Myers can do better

Rating: 5/10 (5 August 2008)

The Love Guru - or - Mike Myers turns Austin Powers into a cod Indian.
How can I describe this movie? There are several defining elements. One is Myers' constant shameless mugging to the camera - the fourth wall is so much rubble, and Myers' winsome coyness becomes - what's the expression? - damn irritating. Another is the fact that, not to put too fine a point on it, the movie is an endless succession of kn*b gags, with a couple of poo gags, a diarrhoea gag and, oh yes, an elephants sh*gging gag sprinkled among them. The third is that Jessica Alba wanders around looking, let's face it, a bit lost.
Yet for all that, I smiled a moderate amount and laughed a few times. The Mariska Hargitay gag, though overused, was amusing, and I'm ashamed to say that I laughed out loud at some of the appalling things Verne Troyer allowed himself to be put through, and I was entertained by the mock Bollywood musical numbers.
Certainly not Myers' finest hour - far too much staleness and repetition for that - but not as bad as it's made out to be in some quarters.