The upcoming weekend in quotes, are these comedies worth the popcorn? And ‘The Get Smart Guru’

We already saw how low the analysts set their expectations for this weekend, but what do the critics say? Is there any chance the reviews will benefit ‘The Love Guru.’ I really don’t think so. Maybe ‘Get Smart’? A slightly bigger chance. Let’s take a quick look at the actual quotes from the critics.

The Love Guru

ReelViews (6.3): “Occasional bursts of comedy keep things from becoming unbearable but whenever Myers tries to get even a little serious or advance the “plot,” the desire to take a nap becomes almost overpowering.”

The Onion (3.3): “Myers combines his love of references, silly names, and mindless repetition by having his guru use “Mariska Hargitay” as a greeting/mantra. The first time it’s employed, it’s merely unfunny; by the 13th or 40th time, it’s almost hypnotic in its awfulness.”

The New York Times (2.0): “The Love Guru is downright antifunny, an experience that makes you wonder if you will ever laugh again.”

Get Smart

Chicago Sun-Times (8.8): “It’s funny, exciting, preposterous, great to look at, and made with the same level of technical expertise we’d expect from a new Bond movie itself. And all of that is very nice, but nicer still is the perfect pitch of the casting.”

TV Guide (6.3): “It’s a light, silly instantly forgettable comedy peppered with action set-pieces and affectionate nods to its fondly remembered predecessor, including a gracious end-credits dedication to the late Don Adams and Edward Platt.”

Time (4.0): “That Max Smart is played by the admirable Steve Carell, who is desperately looking for deadpan jokes in all the wrong places, is beside the point.”

This weekend might not be a question of which movie to see. But rather, whether or not to see a movie at all. The reviews certainly make it seem like Mike Myers lost his (‘Austin Powers’) mojo, with an awful Metacritic score of just 2.2. But the 5.3 for ‘Get Smart’ isn’t very favorable either.

I’m not expecting a new ‘Austin Powers,’ nor an amazing Steve Carell/Anne Hathaway hit.