the buzz log

This week's pair of Tinseltown releases pits funnyman against funnyman. The onscreen yuks aren't finding critics and audiences in good humor, but the real draw may be the drama surrounding one comedian's comeback. Meanwhile, an American Girl gets her limited release debut, before the big Independence Day coming out party.

1. "Get Smart" (PG-13). Unlike "The Love Guru," unimpressed critics lay the fault not upon the stars, but with the filmmakers. Still, there's decent interest in the revival of the 1960s television show (which has seen its own Search resurgence), especially among the teens. Audiences (as in men) adore Anne Hathaway, but lead Steve Carrell gets a lukewarm response. Maybe casting Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as lead bumbler could've pumped up the comedy's numbers.

2. " The Love Guru" (PG-13). Critics hate this movie so much, they're getting personal. Both USA Today and the Chicago Sun-Times feel disturbed over star Mike Myers' obsession with male genitalia. Slate critic Dana Stevens calls her experience the "most joy-draining 88 minutes I've ever spent outside a hospital waiting room." Despite Myers pimping this movie on morning shows, reality competition finales and his old stomping grounds, searchers know enough not to commit: The film has half the look-ups as its multiplex competitor.

Still, searches for "mike myers" are a third higher than for the film (although in truth audiences prefer co-star Justin Timberlake in his Speedo). Myers skulked from theaters after coughing up the 2003 "Cat in the Hat," so this venture has been regarded as a comeback of sorts. But, Entertainment Weekly profile of the megalomaniac genius  warns readers that self-destruction could be at hand... and Slate's opinion that Myers was "regressing on-screen before our very eyes" has made the behind-the-scenes story more fascinating than the movie itself.

3. "Kit Kittredge: An All-American Girl" (PG, limited release). Abigail Breslin gets as wholesome as can be in this movie derived from the hugely popular American Girls historical doll line. Wall Street Journal deems the pre-teen tale as "fresh and unassuming," and the tiny buzz shows promise for its July 2 wide release.