This movie is more entertaining than the elite movie reviewing stiffs would have you believe. Ebert said "Your Highness is a juvenile excrescence that feels like the work of 11-year-old boys in love with dungeons, dragons, warrior women, pot, boobs and four-letter words." I agree with him. Where we draw differences is to him, that alone makes it a poor film. If you didn't expect to see a dirty fantasy comedy romp set in medieval times with magic, dragons, drugs, boobs, and violence then what did you expect from this team? The comedy and action style is very similar to Pineapple Express. Danny McBride is hilarious and so is James Franco. Natalie Portman looks like she's having a blast in this role and it is really fun to see her let loose.
I will admit that a few of the jokes missed their marks....particularly when trying to mesh the language barriers, but it is easily overlooked. Also some of the plot feels rushed at times given the large scale it is trying to achieve. I would have been happier with a longer runtime with a bit more plot development, or if that wasn't possible at least some smoother transitions between plot devices.
The action is fun and surprisingly well done. There were times where I was smiling not because of a joke but simply because I was having fun watching a scene. Like Pineapple Express, Your Highness has a heavy focus on meticulously shot high octane action sequences with a thirst for realistic violence. There is more action here than Pineapple Express.
The acting is awesome. The leads have a great chemistry and play off each other well and Natalie Portman is sexy as always. Portman is a real scene stealer here sometimes as the dubious swashbuckling adventurer. Nobody is "Fu**ing to make dragons" on her watch. The rest of the cast is just okay. No real standouts and all pretty one dimensional. That's not a big issue though since their screen time is limited.
The setting is amazing. Shot in Ireland, the backdrops and beauty of the environment is on full display as they trek across the land. Really I think they should have utilized the beauty of the scenery more than they did. They were obviously going for an epic feel to the film and they had the perfect location for that type of feel. They should have used more panned back shots of wilderness to get that sense of adventure and peril across. As it stands though, there are still some wonderfully shot scenes of the gorgeous landscape.
The plot is strange. While there is a hint of complexity, it is never delved into. It ends up feeling shallow and under worked. Stop the bad guys and save the girl. There was room for much more to be happening in this film but it is wasted on subplots that go nowhere and the brother jealousy theme which doesn't ever feel resolved. This is where Your Highness suffer the most. Too much filler.
Overall Your Highness is a fun movie. It isn't Lord of the Rings but it doesn't have to be. Danny McBride and James Franco are funny guys and they work well with each other. The adventure and action is fun to watch and there are laughs to be had if you aren't a prude or in a terrible mood. If you like fantasy and raunchy comedy this is right up your alley. Unfortunately, some of the stale lines and poor plot development keep this from being a great comedy. Watch it only as a popcorn flick to pass the time or watch with friends. 7/10
I will admit that a few of the jokes missed their marks....particularly when trying to mesh the language barriers, but it is easily overlooked. Also some of the plot feels rushed at times given the large scale it is trying to achieve. I would have been happier with a longer runtime with a bit more plot development, or if that wasn't possible at least some smoother transitions between plot devices.
The action is fun and surprisingly well done. There were times where I was smiling not because of a joke but simply because I was having fun watching a scene. Like Pineapple Express, Your Highness has a heavy focus on meticulously shot high octane action sequences with a thirst for realistic violence. There is more action here than Pineapple Express.
The acting is awesome. The leads have a great chemistry and play off each other well and Natalie Portman is sexy as always. Portman is a real scene stealer here sometimes as the dubious swashbuckling adventurer. Nobody is "Fu**ing to make dragons" on her watch. The rest of the cast is just okay. No real standouts and all pretty one dimensional. That's not a big issue though since their screen time is limited.
The setting is amazing. Shot in Ireland, the backdrops and beauty of the environment is on full display as they trek across the land. Really I think they should have utilized the beauty of the scenery more than they did. They were obviously going for an epic feel to the film and they had the perfect location for that type of feel. They should have used more panned back shots of wilderness to get that sense of adventure and peril across. As it stands though, there are still some wonderfully shot scenes of the gorgeous landscape.
The plot is strange. While there is a hint of complexity, it is never delved into. It ends up feeling shallow and under worked. Stop the bad guys and save the girl. There was room for much more to be happening in this film but it is wasted on subplots that go nowhere and the brother jealousy theme which doesn't ever feel resolved. This is where Your Highness suffer the most. Too much filler.
Overall Your Highness is a fun movie. It isn't Lord of the Rings but it doesn't have to be. Danny McBride and James Franco are funny guys and they work well with each other. The adventure and action is fun to watch and there are laughs to be had if you aren't a prude or in a terrible mood. If you like fantasy and raunchy comedy this is right up your alley. Unfortunately, some of the stale lines and poor plot development keep this from being a great comedy. Watch it only as a popcorn flick to pass the time or watch with friends. 7/10