It was clear from the trailers that this was going to be a medieval ‘stoner’ movie but it is far too brain dead for my liking, there just were not enough laughs to really pull you in and some of the acting was cringeworthy.
Not even the involvement of Oscar winning Natalie Portman could save this movie from being crowned one of the worst comedies of the year; I really do not know what she was thinking when she signed on the dotted line. Directed and written by those responsible for Pineapple Express, the film stars Danny McBride (as the useless and lazy wannabe hero Thadeous ) and James Franco (as the equally annoying but real ‘can-do-no-wrong’ hero Fabious ) who, despite considerable effort fall flat in the comedy stakes; it was just too silly really. However co-star Rasmus Hardiker really shows off his excellent comedy timing playing servant Courtney, and Justin Theroux is memorable as the evil wizard Leezar.
A comedy set in a time far far away is not unique in any way, with films such as Robin Hood : Men in Tights and The Princess Bride making a tremendous impact. Sadly, Your Highness is just not in the same class.
The film begins like a fairytale, heralding the many tales of brave knights, damsels in distress, and the slaying of monsters during heroic quests, and then we meet Thadeous who doesn’t exactly fit the bill. The prince, who shows little interest in actually earning his title in the kingdom, is terribly jealous of his older brother, the handsome and brave Fabious, who has succeeded in yet another daring quest and brought with him a young bride-to-be Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel ). Tired of being in his brother’s shadow Thadeous sneaks off to get stoned on ‘wizard’s weed’ rather than doing his duty as best man at his brother’s wedding and he returns to find that the evil Leezar has taken Belladonna to fulfill an ancient and wicked prophecy. The king gives Thadeous an ultimatum to man up, forget his life of hard booze and easy maidens, and help rescue Belladonna. Thadeous reluctantly joins his brother on this rescue mission, travelling across perilous terrain, encountering treachery, terrifying beasts, and a maiden that kicks ass - Isabel (Portman ) - but somewhere along the way he must find the inner hero and save the day.
Verdict: 1.5/5
