For his entire life, Prince Thadeous (Danny McBride) has been overshadowed by his older brother, the handsome and heroic Fabious (James Franco). He’s held in little esteem by his father King Tallious (Charles Dance). Never to become king, he squanders his time getting stoned and causing trouble, joined by his loyal servant Courtney (Rasmus Hardiker). After Fabious’s bride-to-be Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel) is kidnapped by the evil wizard Leezar (Justin Theroux), Thadeous is ordered by King Tallious to join Fabious on his quest to rescue her, or face exile. Woefully unprepared for the dangers of the journey, Thadeous and Courtney are more of a hindrance to Fabious than an asset as they race to get to Leezar before the wizard sleeps with Belladonna in a ritual to birth an all-powerful dragon. Along the way, they are joined by the mysterious and beautiful Isabel (Natalie Portman), who seeks Leezar herself, aiming to exact revenge for the death of her family.
A comedy like Your Highness is pretty much review-proof. Fans of Danny McBride are already going to see it and form their own opinions. If you don’t like McBride, you have no business watching it and it certainly wouldn’t change your mind. For the uninitiated, I don’t feel this film should necessarily be your inaugural viewing experience (note: still debating if “inaugural viewing” was better than “McBride cherry-popping”). I can’t help but think Eastbound and Down would be the best way to go. That series best showcases McBride’s viciously funny humor and strong storytelling.
What you have with Your Highness is a fun, silly film that isn’t quite essential, but nor is it disposable. You’ll be entertained for the duration of the runtime. I applaud it for reveling the inherent humor of male genitalia and ejaculation. The movie shrugs off any sense of repression or shame, and just enjoys itself (no masturbation pun intended). Though heavily improvised, the screenplay is credited to McBride and his frequent collaborator Ben Best. You can tell they had quite a good time developing it, both calling back to old fantasy films (Fabious’s pet Simon is a mechanical bird in the tradition of Bubo the owl from the original Clash of the Titans) and deriving humor from clearly anachronistic colloquialisms and gestures. They aren’t winking at the audience, but daring them to laugh at something so ridiculous. It’s odd to say that a film with jokes about rape and pedophilia is playful, but that’s very much the case. Despite the subject matter, it’s never mean-spirited.
After a great run of dramas (George Washington, All the Real Girls, and Snow Angels), director David Gordon Green turns in another comedy. Your Highness is a much more assured, stronger film than Pineapple Express. The pacing is tighter, the action better choreographed, and the performances are more consistent. I’m curious to see if he goes back into drama territory, but if he chooses to continue working with McBride on projects like this film and Eastbound and Down, I won’t be disappointed.
The chemistry between McBride and Franco is undeniable, which is essential to this film working. They possess a great fraternal bond, even if they’re brothers who can’t always stand each other. McBride does his smarmy and bitter routine well and Franco plays the hero just right, producing laughs through his naivete of how obnoxious and obtuse he often acts. Neither actor is breaking new ground, but they’re both doing what they do best, particularly what they do best together.
Portman holds own against the pair, kicking a great deal of ass in addition to being wonderful eye candy, particularly in the exceptional and gratuitous butt shot seen in the red-band trailer (NSFW). Cut from the same cloth as Franco’s character, her Isabel is rigid and focus driven, which makes for good and frequent sparring with McBride’s lackadaisical character.
The only fault in Zooey Deschanel’s role as Belladonna is that she isn’t given much to do. An actress of her caliber wasn’t needed for the part, but perhaps is necessary in offering an imperiled maiden worth questing for. Deschanel fortunately manages to make a few moments her own, but these moments are fleeting. Keep on the lookout for a blink-and-you-might-miss-it sight gag as Thadeous attempts to rescue a bound Belladonna while she’s in the throes of a spell cast by Leezar’s mothers (yes, there’s three of them).
As Leezar, Justin Theroux continues his path toward being a mainstay of low brow and juvenile comedies. He’s every bit as committed to it here. When I first took notice of him in American Psycho and Mulholland Drive, I never would have imagined he’d one day be dressed as an evil wizard with a terrible haircut, snorting pixie dust (just wait until you see how he prepares it).
The surprise of the film is the servant Courtney. It’s a thankless role that Rasmus Hardiker performs admirably. Hardiker garners laughs as strong as the leads. Despite his unknown status, he is not lost to the background and proves to be an integral part of the film. That being said, his most memorable scene in the film was also the most unnecessary, a quieter character moment in which Courtney tells Fabious that Thadeous does in fact love him. In a movie like this, such a moment isn’t needed.
Your Highness is profane, dumb, and occasionally gory… and it also includes a couple of breast shots for good measure. It’s not trying to be anything more or less than what it is. When it comes to a film like this one, I don’t believe it’s a matter of good taste or bad taste; it’s really about whether it’s your taste. If you’re up for one of the most fitfully funny acts of corpse mutilation committed to film, Your Highness is highly recommended.
Originally posted on Suvudu.com, April 4, 2011.