Friday, April 8, 2011 at 10:31AM Movie Review - 'Your Highness'
| Your Highness
Starring Danny McBride, James Franco, Natalie Portman  |
My biggest fear when going into a comedy—especially an R-rated one where we've seen not just one, but two red band trailers—is that the jokes have all been spoiled already. My second-biggest fear is that it'll be a one-note show; say, for instance, an anachronistic Medieval comedy where the main character talks (and swears) like Kenny Powers. I was pleasantly surprised to find that neither of these fears was warranted in the case of Your Highness.
Combining the worlds of Pineapple Express (director David Gordon Green) and Eastbound & Down (co-writers Ben Best and Danny McBride), Your Highness scratches the itch that Year One missed two years ago. It's the story of two prince brothers. The elder, Fabious (James Franco), is heir to the throne and hero to the kingdom. He regularly embarks on quests, returning with the heads of slain enemies and gaining the adoration of his subjects. The younger brother, Thadeous (McBride), is the black sheep of the family. He gets into trouble, smokes "mystical herbs," and generally embarrasses their father, the King (Charles Dance).
After returning from a quest involving an encounter with the evil wizard Leezar (Justin Theroux), Fabious announces that he's engaged to the maiden he rescued along the way, Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel). The wedding goes awry, Belladonna finds herself once again a prisoner of Leezar, and it's time for Fabious to embark on another quest to rescue her. This time, though, Thadeous and his servant Courtney (Rasmus Hardiker) accompany him. Early on, the gimmick of the movie is that everybody but Thadeous thinks they're in a serious Medieval adventure film, while he talks and behaves like... well, Kenny Powers. "His vulgarity masks his pain," one character remarks. As the film progresses, though, this distinction is relaxed and everybody else becomes just as vulgar. Presumably it's not out of pain, but it's a good source of laughs, and it's a well that gets thoroughly tapped.
Even more surprising than the fact that this type of comedy is actually able to hold up for 100 or so minutes is that Your Highness, despite the apparent play on words of its title, is not just "a stoner comedy." In fact, right around the time Danny McBride ceases to be the only one who gets to use the F-word, all of the pot jokes are left behind as well. What we get instead is an honest-to-goodness Medieval adventure with lots of laughs thrown in along the way. The journey is fraught with betrayals, creatively-realized monsters are encountered (and conquered), a mysterious and beautiful companion (Natalie Portman) joins the quest, there's a legendary sword that must be retrieved, and there's even a labyrinth that must be navigated (complete with a Minotaur).
I bet you didn't know that the Miracle Bra has existed since the Middle Ages.
McBride and Best are smarter than the characters they write let on. Putting us on a surprisingly traditional hero's quest allows them a lot of freedom to inject humor wherever they desire along the way, without having to worry about bogging things down with too many twists and turns. The whole production feels a lot more serious than you might expect. It was shot in Northern Ireland, allowing for cinematographer Tim Orr to give us some nice wide shots of the countryside, although Green prefers close-ups in the woods. It even has the expected flute-filled period music as the soundtrack (by Steve Jablonsky). I particularly enjoyed the decision to use puppetry and good old-fashioned guys-in-costumes for the more fantastical characters—although there is some (serviceable) CGI, too.
This isn't to say that the film itself is serious. Not at all. While I said earlier that it avoids being a one-trick pony, I'd be lying if I told you the vast majority of the humor wasn't derived from hearing people who look and speak like they should be formal and proper swear a lot. Danny McBride still can't act, other than to play Danny McBride, but Your Highness is his vehicle and he steers it. It's a bit awkward to see some of the other talented cast members in a movie like this, though I can hardly say it's surprising at this point. Franco has done other low-brow stuff like this before, and Portman is starting to branch out quite a bit as well. (Speaking of Portman, that pond scene you've undoubtedly seen in the trailers doesn't go any further than what was already shown. Sorry to disappoint.)
Zooey Deschanel, on the other hand, has almost nothing to do. But then again, damsels in distress rarely do. I guess she just wanted to be around the set of a movie like this for once.
This is the most emoting you get from Zooey in this movie.
You come into a movie like Your Highness more or less knowing what to expect. If you laugh, it's done its job, and the fewer times you roll your eyes or groan, the better. Based on those criteria, it's pretty good. I didn't like how Green edited the fight scenes, MTV-style with a cut every half-second. I guess he, too, wanted to try something different for a change. But it doesn't all have to work when the main purpose is to make you laugh, and as long as you're not easily offended, Your Highness will probably do that.
Reader Comments (4)
That's an encouraging review. I love Danny McBride.
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