A funny premise nearly takes flight in “Yes Man,” a Jim Carrey vehicle that can’t keep aloft after a good start.
The idea is a variation on Carrey’s hit “Liar, Liar.” Listless deadbeat Carl Allen (that’s Carrey) is perpetually saying no to everything. But a self-help guru (Terence Stamp) convinces him that by saying “yes” to every opportunity that comes along, he’ll set off a chain reaction of good vibes.
Because Carl gives a ride to a homeless man, he meets the girl of his dreams (Zooey Deschanel), a convincing argument for “yes.” After that, he says the y-word to every question he gets, even when it results in approving questionable loans at the bank where he works, or enlisting in Korean language classes.
For a while the strategy pays off, and Carl comes out of his shell. What could be more fun than a spontaneous weekend plan to take the first flight out of the airport, even — or especially — when the flight is going to Lincoln, Neb.?
“Yes Man” hits a few giddy highs, creating a pleasant Frank-Capra-Meets-Ferris-Bueller feel. It’s a good role for Carrey, who does a deft job of suggesting the fearfulness that underlies Carl’s withdrawal from the world.
He does the rubbery faces and pratfalls pretty well, too.
The offbeat delivery of Zooey Deschanel (late of “The Happening”) is always fascinating to watch, although the fact that Carrey is almost 20 years older than her is a problem.
The movie has a tendency to set up actors in amusing parts — New Zealand comic Rhys Darby as Carl’s supervisor, John Michael Higgins as a “Yes” believer — and let them dribble away. And the respected actress Fionnula Flanagan has a role that proves her to be either a good sport or a poor judge of taste.
“Yes Man” is directed by Peyton Reed, who has a talent for creating a loose atmosphere among actors (see also Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston in “The Break-Up”) but lacks a strong follow-through. Right when this movie ought to be clicking into high gear, it seems to fold its tents.
The “just say yes” message is cheerful enough. Although, come to think of it, Carl approving all those questionable bank loans is the kind of thing that got us into the current financial mess, right? There’s still room for the well-placed “no.”
“Yes Man” ½
Maybe: A good vehicle for Jim Carrey places him as a depressed guy who changes his life with a self-help program that has him saying “yes” to every opportunity that comes along. The Frank-Capra-Meets-Ferris-Bueller vibe is fun for a while, but the movie folds up just when it ought to soar. With Zooey Deschanel (too young for Carrey).
Rated: PG-13 rating is for language, subject matter
Now showing: Alderwood Mall, Everett Stadium, Marysville, Monroe, Mountlake, Stanwood Cinemas, Metro, Oak Tree, Pacific Place, Woodinville, Cascade Mall, Oak Harbor Plaza
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