The Love Guru

Mike Myers is a talented guy, but this vehicle is an embarrassment. The funniest parts are gleefully juvenile, but they are, unfortunately, outnumbered by gags that are simply juvenile or, worse yet, juvenile and mean-spirited. For example, some of the jokes directed at Verne Troyer's character sound like they were uttered by a 15-year-old classroom bully, not written by an intelligent man in his forties. I'm all in favor of offending PC sensibilities whenever possible, but do it right: cracks about Keebler elves show are just stupid and artistically lazy.

More scenes of young Pitka might have explained better how he grew into the adult he became, and Rajneesh could have been fleshed out a bit. I suspect that a lot of character development and back story were left on the cutting room floor. What should have been cut were the cameos that were either pointless or self-referential without being truly funny.

The plot wasn't exactly Citizen Kane quality, but it could have worked with better writing. After all, if anything cries out for satiric treatment, it's the self-help and New Age movements. With such target-rich subject matter, how did Myers manage to make such a dud? I think that it's a case of plain self-indulgence. Jim Carrey and Robin Williams are two other talented, over-the-top funny men who do some of their best work when they show restraint and don't play themselves. Someone should have reined in Myers on this one.

For his penance, I suggest that he lay off comedy for a while and do a few dramatic roles - including supporting ones - as he did (quite well) in "54." Williams and Carrey have shown other dimensions of themselves in dramatic roles, and I'm sure Myers can, too.

Although this may be the worst film of Mike Myers career, it is definitely not the worst of the year. Yes the film is ridden with penis jokes. Yes there are bad puns. In the end however, The Love Guru doesn't fail to make you laugh many times. It does use Verne Troyer offensively as the butt of many jokes, and doesn't have much of a meaning, but when a film can make you laugh for most of the running time, there is something great about that.

Most of the jokes are hit and miss, but there are so many of them that at least a few will have you in stitches. In a time where "Genre" Spoof Movies are bringing in millions, the Love Guru is at least a little taste of originality. We all know that Myers can make us laugh, but we might not of known it would take so little.

My last comment is that the Love Guru is very similar to Leslie Neilsen's WRONGFULLY ACCUSED. A very funny film that is worth catching once, because of all the laughs you'll get, but watching it a second time is like cheese gratering your face. The Love Guru isn't that bad, but it has the same feel. Worth catching on TV or at the Video store if you want to turn your brain off and have a good laugh.

I may be a bit generous with the star-rating system, true. But I do know what I was feeling after the credits started rolling. Disappointment. And don't get me wrong. I am a huge Mike Myers fan. I am a devout fan of Austin Powers, Wayne's World (where's #3 in the series???), and, actually, yes, I did enjoy Cat in the Hat, although it was not a piece of art. And I understand if fans of Mike Myers will still go to see this film. I did after all, even after reading the terrible reviews. Sadly, this time, the critics were correct. Mike knows better. The director should've known better. Mike Myers's return to live action comedy is more than disappointing. Even the character, Your Holiness the Guru Pitka, was unlikeable (which is a first for a Mike Myers character). He was so full of himself, so damn selfish, no one cared if he succeeded. His giggle-fits were too common to spark a slight giggle from the audience. And although the women in the film were pure eye-candy (Jessica Alba, Meagan Good, even Mariska Hargitay and Jessica Simpson made cameos), they became little more than that with such a flat script. Sorry Mike. Maybe next time. A fourth Austin Powers would be quite a way to get back in the game with your biggest fans:)

I read self-help books, I study religions and spirituality, and I thought this was a funny movie. Movies such as these teach us to not take life so seriously. It would seem that anyone who claims to have any sense of spirituality or enlightenment, and was offended by this movie, doesn't really understand Truth. To be pro the movie, or neutral to the movie is one thing, but to attack the movie, to be against the movie, would seem to be self-defeating. Attacking the movie gives energy (and publicity) to it, for which, I'm sure the makers are very grateful. I thought the headlines of certain people being 'outraged' by the movie were as humorous as the movie. Deepak knows...he took it in good fun.

I have now seen all of Mike Myers' films in which he plays a starring role, and this is definitely the worst. He has proved that he is a very funny man with the likes of Austin Powers and Wayne's World but he seemed to have forgotten all what made those movies funny with The Love Guru. It's pretty bad, though slightly better than its reputation. Though not much.

There are hardly any jokes that are funny, and 95% are toilet humour or sex jokes. And not funny ones. I laughed maybe 3 times throughout, one of which in the credits with Verne Troyer. It's not helped by the fact that the Guru Pitka is an unlikeable character. For some reason Myers laughs at his own bad jokes often in this film, possibly in the hope you'll join in. Maybe you will out of sympathy.

When a decent joke pops up Myers usually ruins it by explaining the joke, like with the crocodile soup one. You don't need to explain a joke Mike! You usually didn't do that in your previous films, so why do it here? Myers comic timing here is hit and miss, sometimes it's decent enough such as when he stares at the camera for a split second after Bohemian Rhapsody starts playing in a car (Wayne's world reference) but sometimes he just never demonstrates this quality at all. Comedy is all about timing, Mike Myers nailed it perfectly in the first Austin Powers, so he clearly has (or did have) the ability.

It's hard to believe this had such a high budget as it looks appears cheap in terms of its effects and obviously it's content. The acting is not great from Jessica Alba, Sir Ben Kingsley makes an appearance and I suppose does the best he could have done with the material. Mike Myers is a funny guy, I am surprised that such a capable comedian could come up with such a poor film.

The story could have been interesting but it wasn't. Needed far better writing. Myers was given too much control and needed someone to say no, these ideas are no good. It's a shame to see it as he was once so funny. I did enjoy the rendition of Dolly Parton's 9 to 5 at the start, Myers is a surprisingly good singer. I also appreciated the unpretentiousness of the film, it's aware that it's not that good and it never strives to be anything else than a lowbrow comedy.

Overall though this is a film that is not worth seeing and I would rate it 4/10.