Anyone familiar with Mike Myers' work knows that he's a comedic genius with an impressive track record. Unfortunately, this picture fails to measure up to that resume' over the course of its patience-testing, 90-minute duration.
The story revolves around Maurice (Myers), an orphan raised in an Indian ashram who moves to the U.S. hoping to replace Deepak Chopra as America's #1 self-help guru. While on this quest, he happens to be hired by the owner (Jessica Alba) of the Toronto Maple Leafs to help her star player (Romany Malco) win back his wife (Meagan Good) from the better-endowed goalie (Justin Timberlake) of her team's arch rivals, and just in time to win the Stanley Cup.
This overambitious plotline proves to be every bit as scattered as that synopsis sounds, as it endeavors to bridge a dizzying number of cinematic genres only to end up doing none of them justice in a desperate attempt to be all things to all demographics. Worse, the bulk of what's passed off as humor here are double entendres about male genitalia.
For example, one scene features a scrotum-looking delicacy called "Nuts in a Sling," an East Indian dish served astride a big pickle to make sure you get the joke. When not making a play on penis words, the slapstick turns sophomoric, as in the gross game where the participants try to swat each other in the mouth with urine soaked mops. Ha-ha.
Otherwise, The Love Guru is generally obsessed with bodily functions, ranging from farts to feces to ejaculation. What's most disturbing is seeing Mike Myers stealing so many ideas here from other mediocre movies. It's his job to make us laugh, and he fails miserably in what might not be the best performance of his career, but it's certainly his worst.
Poor (0 stars)
Rated PG-13 for sexuality, profanity, slapstick violence, crude humor and drug references.
Running time: 88 minutes
Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment
2-Disc DVD Extras: A digital copy of the film, 11 deleted scenes, bloopers, outtakes, 3 featurettes and more.
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