Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

Your Highness

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Ridiculous fantasy comedy is more crass, violent than funny.

Movie R 2011 102 minutes
Your Highness Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 16+

Based on 5 parent reviews

Hollie R.
Hollie R. Adult
August 12, 2017
age 18+

Rape TW and terrible accents

I really like these actors but this was really poor. Full of pointless swearing, the accents were so bad which made it hard to watch. The story was ok, as was theviolence, I was disappointed at the way they nonchalantly dealt with rape. There's a big final 'showdown' where it seems like someone is being raped and is tied down and forced by a spell to essentially 'want it', (I think it turned out she wasnt but it was hard to tell), this isn't a good message for kids and pretty horrible for people who have been sexually assaulted. That whole thing just ruined the film completely.

This title has:

Too much swearing
Julia from Sweden
Julia from Sweden Adult
November 17, 2011
age 17+

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? Danny McBride, Natalie Portman, James Franco, Charles Shaughnessy.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 5 parent reviews

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?

Our review:
Parents say (5 ):
Kids say (10 ):

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.

Talk to Your Kids 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?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate