When Prince Fabious’s (James Franco) bride is kidnapped by an evil wizard, he sets out on a quest to rescue her… accompanied by his lazy, useless brother Thadeous. Of course this is all set in medieval times, and Thadeous is played by Danny McBride, whose character has to kick a pot habit along the way. And yes, this is the ridiculous/awesome set-up to David Gordon Green‘s “Your Highness,” which possibly looks like it might be the best time you’ll have in theaters in 2011. The film also stars Justin Theroux as the wizard, Zooey Deschanel (who worked with Green on “All the Real Girls,” as did McBride; it was his first appearance onscreen) as the damsel in distress and Natalie Portman as a fierce warrior queen.
A trailer witnessed last month pretty much ruled in this writer’s estimation, with an awesome mix of the absurd, comedic f-bombs and taking-itself-seriously action. And it sounds like this homage to ’80s fantasy/sci-fi/adventure films wasn’t mocking how bad they were either. “We didn’t want to make fun of them,” McBride recently told USA Today.
While many indie film enthusiasts may want Green to return his lyrical and atmospheric origins (films like “George Washington“), “Your Highness” is his second action-adventure comedy and he already has another, “The Sitter” starring Jonah Hill, that should be finished shooting any day now (no, really, Green is on a creative tear). And with all the projects he has lined up as possibilities — myriad options, really — don’t expect the filmmaker to return to those roots anytime soon.
Anyhow, USA Today has a new photo of “Your Highness” — due in theaters on April 8, via Universal — and we suppose that’s why we’re here. We honestly can’t wait for this one. It seems like dumb, good fun, a total blast and this writer hopes it outdoes the not-as-good-as-it-should-have-been “Pineapple Express.”