Anyone who catches “The Love Guru,” now out on DVD, will swear Benny Hill was alive and well and running around wearing a Mike Myers mask.
The man who gave us Austin Powers is back with a brand new comic creation in “The Love Guru.” But while Myers’ impish humor remains intact, his Guru Pitka won’t enter the pop culture lexicon like his shagadelic predecessor.
The comedy follows a self-help expert (Myers) hired to help a hockey player (Romany Malco, a star if only he finds the right vehicle) break his scoring slump.
Need we even go into the plot any further?
Clearly, Myers has little need for such niceties as story development and character arcs. His Guru Pitka is but a construct to support his endlessly juvenile mugging. It’s a far cry from Austin Powers, who despite two recycled sequels stands as one of the most original comic creations in recent memory.
And what is the point of Myers’ newest character, anyway? Is he a charlatan? A true believer? Something in between? The film hasn’t a clue, and that lack of focus stunts the comedic elements.
Myers does assemble a crack team to support his silliness. Jessica Alba’s character may read “generic love interest” in the script, but she’s rarely looked as comfortable, or lovely, on screen. And Justin Timberlake scores again and again as a goaltender who wields a very big … hockey stick. Yes, the humor is that infantile.
“The Love Guru” makes “Wayne’s World” look like “Masterpiece Theater.” The late, great Benny Hill would be proud.
(Photo: Mike Myers casts a spell over Jessica Alba in “The Love Guru.”)
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Mike Myers pretty much lost me (perhaps for good) once he started laughing at his own (weak) jokes, again and again; that trick NEVER works!