Thursday 23 December 2010

YOUR HIGHNESS trailer review

Here's the new cleaner version of the recent Your Highness trailer, minus a couple of buttocks but still with a major ass in it.
I just don't know what to think of this film. As you'd expect from the follow up to Pineapple Express, it's going for the stoner comedy crowd, but also clearly has some money behind the effects and costumes. Danny McBride is certainly an acquired taste, but I've liked him in most of his big screen roles. I've not been able to see much of Eastbound and Down (his TV series where he plays a washed up ex-Major Leaguer), but I've heard good things. I'm not so sure on the role he's playing here, as McBride's cutting one liners just won't work with this type of line delivery.


There's a variety of flawed English accents on show here, with McBride's being the most distracting of all. It rivals Dick Van Dyke in awfulness, and I just don't know if I'm going to be able to sit through two hours of that. With a name like Your Highness there's probably going to be plenty of stoner sight gags from pratfalls to special effects showcases, of which this trailer hints at a few; although I've no idea what the hell that weird, squid-person thing from the end of the trailer was.


James Franco is already a fairly big name from his appearances in the Spider-Man franchise and Pineapple Express, but is about to hit super fame following the release of 127 Hours (perhaps with some award nominations attached). He's also presenting the Oscars this year, so he must be keen to keep flexing those comedic muscles of his. Natalie Portman, his co-star here, is also odds on for an Oscar nod, so who knows what kind of crowd is going to end up watching this film. I wouldn't expect it to deserve more than a niche audience, as it's basically Harold and Kumar go Medieval.


If you saw the previous version of the trailer, you may notice that this time Natalie Portman's been given a fetching pair of airbrushed on pants to protect her modesty whilst bathing. Why they'd bother doing this prudish behaviour, I don't know. If you're making a film packed with the consumption of drugs, masturbation gags and that scary squid bloke, a bit of rump's not going to do any harm.


Zooey Deschanel and Justin Theroux also make brief appearances in this trailer, but it looks like they're out of the picture for most of the story, leaving Franco, McBride and Portman to quest along nicely. I'll be honest, I'm just not sold on this idea, and it's with much trepidation that I'm going to have to say that I'm not particularly looking forward to this Zooey Deschanel, Natalie Portman starring comedy.


I never thought in a million years I'd say that.


Due June 2011
Anticipation Level

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