The Love Guru appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.35:1 on this single-sided, double-layered DVD; the image has been enhanced for 16X9 televisions. The movie featured an acceptable transfer.
Sharpness usually appeared acceptably accurate and detailed. At times, however, I found the image to come across as a little fuzzy and soft, with lesser definition seen in some of the wide shots. Nonetheless, most of the movie appeared clear and appropriately focused. Moiré effects and jagged edges presented no concerns, but I noticed some light edge enhancement at times. No print flaws materialized; the film remained clean and fresh.
In terms of colors, the flick went with a moderately subdued set of tones. Hues stayed on the natural side, with a mild golden tint to things. Within those parameters, the tones looked fine. Blacks were dark and firm, while shadows appeared clear and well-developed. The image didn’t really excel, but it was good.
As for the film’s Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, it offered a functional effort and that was all. Of course, I didn’t expect a dazzling soundfield from this sort of comedy, and I got exactly what I anticipated. Surround usage stayed limited most of the time. A few “action” scenes – usually on the hockey rink - opened things up in a minor way, but the rear speakers really had little to do here.
In those forward channels, the music provided nice stereo separation and opened up the mix reasonably well. There wasn’t a whole lot of activity or movement, but they conveyed a passable sense of space and place. The track functioned appropriately for the story.
Audio quality appeared fine. Dialogue was consistently warm and natural, and speech displayed no concerns related to edginess or intelligibility. Effects were a minor component of the mix, and they seemed appropriately subdued and accurate; there wasn’t much to hear, but the various elements were clean and distinct. The music came across as acceptably distinctive. This was a standard “comedy mix” and became a decent reproduction of the material.
When we move to the extras, we begin with a few featurettes. Mike Myers and The Love Guru: A Look Inside goes for nine minutes, 37 seconds, as it mixes movie clips, behind the scenes shots, and interviews. We hear from director Marco Schabel and actors Mike Myers, Jessica Alba, Verne Troyer, and Mariska Hargitay. We learn about the origins and development of the Guru Pitka character, Myers’ approach to comedy and his work on the set, cast and performances, cameos, and some scene specifics.
A few decent notes appear here – mostly about the character’s roots – but the featurette usually remains fluffy. There’s a definite promotional tone at work here, so don’t expect much real info. Oh, and don’t watch it before you check out the movie, as it ruins some potential surprises.
A look at the movie’s practical effects arrives with the five-minute and 46-second One Hellava Elephant. It features Stefaniuk FX Studios’ Ron Stefaniuk and puppeteer Frank Meschkuliet. They tell us about the elephant animatronic created for Myers to ride as well as a fake ostrich used in one scene. They give us a good nuts and bolts look at their work.
Hockey Training for Actors lasts eight minutes, four seconds and provides notes from Myers, 2nd unit director/hockey coordinator Mark Ellis, actor Romany Malco, and hockey players Bob Probert and Jim Thomson. We learn a little about getting the actors in shape to perform the hockey scenes. Though a smattering of interesting remarks pop up – particularly about Malco – the show mostly wants to convince us how good the hockey action looks. It’s another fairly insubstantial piece.
11 Deleted and Extended Scenes fill a total of 13 minutes, 35 seconds. Most of the clips offer basic gags, but a minor omitted subplot emerges when we learn about a competing Eastern philosophy. Nothing entertaining appears here, though a reference to Kanye West’s Katrina telethon controversy almost amuses.
Next we find three minutes and 50 seconds of Bloopers. With Myers on the set, I hoped these would be more clever than the usual goofs and giggles. A few minor fun bits emerge, but the set is usually just the standard blooper fare.
More cut footage arrives via Back in the Booth with Trent and Jay. The five-minute and nine-second reel shows cut game commentary from the Stephen Colbert and Jim Gaffigan. I didn’t think it was funny, but if you liked the movie, you’ll probably enjoy it.
Finally, Outtakes and More goes for 10 minutes, 14 seconds. Here we locate some brief deleted snippets and alternate takes on bits that made the final movie. Again, nothing here makes me laugh, but it’s a nice addition for fans.
A few ads open DVD One. We get clips for Eagle Eye, Iron Man, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and Without a Paddle: Nature’s Calling. These also appear in the Previews area along with a clip for The Foot Fist Way. The disc also includes the trailer for Love Guru.
DVD Two includes a Digital Copy of Love Guru. This lets you transfer the flick to your computer, your iPod, your iPhone, or whatever other modern gizmo the youngsters love. I’ll never use it, but it’s there if you want it.
Mike Myers’ comeback will have to wait for another day, as The Love Guru turned into a major flop. And a deserved flop at that, as the flick was witless and idiotic. The DVD provides reasonably good picture and audio along with a few moderately interesting extras. Not a laugh can be found in this tedious dud.
