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'Your Highness' is a raucous stoner comedy galore
The Advocate
Movies set up to be intentional stoner comedies often are overloaded with grossed-out humor or over-the-top references to sexuality and marijuana. Not many offer sharp and witty dialogue and an intricate narrative. "Your Highness" is one of those rarities.
Call it "Pineapple Express" with a "Lord of the rings" twist. "Your Highness" reunites "Pineapple Express" director David Gordon Green with the former film's stars Danny McBride and James Franco.
The film is set against a medieval backdrop and the actors employ Arthurian language mixed with contemporary slang and sexual references. It sounds crazy, but it works and it is hilarious. Franco and McBride portray polar opposite prince-brothers: masculine and charming Fabias (Franco) and arrogant and envious Thadeous (McBride) are forced on a quest to rescue Fabias' virginal bride Donatella (Zooey Deschanel) from the evil Sorcerer Leezar (Justin Theroux).
Throughout the brother's journey, they encounter numerous fables, and pot-smoking mythical creatures, which adds more hilarity to the blue comedy the dialogue exudes. The journey scene closely resembles a live action version of the first "Shrek" film where the titular character had ventured to rescue his bride-to-be from a dragon protected tower, the dragons in this film being substituted by three witches, who are the main antagonist's mother and two aunts.
Natalie Portman is convincing as Isabel, a strong-willed warrior princess out to avenge her family's death who joins the brother's quest, but her involvement in the voyage is questioned when she opens up to Thadeous. The journey is a race against time before two fictional moons can collide and Leezar is able to cast his spell on Donatella, making her his slave.
As cheesy and juvenile as the premise sounds, the film delivers the laughs and is overall entertaining. Even with the word "high" in the title and featuring the stars of the previous stoner friendly "Pineapple," this film is not a total glorification of cannabis. Unlike "Pineapple," the characters aren't running around stoned and pot isn't imperative in the narrative but there are small references and depictions of pot-tokers in an enchanted forest, something we haven't seen before.
Originally the project started out as a joke between stars McBride and his "East, Bound and Down" co-writer Ben Best, as a fantasy film directly for the young adult audience in mind. McBride admits he was surprised when the film got picked up and this role assures he can create bawdy, over-the-top characters and dialogue as well as carry a film.
Every actor featured fits into their roles very impressively so that the comedy has a very organic flow to it.
Franco is perfectly cast as the ideal thinking and dashingly brave knight, whose heart is "burning with passion" as his character states. Fresh off an Oscar nomination, Franco exhibits the same leading man charisma we've only seem to have discovered in "127 Hours."
The same can be said for Portman, who effortlessly balances back from the fragile Nina in "Black Swan" to the fierce and fearless Isabel of this film. The two of them prove to be more than pretty faces in Hollywood.
McBride is smart and often likeable as the crude younger prince who makes constant penis jokes; his Thadeous isn't a full take off from his Kenny Powers creation in "East, Bound and Down," but placing Kenny Powers in this
particular depiction is definitely worthwhile.
The studio released this film to be enjoyed by all movie-goers by April 20 and, for all those who celebrate 4/20, it's a nice treat.
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