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High and Seek

"Your Highness" is not high comedy. David Gordon Green's latest is neither sophisticated nor smart, with a predictable plot that relies too heavily on the same gags over and over and a pace that somehow meanders despite the adventuring premise.  With James Franco and Danny McBride leading the way, the "Pineapple Express" crew goes on a campy quest for laughs. And if you can take it at face value (and enjoy vulgarity), there is some humor there.

Thadeus (Mr. McBride) has always lived in older brother Fabious's shadow. Fabious (Mr. Franco) is going to be king, of course, and Thadeus will have to settle for being prince. While Fabious likes his brother just fine, Thadeus has jealousy issues. And an inferiority complex. And a serious lack of motivation. Fabious runs around questing and saving damsels in distress; Thadeus nearly hangs for sleeping with the Dwarf King's wife. They couldn't be more different.

When Fabious returns home from his latest adventure with his virgin bride Belladonna (the ever doe-eyed Zooey Deschanel) in tow just to have her immediately snatched away - on their wedding day - by evil wizard Leezar, the brothers set out to find her. It's a quest! Thadeus's first. He is predictably terrible at questing, and much of the film's humor relies upon this. Inept with a sword and completely unable to defend himself, Thadeous is useless - as is his page, Courtney, who's also along for the ride - and Fabious spends the whole time basically babysitting. Leezar, on the other hand, is feasting on fish sticks (wha?) and trying to win Belladonna's affections. Yeah, not much of a chance, there.

While the constant use of the f-bomb in this anachronistic setting is funny at first, the novelty does wear off. The penis jokes get old after a while, too. As does all of the gay innuendo and Fabious's cheery ability to constantly overlook how useless his brother is. Only Natalie Portman's Isabel seems to see through all of this, with much of her screen time spent scowling at the pair. A fellow quester, she joins (and dupes) the party after they meet up on the road and realize they're out to do the same thing. Of course she's so much better at it all than they are, she takes some convincing.

The amazing thing about this film is that it's packed with great actors. Danny McBride (who also produced and co-wrote the script with Ben Best) never seems to tire of delivering the same jokes again and again. James Franco is fun to watch as the clueless straight man. Natalie Portman is better than it all, but so is her character, so that's fine, too. It's the actors alone that save this vulgar, mediocre film... which definitely won't win any awards, but it probably won't make you feel like you wasted two hours of your life, either.