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"YES MAN" (2008) (Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Heavy Minor Moderate Minor Minor Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Heavy Minor None Mild Heavy Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy None Mild Moderate Moderate QUICK TAKE: Comedy: A loan officer, known for always saying no in his professional and personal life, finds his world turned upside down when he's forced to say yes to everyone and everything. PLOT: Carl Allen (JIM CARREY) is a junior loan officer known for always saying no to everyone and everything in his life, both professionally and personally. At work, he turns down loan requests as well as offers by his outgoing but naive boss, Norman (RHYS DARBY), to hang out. At home, his ex-wife, Stephanie (MOLLY SIMS), left him due to his negativity, while he's always coming up with excuses not to help his elderly neighbor, Tillie (FIONNULA FLANAGAN), or do things with his best friend, Peter (BRADLEY COOPER), who's just gotten engaged to Lucy (SASHA ALEXANDER). Things change when an acquaintance, Nick (JOHN MICHAEL HIGGINS), convinces Carl to attend a self-help seminar run by Terrence Bundley (TERENCE STAMP) who preaches the power of saying yes. While Carl is skeptical, Terrence essentially makes him believe that bad things will happen if he ever says no again. It initially seems the opposite when Carl agrees to give a ride to a homeless man and ends up with a dead cell phone, a car out of gas, and his wallet empty of money after the man asks for that and is shocked to receive it. All of that, however, results in Carl meeting the quirky and fun Allison (ZOOEY DESCHANEL) who zooms around town on her scooter when not performing in a techno rock band at night and teaching a combination of jogging and photography during the day. From that point on, Carl's world opens up as he develops feelings toward Allison, all while having to contend with the effects of saying yes to everyone and everything offered to and asked of him. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of Jim Carrey (and/or anyone else in the cast), they probably will. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For crude sexual humor, language and brief nudity. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: JIM CARREY plays a loan officer known for always saying no to most everything in his life. That is, until he attends Terrence's seminar and thus starts saying yes to everyone and everything offered to and asked of him. He uses some strong profanity, fools around with Allison, gets into a drunken fight with a stranger after kissing that man's girlfriend, and generally behaves in exaggerated ways that kids might find enticing to imitate. ZOOEY DESCHANEL plays the young woman who befriends and then falls for him. She performs in a techno rock band at night, teaches a combination of jogging and photography during the day, and zooms around town (and through traffic) on her scooter. She also fools around with Carl. BRADLEY COOPER plays Carl's best friend who's disappointed in his perpetual negative responses and white lies, but welcomes the change and reversal when that comes around. He drinks in several scenes. RHYS DARBY plays Carl's friendly but naive boss who thinks his various revelations are original when they're not, and hosts various themed movie parties at his apartment to which he repeatedly invites Carl. FIONNULA FLANAGAN plays Carl's elderly neighbor who's always asking for his help, but that might just be a front for desiring to do sexual things with him (which she does in one scene, and it's implied she later does the same with one of his friends). TERENCE STAMP plays the motivational guru who encourages Carl (and others) to embrace the power of saying yes to everyone and everything. JOHN MICHAEL HIGGINS plays an acquaintance of Carl's who encourages him to attend Terrence's seminar and thus free himself in his world. To show how open he is, he purposefully throws a rock through the savings and loan window where Carl works, and doesn't mind being chased and tackled by the guards. MOLLY SIMS plays Carl's ex-wife who left him for his perpetual negativity, but then finds herself attracted to him again when he changes his ways and mindset. She asks him to spend the night with her, but he doesn't. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a brief summary of the content found in this comedy that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 2 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Sexually related dialogue is present, as is a comedy scene featuring an older woman performing oral sex on a younger man (sans her teeth, and just below the camera shot, played for comedy rather than eroticism). Other possible sexual behavior is suggested, while a scene features a roomful of nude people (hair and other things block explicit frontal views, but full rear views of both sexes are seen), and another man's bare butt is seen via an open hospital gown (both cases of nudity also played just for comedy). Some comedy-based physical contact among people (including a brief fight), a brief car crash (sudden, but played for comedy) as well as slapstick style material are present. All sorts of behavior might be enticing for kids to imitate, and characters drink in several scenes, with one leading to intoxication and related behavior. Some crude humor is present. as are comedy-based bad attitudes, while some viewers might not like some of the humor used for comedy. One scene (played for comedy) features a menacing dog right in a man's face. