Review of The Love Guru (2008) by Jonathan S — 08 Dec 2009

This very review is going to officially taint anything I say from here on out and ruin my credibility as an up and coming online film critic, but I just have to: The Love Guru isn't that bad. There I said it. Phew. Feels good to say that, you know?

There are problems with it, obviously: the plot is stupid, Justin Timberlake and Verne Troyer are UNBEARABLE, and it's way too pun-heavy. However, being the forgiving man I am, I can overlook that.

The character of Guru Pitka, the latest in Myers' arsenal, is for lack of a better word a "douchebag". He's mean, he's very vain, and he's crazy. At the same time, there's just something funny about the character, and I think the funny comes from his doucheness. Myers, every time he's on screen, is making a mean joke or flailing around and I couldn't help but laugh at the things Pitka would say and do. I also appreciated some of the sight gags (like when his beard becomes cotton candy for no reason) and the many random titles of his self-help books. His adding of "TM" after all his sayings was also amusing and a nice dig at gurus who only exist to make money.

I also really enjoyed Ben Kingsley as Pitka's guru Tugginmapudda (yeah yeah, I know it's not funny). Kingsley, already an Oscar winner and a knight, doesn't need to worry about credibility anymore and for every one movie he makes that is good, he makes a bunch that are suspect. Here, he's just having fun and it shows.

I don't know what it was, but I really liked The Love Guru and I have the ability to rewatch it and not want to rip my face off. It's definitely the worst movie Mike Myers has ever done, and I completely understand the hate, but I will not add to it. Ignore Timberlake and Troyer, and the movie isn't too bad. Seriously.

Anyway, I'm going to go grab my shield and get ready for someone to try to murder me for this. Peace.