By Michael Walsh
When David Gordon Green finished making his independent masterpiece George Washington, I’m not even sure he himself knew where his career was going.
The filmmaker and writer spent time slipping out of serious films like the aforementioned drama and other early career highlights like All the Real Girls and into silly world highlighted by Pineapple Express. But none of Green’s adventures to the new genre has been sillier than Your Highness.
Working with writer and actor Danny McBride, part of the creative company that turned out HBO’s hit comedy series Eastbound and Down, Green is paired up with McBride and Ben Best for this delightfully crude and immature medieval tale of revenge and genitalia jokes.
While I gained much euphoric and pleasant pleasure from my time spent with Your Highness, the film probably wasn’t as laugh out loud funny as it should have been given its all-star pedigree that matches James Franco up with the successfully funny minds of McBride and Best.
Franco plays Prince Fabious, a most successful man of the medieval world, who must quest to save his kidnapped princess with the help of his lazy brother Thadeous (McBride).
Those who enjoy watching McBride portrayal controversial relief pitcher Kenny Powers on Eastbound and Down will have a good time watching him quest the way he likes. If you’re anything like me, then McBride just speaking makes you giggle, and you’ll enjoy this film. Add in the lowbrow crude, dirty and immature humor amassed by this cast and there’s enough to smirk at.
Where the film meets it’s struggle is with the lack of actually constructed jokes. The film tries hard to be a Mel Brooks-esque spoof on Hollywood’s medieval age films and relies very heavily on the deadpan delivery of a charismatic Franco and the whimsical, fun-loving McBride to make ends meet in the comedy business. If the idea of those two fantastic men talking about profusely dirty situations, drugs and sex makes you want to laugh you’ll find Your Highness to be on a certain level of funny that those unfamiliar with McBride’s past work won’t be on. It’s a low level, but it’s funny nonetheless.
The idea of an entirely dwarf village is a riot and the attention of detail paid to the penis of a minotaur is worthwhile of anyone’s appreciation. The wise wizard is a pervert and the catastrophic magical event the two questing men quest to stop is dubbed ‘The Fuckening.’ What’s there to not like again?
Despite the assortment of solid gold humor and comedic situation there’s a sense of slight disappointment that unfortunately comes with the film. There’s no way a cast and creative team this strong should meander along the ‘okay’ line, especially when it’s wit is matched by such a great concept as this. Franco and McBride are helped only a small degree by the strong-named supporting cast of Natalie Portman, Zooey Deschannel, Justin Theroux and the relatively unknown Rasmus Hardiker. I laughed enough, but my gut didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would.
Your Highness is a shameless film. It isn’t afraid to let it’s mature guard down and it obviously wasn’t created to impress those critics that only accept highbrow entertainment. Those who are willing to put their shame away for nearly two hours will find themselves on the inclusive side of a huge inside joke by Green, McBride, Best and Franco.
There’s no doubt in my mind that these four witty and smart men created what they wanted and while Your Highness wasn’t quite the same film I had in mind I still appreciate the grand effort and the willingness of successful and Academy Award-winning and nominated actors to take part in such a product that is clearly the result of a couple of brilliant deviants.
