBO's Flight of the Conchords) and gives the astrally adorable Zooey Deschanel a rare shot at a lead role in a big Hollywood movie.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman
An appealing Deschanel does her best, but the pair is mismatched in every way, from age to attitude. The entire movie is hung on Carrey's shtick, so if you're a fan, you'll have a decent time.
Read Full Review >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 >Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern
Enjoyable enough for what it is, a clever idea developed by fits and starts.
Read Full Review >New York Post Kyle Smith
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 Full Review >Washington Post Dan Zak
Even though Carrey is a bit mellower these days, the schtick feels dated. He's doing material from the '90s.
Read Full Review >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 >Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek
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. It's exhilarating to see brilliance in a comic; but by the time you start smelling it, the game is over.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 6.5 (out of 10) based on 62 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Daniel B. gave it an8:
Anyone who can get over the sometimes predictible jokes can enjoy this film. Jim carey is perfect in the role as carl and is what was needed to make this film work.
Joel C. gave it a9:
After seeing the previews I thought the movie would really suck like some of Carreys recent effort. Totally wrong! It's a really good movie with a good message. At this point in my life, I could relate to it quite a bit so, slightly biased but still an excellent movie. Also, this movie gained a point for the killer ending credits art! Watch it, it's worth your time!
Hugh G gave it a10:
I agree with Rosa - if you have a sense of humor you probably loved this film (as I did). If you go to films looking for reasons to say no to a good laugh, then maybe you should pay attention to the message in this film!
Aaron G gave it an8:
The first time I saw this film, I didn't really expect much. After it was over, I was thoroughly pleased. The jokes fresh and funny, the plot actually decent, and the love story a bit inspiring. Perhaps not worth a blu-ray purchase, but definitely worth a rental.
Colin C gave it a7:
Cute. The wife and I enjoyed this more than we thought we would. Worth watching if you liked previous films of his like Liar Liar. Nothing too shockingly original (but then, you can always rewatch Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind), but worth the 90 minutes of you're life it'll take.
Kevin S gave it a2:
I knew every second of this movie within the first 5 minutes. Like baking bread, this thing never strayed from it's recipe. Seemed more like a self-help message extended into 1.5 excruciating hours.
Essi S gave it a4:
Yes Man starts out as a typical Hollywood comedy; predictable and pretty badly written. But it evolves towards the end and the message of the film is actually pretty good. Jim Carrey was also surprisingly good in this movie. Although I really like him, he has done his share of mediocre comedies most part of his career.
