Review: Your Highness

bill bodkin reviews the new comedy starring Danny McBride, Natalie Portman and James Franco …

Plot: When the valiant, super warrior Prince Fabious’s (James Franco) bride (Zooey Deschanel) is kidnapped, he goes on a quest to rescue her … accompanied by his underachieving brother Thadeous (Danny McBride). On their quest, they meet a mysterious and venegeful woman warrior (Natalie Portman) hellbent on destroying the wizard (Justin Theroux) that killed her family. Hilarity ensues.

Watching the trailer for the new comedy Your Highness, you probably have thought to yourself, “Man, this looks really silly.”

And you’d be correct.

Your Highness is an absolutely silly, juvenile and lewd comedy filled hyper-crude sexual jokes and hyper-violent sword-based action sequences.

And frankly … it’s awesome. And not just because we get to see Natalie Portman half-naked. (It’s a definite plus, though).

Danny McBride’s sword and swear word comedy is an absolute riot. It’s a highly self-aware film — it knows exactly how absurd it is and plays it to the hilt.

This self-awareness is embodied perfectly by the performance of the current “coolest man on the planet” James Franco. Franco pokes fun at his former teen idol hero image (see: Tristan & Isolde) by playing his character, the warrior Fabious, to an absurd, deliberately over-the-top manner. While Franco proves he can handle himself in the actually very-well-done action sequences, it’s all done with his patented half-stoned smile that made audiences love him in Pineapple Express.

As for McBride, the star and writer, he plays the classic buffoonish braggart to perfection. It’s a role that his oft co-star Will Ferrell often portrays, but McBride handles it with a more subtly, albeit a completely ridiculous subtly. There’s barely a scene in this film where McBride doesn’t evoke a hardy belly laugh.

What Your Highness also does cleverly walks the line of stoner comedy and legit sword film. It never strays into the world of spoof, a la Mel Brooks’ Robin Hood: Men In Tights nor does it go full-tilt boogie into a pure action film either. McBride’s writing is able to balance both extremely well.

Your Highness is the perfect dose of well-written silly fun that audiences need to imbibe every so often. It’s the type of film that asks you to leave your critical mind at home, under a pillow somewhere. This is the type of movie you’ll be wiping tears from your eyes after and quoting on the car ride home. It’s pure escapism, and I can’t recommend this film enough.