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE People have drinks at a restaurant. In a nightmare, Carl's friend has a beer. Carl and Peter have beer in a bar where their other friend has a drink, and miscellaneous people drink. Later, we then see that the three friends have been drinking a lot, all of which causes Carl to snort Tabasco sauce off his wrist, and kiss a stranger when she walks up. The next morning, we see Carl passed out by a toilet. To test a bed's advertisement, Carl has a glass of wine on top of the mattress, and jumps around and dives onto the mattress, all to see if the glass of wine will fall off, and it does not. Carl and some miscellaneous people drink beer in a bar. Peter, his girlfriend, and other friends have beer. People have drinks at a party. BLOOD/GORE When Carl answers Nick and uses the word "fine," Nick states, "I wipe my ass with fine." Peter and his friend find Carl looking dead on a couch (played for comedy, as his face is all contorted in a comically exaggerated fashion), and a fly lands on Carl's open eye, and then crawls into his open mouth (but this all turns out to be a nightmare on Carl's part). After a night of drinking, we see Carl passed out by a toilet (suggesting he did or thought he was going to get sick). A farmer wants a loan for his organic fertilizer (manure) business, and we see a pile of that on Carl's desk and in the farmer's hands, with Carl reluctant to shake that man's hand. Following a car accident, Carl has a few bloody scrapes, as does Terrence who also has a bandage around his neck with some blood soaked through that. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Carl tells various white lies to his friend Peter on the phone, but is busted when Peter sees that Carl is in a video store and not at home as he states. Nick states that he's done many things, including shooting a cow with a bazooka, but adds that he is not proud of that. To prove he's up for anything, Nick throws a rock through the savings and loan's front window, shattering it. Carl misses Peter's engagement party. Some viewers might not like some humor stemming from Carl dating an Arab woman he met on the "Persian Wife Finder" website. Allison and Carl scale a fence to break into the outdoor L.A. Philharmonic at night. Some viewers might not like a sequence featuring a suicidal man up on the ledge of a building, or Carl having to go up and try to talk him out of jumping, and doing so by singing a song about just that (all played for comedy). Hearing that he has to say yes to everything, Allison gets mad at Carl (thinking he's gone out with her because he has to rather than wanting to) and breaks up with him. FRIGHTENING SCENES We briefly see footage from one of the "Saw" movies where a character is about to take a saw to his chained leg, but the footage ends there and we don't see any gore. After Carl turns down Tillie's sexual advances, his shirt gets stuck in her closed door. He then tries to yank that out, causing him to fall down a flight of steps, thus arousing the attention of a menacing dog that comes racing at him. Its chain causes it to stop short, but the snarling and barking dog is right there in his face (all played for comedy, but it might be unsettling for those afraid of dogs). After being told to go jump off a bridge, we see Carl doing some bungee jumping (and those afraid of heights might not like that scene). After Carl gets into an elevator, the power glitches, and the elevator car jerks downward. The doors open halfway between floors, and Carl scrambles out of the elevator (all played for comedy, but those afraid of such things might not like that scene). GUNS/WEAPONS We see Carl and Allison doing some skeet shooting, where she mistakenly shoots the ground with a shotgun. After being told what she's supposed to do, she shoots and hits the target, and is so happy that she swings around with that shotgun, causing everyone to duck out of the way. