The Yes Men (2004)
79%RT Audience Score: 67%
Awards & Nominations: 1 win & 2 nominations
Shining a spotlight on activists as unorthodox as they are entertaining, The Yes Men proves advocating for social change can be seriously funny
The Yes Men is a hilarious and inspiring documentary that follows a group of activists who use their wit and humor to expose the absurdity of those in power. While some critics may find it clumsy or lacking in structure, the film’s subversive message and clever pranks make it a must-watch for anyone who wants to see the powerful held accountable. Plus, who doesn’t love a good prank? The Yes Men prove that sometimes laughter really is the best medicine, even in the face of injustice.
Production Company(ies)
Dreamworks Pictures, Kemp Company, Splendid Pictures,
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Plattsburgh, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language
Year of Release
2005
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 20m
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Language(s):English, French
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 24, 2004 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 16, 2014
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
documentary, The Yes Men, Mike Bonanno, Andy Bichlbaum, parody group, World Trade Organization, activism, social change, satire, Dan Ollman, Sarah Price, Chris Smith, directed by, Sarah Price, Chris Smith, written by, R rating, English, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, box office, gross USA, $199.0K, critic reviews, reviewed by, Joshua Rothkopf, Sukhdev Sandhu, Roger Moore, Michael Moore, Laura Nix, Marco Deseriis, Wago Kreider, produced by, MPAA rating, Gunner Palace, Little Chenier, Storytelling, Sikandar, Laura Nix, Marco Deseriis, Wago Kreider, Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel, The Onion, Phil Hendry, capitalism, Third World, Michael Moore, witty, insightful, informative, entertaining, frat-style, publicity seeking, amateurish, pacing issues, filler
Worldwide gross: $394,154
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $600,684
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,697
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 65,505
US/Canada gross: $255,364
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $389,170
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,392
US/Canada opening weekend: $24,373
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $37,144
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,298
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Mike Bonanno – Self
Michael Moore – Self
Laura Nix – Self
Marco Deseriis – Self
Wago Kreider – Self
Dan Ollman – Director
Sarah Price – Producer
Chris Smith – Producer
Director(s)
Dan Ollman, Sarah Price, Chris Smith
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
Sarah Price, Chris Smith
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 2 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (84) | Top Critics (34) | Fresh (71) | Rotten (13)
Hilariously, The Yes Men follows a subversive group of well-organized activists posing as guest speakers…
March 16, 2020
Joshua Rothkopf
In These Times
TOP CRITIC
Its willingness to mock not just the men in power suits but the journos and news organisations who swallow their FTSE gibberish is salutary indeed.
April 1, 2019
Sukhdev Sandhu
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
A clumsy movie.
December 3, 2004 | Rating: 2/5
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
Inspiring and shows just how far a couple of guys, a few computers, and a good sense of humor can go.
October 19, 2004 | Rating: 3/5
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
The Yes Men’s political performance art is very funny and much care obviously goes into it.
October 19, 2004 | Rating: 3/4
Terry Lawson
Detroit Free Press
TOP CRITIC
The Yes Men has its moments, but they’re too few and far between to make us drop our Palm Pilots and dissolve into continuous laughter.
October 15, 2004 | Rating: C+
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News
TOP CRITIC
…the filmmakers don’t have a solid plan for bringing the Yes Men’s story to the big screen…
December 14, 2013 | Rating: 2/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
As activists, the Yes Men are about as effective as an article in the satirical weekly, The Onion, or any episode of Phil Hendry’s radio show
August 17, 2010 | Rating: 2.5/4
Jay Antani
Cinema Writer
Uproarious subversive documentary that targets the World Trade Organization.
October 21, 2009 | Rating: A-
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
August 7, 2008 | Rating: 3/5
Mark Halverson
Sacramento News & Review
As an activist art project, it works, but not as a film
April 14, 2006 | Rating: 2.5/4
Marty Mapes
Movie Habit
Chris Smith is the next great documentarian for mainstream American audiences to discover, and he richly merits a wide release.
May 15, 2005
Martin Scribbs
Low IQ Canadian…
Plot
A comedic documentary which follows The Yes Men, a small group of prankster activists, as they gain world-wide notoriety for impersonating the World Trade Organization on television and at business conferences around the world. The film begins when two members of The Yes Men, Andy and Mike, set up a website that mimics the World Trade Organization’s
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for The Yes Men.
Dan-Ollman.jpg
