The Canadian comedian’s latest creation, a sweet-talking Indian guru, comes equipped with the same disingenuous, fringe boy charm as an Austin Powers or a Wayne Campbell. The goofy twirl; the contingent relationship with 'gasp-enducing' younger woman–here, Jessica Alba; the presence of Mike Myers in nearly every scene: it’s enough to make impressionable teenagers quit school and erect a Mike Myers shrine, a Mike Myers themed barbecue party with matching glasses, or a can-you-do-all-the-Mike-Myers voices-athon.

In this latest outing, guru Pitka, a 'love expert' and the orphaned son of American missionaries, must help Romany Malco's Canadian ice hockey star play through a sticky breakup, or risk losing $2,000,000 and the chance to appear on Oprah. Pitka flies to America in a private jet, does some fart jokes and makes some new friends, but finds that self-love is more important than money or approval. Seem contrived? Thinly disguised guilt therapy roleplay for rich comedian? You bet. While the jokes often amuse, it's difficult to shake a suspicion that Myers, not Pitka, considers himself lonely, feels second-class, and craves elaborate superficial assurances, if only to ridicule them.

Certainly, Love Guru doesn't have many other genuine points of reference. Its notions of India are out-dated and idiotic (a fact that India's national press has been quick to criticise). It makes sportspeople look like brainless twits. It makes polite fun of actors and actresses without bothering anyone. It just isn't sustained satire, more a collection of elaborate stand-up routines. The film is at its most successful when just about the gags, when Pitka tells a rowdy cowboy his mother bought his hat, or tries to get his sportstar client to stare at his crotch so he can embarrass him, or dives across the floor on a motorised carpet singing Dolly Parton's "Nine to Five" for a commercial. As soon as the plot kicks in, we're back in Myersville waiting for him to fulfil himself as an underdog.

Fact is, he just isn't. He's an intensely successful comedian. We've got no more sympathy for you, Mike. Maybe Jim Carey or Will Ferrel have made better-rated films than you lately, and your last big role was as a troll, and even then you got upstaged by Eddie Murphy, but things seem pretty good. Time to stop staring at yourself in the mirror picking your nose and passing that off as irony.

Two out of five, and mostly for the hat joke.