Your Highness

  • Review Date: April 5, 2011
  • R
  • Genre: Comedy
  • 2011
 Review

Common Sense Media says

Ridiculous fantasy comedy is more crass, violent than funny.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this wildly profane, over-the-top medieval fantasy adventure from the director of Pineapple Express has two stars who are likely to appeal to teens: James Franco and Natalie Portman. But this is a raunchy, "hard R" comedy that isn't age appropriate for younger viewers. It's filled with vulgar jokes and cursing ("f--k," "s--t," and more), and there are tons of references to sex, as well as some nudity (breasts, a woman's bottom), drug use, and drinking. And there's plenty of violence -- in the form of sword-fighting, gory battles, torturous creature deaths, and fight scenes -- too.

  • If there’s a message here, it’s that siblings who might seem as though they have nothing in common can, if given the chance (or a quest), reconnect. But apparently they need to do lots of raunchy stuff and kill men and monsters alike in bloody battles before they find common ground.
  • Though he’s unmotivated, crass, and unhelpful, Thadeous is devoted to his brother.
  • Creatures are beheaded and shot with arrows, struck by electric currents, pummeled into a pulp, clubbed into submission, gored, speared, and more. Some of the battles get pretty gory; you name the torture, they show it -- though it's all played for laughs, of course. There’s also a joke about being molested.
  • Pick a scene, any scene, and there’s likely to be a sex joke in it. Bare-breasted women are shown, and a woman’s backside is shown as she dives into a lake. Tons of references to sex of all kinds. A minotaur, with his genitals visible, humps a man; later, another character cuts off the creature's member and wears it around his neck.
  • Profanity galore: “F--k," "s--t," "whore,” “slut,” “piss,” "prick," "t-ts," "ass," "hell," "damn," “d--k,” "goddamn," and "c--k" are all here, and many other combinations thereof.
  • Not applicable.
  • Princes and creatures smoke what appears to be weed or some sort of hallucinogenic. Also some drinking during revelries and celebrations.

What's the story?

Prince Thadeous (Danny McBride) is sick and tired of watching his brother, Fabious (James Franco), reap the accolades time and again. Fabious is a brave, strong, swashbuckling warrior, while Thadeous is content to malinger, bed women (or try to), drink too much, and get into trouble. When the evil wizard Leezar (Justin Theroux) steals Fabious’ new beloved, Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel), and attacks their kingdom, the king (Charles Dance) orders Thadeous to join his brother on a journey to avenge their losses, defend their land, and free Belladonna. But Thadeous isn't quite sure he’s up to the task. And is the mysterious Isabel (Natalie Portman), who gets him and his brother out of a bind, friend or foe?


Is it any good?

 

YOUR HIGHNESS is so ridiculous, so silly, so trying too hard that it’s not even so-bad-it’s-genius good. That’s not to say it’s completely unfunny. Some scenes are so bizarre -- Portman battling a monster surrogate for a villain’s hand (confused yet?), for example -- that you just have to laugh out loud. Still, most of the laughs that Your Highness elicits are chuckles that say, “Finally, something genuinely funny! I’m so relieved, so here you go.”

You can tell that the filmmakers meant well, but, honestly, despite the entertaining special effects, the whiz-bang fight scenes, and the sweet presence of Deschanel, this movie’s a mess. McBride isn’t all that funny; Franco’s better, but only just; and Portman’s fine -- but it's an earnest fine, as if she doesn’t belong at all. A send-up of the fantasy genre is a brilliant idea, when it's executed correctly. This one gets it half-right at best.


Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about the movie's style of humor. It's clearly meant to be over the top -- what's the appeal of that kind of comedy?

  • Would the movie be as funny without all of the sex, swearing, and violence?

  • How does this movie compare to other fantasy adventures? Would it work as a straight fantasy, without the crude humor? Why or why not?


This review was written by S. Jhoanna Robledo
Teen, 15 years old
April 9, 2011
 
Constant sex jokes and pointlessly graphic medieval violence drive "Your Highness"
Violence- 9/10 Sexual Content- 9/10 Language- 10/10 Drinking, Drugs, Smoking- 8/10 Bad Messages- 7.5/10 Bad Role Models- 8.5/10 Overall Quality- 2/10

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 15 years old
July 11, 2011
 
Your highness
This movie was pretty funny but evrey funny thing about had to do with sex some nudity and tons of viloence.

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 12 year old
May 12, 2011
 
Big budgets and costumes in service of scatalogical jokes may seem funny on paper, but in execution this is a highly monotonous romp that registers only occasional laughs.

