Moviegoers expecting a smart comedy from “Your Highness” are going to be disappointed. Of course, they should probably know better than to expect smart comedy from the people responsible for “Pineapple Express.” But if they can put aside any need to be educated by a comedy and just appreciate a little bit of silliness, they might find “Your Highness” to be enjoyable.
Directed by David Gordon Green, the movie follows the classic medieval quest of a valiant prince rescuing a damsel in distress.
Prince Fabious (James Franco) must go on a dangerous journey to rescue his fiancee, Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel), who was kidnapped by evil wizard Leezar (Justin Theroux). To avoid being exiled from the kingdom, Fabious’ lazy and cowardly brother, Thadeous (Danny McBride), and his servant, Courtney (Rasmus Hardiker), reluctantly join him. Along the way, they meet Isabel (Natalie Portman), who is on her own quest to avenge the death of her family.
The jokes are about as crude as should be expected, relying almost too heavily on the fact that curse words and lewd phrases spoken in an old-timey British accent are hilarious. Much of the dialogue was improvised, according to Green, which might explain all the cheap laughs. They know sex jokes will always get a reaction, even if the jokes are old or too obvious to really earn it. But the improv does make it more believable, a remarkable feat considering “Your Highness” is a fantasy. Regardless of the taste or wit of the jokes, many of them were still laugh-out-loud funny.
Some of the casting decisions might seem unusual, but they work. Franco and Portman deviate from the esteem of their recent award-winning movies, which makes “Your Highness” that much better. It’s always fun to see serious actors in ridiculous comedies. It worked for Franco in “Pineapple Express,” and it works for him again here. Portman’s strong Isabel plays well against the brothers, especially Thadeous, who is so blinded by her beauty that he is rendered even more useless than usual.
Sometimes Courtney seems like the third wheel to the brothers, but he is responsible for some of the biggest laughs, thanks to Hardiker’s comedic abilities. Indie queen Deschanel is as adorable as ever as the damsel in distress, but her sweetness made some of the scenes a bit awkward, which was probably the point.
With the beautiful scenery of Northern Ireland and the epic score, the filmmakers created a world in which viewers can easily lose themselves, with only the laughter of other audience members able to bring them back to reality.
The action and effects are just as good as those seen in blockbuster action flicks. From the magic powers visibly flowing from Leezar’s fingertips to a five-headed beast, the special effects were impressive. The fight scenes were exciting, with Fabious and Isabel’s deadly precision, but still funny at times, with Thadeous and Courtney’s delightful incompetence.
“Your Highness” tells a fun story, but unfortunately the big turning point of the movie, where Thadeous must decide if he wants to step up and become a hero or stick to his gutless ways, is almost glossed over. This is disappointing, as it could have been a powerful scene, and it would have been interesting to see what McBride did with it. The director’s choices in this part of the movie are questionable. It didn’t ruin the movie, but it seemed like a missed opportunity.
Some movies are made to stimulate your intellect, evoke emotions or show off creativity. Others, like “Your Highness,” are made simply to make you laugh and forget about life for awhile. The jokes are dirty and crass, so leave your maturity at the door and just have fun with it.