Precisely as juvenile and ridiculous as you'd expect and yet somehow I did laugh...a lot

Rating: 6/10 (6 July 2008)

I think by now anyone who sees a Mike Myers film can expect the same recipe that has made him billions, the Austin Powers recipe. How can you hate on The Love Guru when it is exactly everything that the Austin Powers films were? For all the terrible reviews and constant heckling about the content of this film after all was said and done I actually thought it wasn't half bad. Ridiculous? You better believe it. Childish? Completely. Making you laugh when you feel guilty about laughing at such stupidity? That's called Mike Myers. Some compare this film to the earlier Adam Sandler film You Don't Mess With The Zohan (see my review) and yet I can say in all honesty I thought The Love Guru was far more entertaining than Zohan in many ways. Maybe it's simply that Mike Myers can pull of childish humor better than any man...or comedian alive and that's what seems to make him tick. I'm not encouraging anyone to rush out and see this and I'm not telling you it's any great feat of film making by any means and it shouldn't be compared to anything really currently in theaters. All I am saying is for the expectations I had and for stupid humor it was watchable and even humorous at times.
Mike Myers is remarkably only one character...Guru Pitka, a white man who was raised in the traditions of Eastern religion and is now the world's second leading Guru (behind Deepak Chopra--a running gag in the film.) Myers is silly and funny and damn it he's having a good time and that's what makes this film insatiably watchable despite your better judgment. His character, like so many others he has created, is somehow lovable and fun to watch. His acting stinks but clearly he's doing an elongated skit and it's like the friend you have who always does stupid voices and makes you laugh. Jessica Alba sticks out like a hot sore thumb in this film. The last person you'd expect to see in this as a major leading character and somehow a romantic interest for Myers is Jessica Alba. She does alright although her strong suit is really standing there and looking hot and saying a few lines and she is really good at that. Romany Malco is decent enough as a troubled hockey player and the straight man to Myers jokes. Verne Troyer (yes Mini Me) plays the Maple Leafs coach and probably gives one of the best actual acting performances in the entire film. He's funny in an angry kind of way and just really does a great job. Finally the star of the show the entire reason to see this film...Justin Timberlake. I knew after he hosted Saturday Night Live this guy had comedic talent and he just blows you away as the well endowed Celine Dion obsessed French Canadian goalie for the Kings. He is hilarious and he is having a great time too clearly. It's not a role that requires anything but to have a good time and act like a goof and his is awesome. He outshines even Myers with his comedy. Also check out a substantial comedic cameo by none other than Sir Ben Kingsley as the cross eyed Guru Tugginmypudha. Also the film is chock full of Hollywood cameos including Deepak Chopra, Jessica Simpson, Kanye West, Rob Blake, Val Kilmer and a funny little cameo by Law and Order's Mariska Hargitay.
The movie is not a good movie case closed and it doesn't try to be. It's like going to a wild party for an hour and a half and I left and I actually felt good, still laughing at how stupid some of it was and yet isn't that exactly what they were trying to do? The sheer idea of Buddhists or any religion being upset about this film is ludicrous. It never once tries to take itself seriously or even take jabs at Indian culture. I've seen comedies and dramas that are far more ignorant to religions and cultures than this could ever be because it's like they are standing up and saying...this is not serious now have fun!! Toilet humor abounds, stupid jokes, eye rolling humor and yet somehow it's just fun. So if you think you might enjoy something like this then take this over Zohan any day because it's the dumbest thing in the theaters but you won't feel like you wasted your time or money. I'd even probably sit through it again for Justin Timberlake alone. This is director Marco Schnabel's debut and I think he probably just let Mike Myers have his way but this is what you should expect. 6/10