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
May 29, 2011
 
very vulgar jokes with few laughs and action.
Throughout history, tales of chivalry have burnished the legends of brave, handsome knights who rescue fair damsels, slay dragons and conquer evil. But behind many a hero is a good-for-nothing younger brother trying just to stay out of the way of those dragons, evil and trouble in general. Danny McBride and James Franco team up for an epic comedy adventure set in a fantastical world--Your Highness. As two princes on a daring mission to save their land, they must rescue the heir apparent's fiancée before their kingdom is destroyed. Thadeous (McBride) has spent his life watching his perfect older brother Fabious (Franco) embark upon valiant journeys and win the hearts of his people. Tired of being passed over for adventure, adoration and the throne, he's settled for a life of wizard's weed, hard booze and easy maidens. But when Fabious' bride-to-be, Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel), gets kidnapped by the evil wizard Leezar (Justin Theroux), the king gives his deadbeat son an ultimatum: Man up and help rescue her or get cut off. Half-assedly embarking upon his first quest, Thadeous joins Fabious to trek across the perilous outlands and free the princess. Joined by Isabel (Natalie Portman)--an elusive warrior with a dangerous agenda of her own--the brothers must vanquish horrific creatures and traitorous knights before they can reach Belladonna. If Thadeous can find his inner hero, he can help his brother prevent the destruction of his land. Stay a slacker, and not only does he die a coward, he gets front row seats to the dawn of an all-new Dark Ages. i knew exactly how this movie will turn out, Critics gave it very bad reviews. it isn't the best R rated comedy you will ever see honestly but it still has few laughs and some minor entertainment value but unlike me if you are into adult silly comedies with lots and lots of vulgarity and vulgar jokes than this one is for you. this movie has this very fantasy adventure and those prince who saves princess from evil feel to it but they made it R rated loud silly comedy making it a very different movie, i like the idea but still movie is not that good. i was to some extent entertained but not overall. Screenplay of this movie is below average and it has some dull and many empty places and it doesn't maintains the enjoyable adventurous comic feel of it. and as the movie goes on it feels flat. story is okay but not told that well. plot is average. this movie stars James Franco as the masculine brave prince and his brother is a very lazy fat staying inside caring nothing for the battles and all kind of prince played by Danny Mcbride. other actors are Rasmus Hardiker, Natalie Portman, Justin Theroux , Toby Jones , Zooey Deschanel , Charles Dance and others. Natalie is a fearless warrior they meet on their journey but she isn't in the movie that much, which shocked me. she is okay and looks good in her character. comic timings of Danny McBride feels flat in this movie and there isn't a good performance from anyone. characters aren't written or shown well. action is good some pretty average old style special effects. art direction, cinematography and costumes are good. movie has some cool action fighting sequences that you will like but not anything else, i did entertained me a little bit for which i will thanks it but it isn't a good movie. Recommended to the fans but not to others.

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 11 years old
September 12, 2011
 
never see this movie!!!!!!!!
The worst movie ever!! Not for kids at all!! So much nudity

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent
August 22, 2011
 
monotonous is an understatement
What crap. Only the youngest and most childish will find humour among the gags. Opps, did he say my head looks like a p@nis?.hahaha. A very tired script see for poor performances from the cast. An oversized cod peice (oldie but a goodie) baudy maids and how cool is this wizard's weed man. I dont think I laughed loud once though the inner child in me held out for a good fart joke but alas it twernt to be. Save your brain cells and your cash on this one.

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
November 17, 2011
 
Weird, very weird. Occasionally funny.
Occasionally funny, but unless you want so see (or hear) good actors make fools of themselves (and sever penises) this is not for you. American pie meets monty python. I thought Portman had a reputation to think about? Charles Shaughnessy, Natalie Portman, James Franco.

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 17 years old
December 20, 2011
 
Cheerless, jokeless fantasy/comedy wannabe is not for anyone
David Gordon Green recent made another comedy which came out last Friday entitled The Sitter, starring Jonah Hill. It was brutally panned by critics and flopped at the box office. Now, if you can remember from my review of that movie which I did a little earlier, you would recall that I actually liked it and thought it was funny, despite going off course every one and a while. Well, meet David Gordon Green earlier movie which came before the sitter, and was the first of the two new comedies thsat he has already directed this year, Your Highness. So, how is it? Awful. Just, absolutely, awful. there is not a single joke in here that works. Wait! Let me rephrase that: When they even try to make a joke, it doesn't work. No. I am totally serious. About half of the movie doesn't event try to make jokes, and actually plays the raunchy fantasy action\comedy straight for fun. Well, I hate to disappoint them, but it just didn't work for me at all. At least Gordon Greens The Sitter worked decently enough and actually supplied a few laughs hear and there. But,in your Highness, there is not a single smile to be had here. It is just an absolute comedy, and movie, dead zone. So, with the R Rating very much in hand, it is also very much well deserved: There is non-stop, extremely explicit and crude sexual humor including plenty of explicit bodily function jokes, nudity, implied masturbation, rape, sex and dismemberment of a certain creatures delicate body parts (That's all I am saying). Also, there is equally explicit fantasy violence with buckets upon buckets of blood and gore, but usually in a comic setting. Also, there is frequent drug use in the form of pot smoking and hallucinations. Finally, there is frequent strong profanity with at least 42 F-words and its derivatives, with about the equal amount of that in other assorted profanities. So, if you value your sense of humor and love of comedies, please, for the love of god, people,, skip this. Honestly, got watch the sitter, instead. At least that movie made me laugh.

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 12 years old
May 15, 2012
 
Boring and innaprpiate
Very boring from the start of the quest to the end

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 16 years old
March 25, 2012
 
Me!
ok Action/Romantic brings fun joys, to me!

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by S. Jhoanna Robledo
Studio:Universal Pictures
Director:David Gordon Green
Cast:Danny McBride, James Franco, Natalie Portman
Genre:Comedy
Run time:102 minutes
Theatrical release date:April 8, 2011
DVD release date:August 9, 2011
MPAA rating:R
MPAA explanation:strong crude and sexual content, pervasive language, nudity, violence and some drug use

This review was written by S. Jhoanna Robledo
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

 

vote now

Will you see Your Highness?


Already seen it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it