YES MAN

"YES"

Carl Allen (Carrey) had always gone through life saying no to everything, never wanting to take a risk or do anything that mean he gain more attention than he wanted. This attitude had got even worse since his wife Stephanie (Sims) left him two years earlier and it was now affecting his friendship with his best friend Peter (Cooper). Everything changes however when he runs into his old friend Nick (Higgins), who introduces him to motivational speaker Terrence Bundley (Stamp), a man who pushes the positivity of the word 'Yes'. Singled out by Terrence, Carl is told to make a covenant with himself to say yes to every question he is asked but can the man who always says no, really change his life?

Jim Carrey fans have had to watch their favourite star try and go down the serious route and forget about this over the top, rubber-faced maniac that they first adored him for but in 'Yes Man' they just might have him back.

When Jim Carrey jumped onto the big screen in the 90s in hits like 'Ace Ventura: Pet Detective', 'The Mask', 'Dumb & Dumber' and 'Liar, Liar', he cemented himself as the man who could create manic, over-the-top characters that you either loved or hated. When he released 'The Truman Show' however, Jim Carrey turned into the comedian that wanted to be taken seriously and with just cause. His performances in 'Man on the Moon', 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' and the aforementioned 'The Truman Show' gained him much warranted plaudits that he deserved but the missteps of 'The Number 23' and 'The Majestic', fans might have thought they had lost that rubber-faced comedian forever but in 'Yes Man' they see a little bit of that coming back.

Based on the book by Scottish humorist Danny Wallace, who committed to an experiment of saying yes to all those questions he would have said no to and then wrote a book about all the crazy things he got up to, and then injected with a lot of fictional elements to make a movie, 'Yes Man' is the Hollywood version of Wallace's fascinating experiment. Of course it has been injected with some Tinsel Town sentimentality but it is the premise that really works and Jim Carrey really has fun with a character that cannot say no to anything.

This is the kind of role that Carrey was made for, playing the man who had shut himself off to the world after his wife left him but also enjoys himself when getting involved in some of the activities that his friends ask him to do. While some fans may long for the manic 'Ace Ventura' or 'Dumb & Dumber' Carey but this is the closest you are going to get, especially during the scenes were Carl is drunk. You will also wish that you had the gumption to say yes to everything as Carl, learns the guitar, to speak Korean and drink some of the strangest cocktails you could ever drink. This is a return to form for Jim Carey however, as he tries to regain some of the comedic acclaim that he gathered during his early career. His supporting cast help along however, with excellent performances from Zooey Deschanel as the slightly kooky Allison, Bradley Cooper and Danny Masterson as Carl's friends Peter and Rooney, Terence Stamp as motivational speaker Terrence Bundley and Molly Sims as Carl's ex Stephanie. It is Rhys Darby who steals the film as Carl's boss at the bank, Norman. With his themed parties and bags of enthusiasm, he is completely over the top but very funny with it.

'Yes Man' is Jim Carrey's best comedic film in a long time. With a fun premise and a very good supporting cast, this is a real return to form for Jim Carrey and fans of his more manic comedy will really enjoy saying 'Yes' to this movie.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Widescreen 1.85:1 Anamorphic with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, the transfer is good.

BONUS FEATURES

Down Time on the set of Yes Man (4.00 mins)
Watch director Peyton Reed and star Jim Carrey have some fun between shots on the set of 'Yes Man'.

Jim Carrey: Extreme Yes Man (11.52 mins)
Director Peyton Reed and stars Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel reveal how many of his own stunts that Jim Carrey actually did. From been attacked by a dog, riding a Ducati, roller blading down a mountain and bungee jumping from a bridge.

Future Sounds: Munchausen by Proxy (5.28 mins)
Watch the mockumentary about the cult following Alison's art house band 'Munchausen by Proxy'.

Exclusive Munchausen by Proxy Music Videos (14.25 mins)
Watch footage of Alison's band performing the songs 'Uh Huh', 'Yes Man', 'Star Spangled Banner', 'Sweet Ballard' and 'Key Star'.

Gag Reel (5.35 mins)
Watch the cast make a hash of their lines and have some fun while on the set of 'Yes Man'

Trailer
A preview of 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'

OVERALL

The DVD treatment for 'Yes Man' is fine but not as good as it could have been. The lack of a commentary track is a little disappointing but the featurettes are fun and a good watch for fans of the film. We do tend to expect a little more from DVDs these days, especially from big releases like this.

DVD

Liar, Liar

---

The Usher Home | Hush, Hush... | The Big Story | The Usher Speaks

Stuck @ Home | Coming Soon | Links | Contact the Usher

2008