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "That sounds like a f*cking great idea," "It's my only f*cking option," "At least we didn't get sh*t-canned," "Ah sh*t," "All bullsh*t," "I might get sh*t-canned," "I've been such a d*ck and a douche," "D*ck-hole," "Darn it to heck," "You bastard," "Oh look, they're touching each other's genitals," "I am gone-a-rea," "Sucks," "I wipe my ass with fine," "What, are you nuts?" "I totally gapped it," "All over the G*ddamn room," "Freakin,'" "That sucks," "Yeah, unless you want to stick around and make out," "Really chapped my ass," "God no," "I made a secret cun-evant" (mistakenly said instead of "covenant"), "Jeez," "She's ballsy," "What up, my brizo?" "What the hell /you looking at/you doing in there?" "I've got blisters on my fingers" (said after playing the guitar), "Explain this, jack-hole," "Screwed up," "Kicks the crap out of..." "Jack-off" (noun), "Don't freak out," "What an asshole" and "Seriously, dude." All of Jim Carrey's verbal and physical humor (including funny faces, pratfalls, and such) may be enticing for some kids to imitate. To prove he's up for anything, Nick throws a rock through the savings and loan's front window, shattering it. Two guards then come out, and chase after the man, with one tackling him, and the other jumping on him, but we don't see the later impact (and this is all played for comedy). With Carl seated behind her, Allison zips and swerves through traffic on her scooter, including holding out her camera to take a photo of them in motion. She then zips across several lanes of traffic. While goofing around, we see Norman with his glasses on upside down, while Carl has tape all over his face, contorting his features in a funny and exaggerated fashion. To test a bed's advertisement, Carl has a glass of wine on top of the mattress, and jumps around and dives onto the mattress, all to see if the glass of wine will fall off, and it does not. Allison sings lyrics in a song that include "I'm not your late-night booty call" (while the word "whore" is repeated many times). Allison teaches a class combining jogging and photography, and we see her and her students doing just that. After getting an invite to go out drinking Red Bull with his friends, we see Carl the next morning and he's acting extremely caffeinated and hyper, including talking really fast. Carl and Allison attend a Harry Potter party at Norman's place where everyone is dressed up like the characters. In the airport, Carl playfully picks up Allison and takes her to the ticket counter, referring to her as luggage. After being told to go jump off a bridge, we see Carl doing some bungee jumping (and those afraid of heights might not like that scene). We see Norman shirtless and dressed like one of the fighters in the movie "300." Carl leaves a hospital still wearing his hospital gown, and takes off on a friend's motorcycle. It's so powerful that he inadvertently does various wheelies, and also goes up on the front wheel when he applies the brakes. When he finally gets to Allison's class, he has a hard time controlling and stopping the motorcycle, thus causing it to go around and around in circles and sending up lots of road smoke. JUMP SCENES Carl surprises Terence in the latter's convertible, immediately followed by another vehicle suddenly smashing into the side of that car (it's rather severe, but the scene is played for unexpected comedy). MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) Allison sings lyrics in a song that include "I want to snap your neck and spit on you," the word "asshole," and the statement "I'm not your late-night booty call" (while the word "whore" is repeated many times). A song includes the lyric "tough sh*t." PROFANITY At least 2 "f" words, 6 "s" words, 4 slang terms using male genitals ("d*ck" and "package"), 6 asses (4 used with "hole"), 3 hells, 1 crap, 4 uses each of "God," "Oh God" and "Oh my God," 3 of "G-damn," 2 of "Jesus" and 1 use of "Oh Jesus." SEX/NUDITY About his ex-wife Stephanie and her new boyfriend, Carl states, "Oh look, they're touching each other's genitals" (they aren't). As he then goes to leave, and tries to make his exit line sound clever, he states, "I am gone-a-rea," but it accidentally comes out sounding like "gonorrhea" (and he then realizes that). At one of his "yes" seminars, Terence confronts Carl and states that he bets Carl can't even summon the enthusiasm to masturbate. Carl then sheepishly states that he is having some trouble. As Allison is about to leave, Carl's states, "Yeah, unless you want to stick around and make out," prompting her to kiss him once before she leaves. Reading aloud from an ad on his computer, Carl asks, "Would I like to increase the size of my penis?" He laughs about that, saying, "Like I need that," since other people are standing there, but when they turn away, he clicks the yes button (because he has to answer yes to everything presented to him). Carl drunkenly kisses a stranger, and states that he did so because he made a secret "cun-evant," meaning to say "covenant," and adds that what he said sounds dirty. We see miscellaneous cleavage. Carl's senior citizen neighbor, Tillie, asks him if he would like a release, clarifying that as a "sexual release." He doesn't want that, and leaves, but a series of events -- culminating in him falling down some steps and then coming face-to-face with a barking dog -- make him believe he has to say yes to her. We then