The Love Guru



"His karma is huge."

The Love Guru is a 2008 Comedy Tropes Film and the first major live action big-screen performance from Mike Myers since the Austin Powers trilogy. It's the story of an American-born but Indian-raised self-help guru named Guru Pitka, whose dream is to surpass the famous Deepak Chopra as North America's number-one, go-to self-help guru. To do this, he attempts to help hockey player Darren Roanoke, who has been severely shaken since his wife left him for a well-endowed rival, regain his confidence before the big game.

It also featured prominent performances from Jessica Alba, Justin Timberlake (as the aforementioned rival), Verne Troyer, Stephen Colbert and even Sir Ben Kingsley, but none of it spared this largely scatological comedy from being condemned by both audiences and critics. Despite expectations that the film would revive Myers' career -- he hadn't toplined a live-action film since 2003's The Cat in the Hat -- it became one of 2008's biggest flops and nominated for a whopping seven Razzies. It won three, for Worst Picture, Worst Actor, and Worst Screenplay.

"Guru Pitka: Rajneesh, I'd like an alligator soup, and make it snappy! Because alligators are snappy, and at the same time, I want it prompt. (grins)"
 * Actor Allusion: Ben Kingsley, best known as Gandhi, in the role of Pitka's master.
 * Biggus Dickus: This is the defining attribute of Jacques "le Coq" Grandé.
 * The Cameo:
 * Dance Party Ending
 * Dead Baby Comedy: Though far more "disgusting" than "offensive".
 * Digital Head Swap: Done for Guru Pitka's child self (with Michael Myers' normal head).
 * Don't Explain the Joke

"Coach Cherkoff: And Pitka! Maurice Pitka/Love Guru: (excitedly) yes? Coach Cherkoff: What's the capital of Thailand? Pitka: Bangkok? (shrugs) Coach Cherkoff: Exactly!"
 * Fun with Acronyms
 * Groin Attack: Three:
 * First:


 * Cherkoff punches Pitka in crotch, Pitka instantly covers himself and hunches over moaning while Jane gasps and the team groans in sympathy. Next he is doubled over grabbing himself and he exclaims. "Omar Shariff, MY BALLS!" and moans. Then he drops to the floor and cries "my BALLS, you prick" then mumbles the f word; Cherkoff tells him, "stay down, bitch."


 * Pitka is shown hitting himself in the groin with a mallet.
 * The dinner scene -- he reacts as if it's his nuts being smashed and dipped in hot water. He moans A-I-E-O-U then exclaims Geronimo which is the safe word for his assistant to stop.
 * Heroic Blue Screen of Death: Happens to Darren towards the end of the movie.
 * Hey, It's That Guy!: Oh look, it's Daniel Tosh, playing a...redneck who starts a bar fight. Yep.
 * Ice Cream Koan
 * Incredibly Lame Pun: The titles of Guru Pitka's self-help books.
 * Mythology Gag: A voiceover machine is used in the ending of The Cat in the Hat.
 * Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: Justin Timberlake's French-Canadian accent...
 * Overly Long Gag: Those two elephants...
 * Poke in the Third Eye: A literal example, through Pitka's use of Howdahurdaghi.
 * Refuge in Vulgarity: Does it ever!
 * Self Abuse: The protagonist is told by his severely crosseyed teacher that if he masturbates, he will become crosseyed.
 * Those Two Actors: Myers and Verne Troyer, of course. Justin Timberlake probably counts.
 * Tradesnark™: Guru Pitka appends "TM" on advice-giving acronyms.