The Love Guru
When Stephen Colbert isn’t even making me laugh…something’s seriously wrong. Generally speaking, movies as critically-reviled as “The Love Guru” typically don’t match up to the hype. There’s something somewhat redeeming in them as a rule. Of course, there are exceptions, and in the case of “The Love Guru”- believe the hype. More so even than Eddie Murphy’s dreadful “Norbit” last year, Mike Myers’ latest bit of “culture driven” comedy- which makes the “Austin Powers” series look like “Wayne’s World” in the laugh department- is just, plainly, unfunny. True, it has Jessica Alba looking hot enough to eat (and lick, and nibble, and other forms of naughtiness 😉 ), but it doesn’t have much else. “Daily Show” vets Colbert and John Oliver are lost, “40 Year-Old Virgin” funnyman Romany Malco is playing another variation on that character (without the sharp wit of Judd Apatow and Steve Carell), and Justin Timberlake’s character- the aptly-named Jacques “Le Coq” Grande- is funnier in appearance than in anything he does, and that’s including serenading his latest conquest with Celine Dion tunes. What is Myers thinking?
Well, basically, he’s thinking, “It worked with ‘Austin Powers,’ why not with Hindu self-help gurus?” He even convinced Deepak Chopra to make an appearance as his American-born Guru Pitka, who is the world’s 2nd best guru to Chopra- also a disciple of the Guru Tugginmypudha (Ben Kingsley, who should be ashamed of himself)- but can’t seem to get over the hump…or get a guest spot on Oprah. Maybe when the Toronto Maple Leafs curvy owner (Alba) comes asking for his help with her star player Darren Roanoke (Malco)- in a rut since his woman shacked up with Grande- he’ll be able to make the breakthrough to the big leagues…and maybe earn the right to remove that chastity belt and finally love himself. The diminutive coach of the Maple Leafs (played by “Powers'” Mini-Me, Verne Troyer) encapsulates everything this movie’s about in the laugh department- a reliance on sight gags and not-so-sly puns that may have gotten Myers big laughs (and box-office) with “Wayne’s World” and “Austin Powers,” but here he plays things smug and with the least-subtle touch since Murphy started suiting up in latex for his laughs. Like his “Shrek” co-star, Myers appears unable to come up with anything original nowadays (why else are we seeing 12 “Shrek” movies? OK, it’s only 5). There’s talk of Murphy quitting movies and returning to stand-up and concerts (if it means we don’t get the threatened “Beverly Hills Cop IV,” all the better Eddie 🙂 ). Maybe Myers should consider a similar form of career rehab.