see him back in her apartment, where she tells him to lie back and that she will take care of everything. We then see just him as she moves out of the camera shot, and removes her dentures (which we see). We then see the shocked expression on his face turn to pleasure, with him asking how she does that (meaning heavily suggested oral sex). Allison sings lyrics in a song that include "I'm not your late-night booty call" (while the word "whore" is repeated many times). We see miscellaneous cleavage. Carl jokes with Allison that he's done some nude modeling. Allison shows a little bit of cleavage. Allison and Carl make out outdoors at night, and then start to lean down as if to recline on a stage, but the scene ends there. A little bit later, we see them seated side by side, fully clothed, so we don't know what if anything else happened. Peter's girlfriend, Lucy, shows a little bit of cleavage, and we can also see the shape of her nipples under her top. Stephanie wears a very low-cut dress. We see Norman shirtless and dressed like one of the fighters in the movie "300." One of Carl's friends is happy to meet Tillie, and leaves with her (the joke being that he has heard of her oral sex talents, as previously performed on Carl). Stephanie shows a lot of cleavage. She kisses on Carl, and tells him to stay with her tonight. Being in love with Allison, however, he leaves. Carl leaves a hospital still wearing his hospital gown, and takes off on a friend's powerful motorcycle. While riding it, the camera swings around behind him, and we see his bare butt as the gown is open in the back. Allison shows some cleavage. About the pleats in his pants, Norman's new girlfriend states that they make his "package" look good. Terence walks out into his latest seminar, and is shocked to find the audience completely nude and standing. We see a front view of them, where hair and other things block any views of breasts or genitals, followed by a rear view where we see many bare butts, old and young (but no kids), of both sexes (played for laughs rather than eroticism). SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES We hear that Stephanie is Carl's ex-wife and that she left him due to his negativity. He's uncomfortable seeing her with another guy, but later turns down her invitation for him to spend the night with her (after she suddenly finds his newfound positive attitude attractive). TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT People with negative outlooks on life vs. those with positive ones. The comment that the world is a playground, and we know that as kids, but forget it as we grow up. Due to various innocent things taken out of context, federal officials arrest Carl and Allison, thinking that they are terrorists (played for comedy). VIOLENCE Trying to leave a bar, Carl turns and runs into a waitress carrying a tray of drinks that then crashes to the floor, causing Carl to slip on that (all done in a slapstick fashion). To prove he's up for anything, Nick throws a rock through the savings and loan's front window, shattering it. Two guards then come out, and chase after the man, with one tackling him, and the other jumping on him, but we don't see the later impact (and this is all played for comedy). At one of his "yes" seminars, Terence whacks Carl, hits him with his microphone, and then grabs him by either side of the head and thrashes him about, followed by throwing him to Nick's lap (all played for comedy). Carl drunkenly kisses a stranger, prompting her boyfriend to get mad at Carl and take their dispute outside. That man punches Carl (not seen, but we do see Carl go back against a dumpster as a result). Carl then tries to ambush the man and punch him, but accidentally punches a different man in the face, knocking him to the alley. The first man then knees Carl in the gut, bending him over (all played for comedy). After Carl turns down Tillie's sexual advances, his shirt gets stuck in her closed door. He then tries to yank that out, causing him to fall down a flight of steps, thus arousing the attention of a menacing dog that comes racing at him. Its chain causes it to stop short, but the snarling and barking dog is right there in his face (all played for comedy, but it might be unsettling for those afraid of dogs). After breaking through a locked door, and then distracting a suicidal man (by singing to him) who's out on the ledge, Carl grabs the man and throws him down to the floor inside the room. Taking a tour in a chicken processing plant, and after hearing comments about cutting off the heads and beaks (none are seen), Carl faints and hits the floor (all played for comedy). Carl surprises Terence in the latter's convertible, immediately followed by another vehicle suddenly smashing into the side of that car (it's rather severe, but the scene is played for unexpected comedy). Both are a bit bloody after that in the hospital. Reviewed December 10, 2008 / Posted December 19, 2008

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