REVIEW: The Love Guru (TBC)

Mike Myers is back, and this time he’s sporting wicked facial hair and is full of dodgy advice, rude anachronisms and pseudo-ideas as a Maharishi-type Love Guru.

Guru Pitka (Myers) has worked with everyone from The Beatles to Jessica Simpson, but now the bearded wonder has a real challenge on his hands; can he help an ice hockey star get his mojo back, book an appearance on Oprah and maybe even finally find enlightenment and the girl of his dreams?

Team manager Jane Bullard (Jessica Alba) has called him and his elephants in, and the race is on to help her ace player Darren Roanoake (Romany Malco) win his wife back from fellow player Jacques Grande (Justin Timberlake), a man known for the legendary size of his stick (ahem).

It’s a big feat to pull off, but The Love Guru is on form and on top. Yes, the sex puns and double entendres come thick and fast throughout the film (I’ll stop here, though), and there are plenty of real laughs and even some touches of genius (Marita Hargitay; you’ll find out what that means).

Aside from Shrek it’s been nearly five years since we saw Myers on screen, and the trailer and advance buzz for The Love Guru wasn’t great; the looks to the camera and the nudge-nudge wink-wink sense of humour were beyond self-indulgent in the third Austin Powers movie (“That was a joke! Aren’t I funny?”), but here Myers keeps it silly, short and largely on the mark, even in the very funny musical moments.

He’s helped a lot by the star-studded/solid supporting cast, especially the hilarious Justin Timberlake. He is as game as game can be here - shame there wasn’t more of him. And whilst the story’s rather all over the place, Myers' sense of fun can’t help but win your over. He’s like a kid who is eager to please, and he doesn’t need an ogre to do it.