In 1994, Jim Carrey took Hollywood by storm with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. For the next four years he could do no wrong and could make any comedy a hit at the box office. Carrey dabbled in non-screwball territory long enough to hurt his stock. Since then he has been reduced to trying to recapture that old shtick and magic of yesteryear. Carrey nearly pulls it off again in Yes Man.The nature of Carrey’s comedic prowess is in itself a hindrance. He is one of the finest character actors of the last 20 years and completely loses himself in his role. His most memorable roles are those for which he engaged in high amounts of physical comedy. The truth is that audiences became accustomed to caring only for Carrey’s antics and not the substance of his characters. As his career as continued, Carrey has shown more interest in characters that have something to say but audiences only care how he says it.
Yes Man initially fits the Jim Carrey mold- a guy finds himself in an inescapable situation that is prone to all sorts of humorous situations (think The Mask, Liar, Liar and Bruce Almighty). After reluctantly attending a self-development conference, Carl Allen (Carrey) finds himself unwilling to say no to any offer or situation that comes his way. He’s trying all kinds of new things and meeting new people, including the lovely Allison (played by Zooey Deschanel with her usual, awkwardly vacant approach).
This time around, there isn’t anything supernatural or beyond his control keeping Carrey’s predicament going. It’s all just a misinterpretation of a self-help guru’s pitch. Along the way the filmmakers get off track by trying to throw a few lessons at us. In case you hadn’t noticed, filmmakers, Jim Carrey’s last few comedies-that-care weren’t received well by audiences. What makes you think it will work this time?
Carrey seems to be going through the same mid-life dilemma that hit Robin Williams. As an artist, he wants to do more than just comedy but the masses don’t really care. In the meantime, a new generation of yuck-men has stolen Carrey’s limelight, making him less and less of a box office draw each year. Thus we get films like Yes Man, which try to bring us in by assuring us that it’s the tried and true Carrey formula. The problem is that formulas get boring and predictable and Yes Man doesn’t even allow Carrey to hit full stride. The funniest moments come either as quickly edited clips or they get hijacked by the film’s mediocre romance element.
While the concept of a man who can’t say ‘no’ has plenty of comedic potential, the filmmakers seem content to let the film ride it out in second gear. Carrey also seems willing to let this happen. Maybe he’s realized that he doesn’t have the clout to demand changes to a script anymore. More likely, he realizes that he has to make a film like this every couple years to stay relevant and is just rolling with it. Either way, it’s kind of sad to see.
Yes Man will make you laugh but it won’t make an impression. It seems that the Jim Carrey formula is finally faltering. Some will be surprised that this is possible. Others will be surprised that it took this long. Whichever camp you fall into, there is enough good-natured and zany humor in Yes Man for us all to sit back, relax and watch what might be one of Jim Carrey’s last legitimately funny movies, however uninspired it may feel.
RATING: 3.25 out of 5
