I almost refrained from adding this one to the Cavalcade. After all, Myers supposedly drew inspiration for this comedy with spiritual overtones from the death of his beloved father. I read this in a magazine article which expended a lot of ink telling us what a jerk Myers was--yet somehow made me feel kind of sorry for the guy.
Plus I didn't even see the movie, and anyway, it came and went and tanked with little fuss. Sure, Myers' "in-character" promotion of his flick was a bit obnoxious, what with the appearances on "American Idol," the Teen Choice Awards, and MTV Movie Awards, and. I would have been appalled, I'm sure, had I actually watched any of those things.
So am I just wasting our time by ripping on this soon-to-be-forgotten (everyone involved hopes) bomb? No. I can't give Myers a pass on this one for two reasons: 1) It features Justin Timberlake, again playing "grownup movie star" to the irritation of legitimate moviegoing grownups, and 2) More importantly, it's a hype vehicle for the NHL.
Myers has long pushed his pro-hockey agenda, and though he can hardly be blamed for liking the sport--he is Canadian, of course--he doesn't have to try to convince the rest of us that it's relevant. It's bad enough he slips things like hockey jerseys and street hockey games into his seemingly innocuous romps, but this time I think he went too far.
The premise of the movie is stupid enough, especially if you're in that group of people who find his titular character, Guru Pitka, annoying. That group has a name, too; it's called "everybody." But even more offensive than the Hindu-mocking persona Myers takes on is the character's goal: To salvage the career of a Toronto Maple Leafs player.
Clearly it's an attempt to foist a cult sport on mainstream America. Because no major network carries the pro game anymore (NBC doesn't count while it's not showing the Olympics), Big Hockey is trying to infiltrate other media. First, it was YouTube. Then it was the multiplex. Heavens to Murgatroyd, can skywriting be next?
Mike Myers may be fiercely protective of his comic creations, and that shows a certain artistic integrity. However, his willingness to cash in with marketing tie-ins and inferior sequels has proven his true motives. Getting into bed with the NHL, even if sincere, is his worst product placement of all, and it's enough to earn "The Love Guru" a prominent spot in the Crummy Movie Cavalcade.
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