Universal have finally unveiled
Your Highness with a meaty three-and-a-half minute red-band trailer... and wow,
I wasn't quite expecting that. I mean I knew Your Highness was basically another
Pineapple Express stoner comedy but set in medieval times with a bad-ass
Natalie Portman thrown in for good measure, so I knew it would be funny, but I didn't expect the whole thing to feel this top-notch. Everything from the costumes, the production design and the look and feel of the universe they have managed to create here is quality stuff and elevates this material into something so much more than it should be.
Now granted, I have a thing about this genre, so a large budget studio comedy featuring magic, wizards and ghoulish monsters is right up my alley. And I'm kind of a weird guy, so the sexiness works for me too (the moment Portman first appears and arches her body with that arrow.... nice). It is quite possible that my judgement against what many of you won't like about this trailer is clouded in my brain because I am so in love with this trailer. I've got it real bad. I also have it bad for
Zooey Deschanel too, some might call it unconditional love, so be warned - I think I've got another
Kick-Ass/Scott Pilgrim movie to shove down your throats every week (kidding).
As much as I wasn't a fan of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World when I eventually saw the film - it still blows my mind somewhat that Universal are still pumping money into taking risks with such obscure tentpoles like this one. This could be
David Gordon Green and his frequent cinematographer
Tim Orr's most gorgeous looking film yet and as low-brow as the humour looks,
James Franco, Danny McBride, Natalie Portman and the rest of the cast all are in synch with the tone and they still manage to deliver the anachronistic swear word gags in a way that's eye-wateringly funny. This one could be the coolest pop-corn muncher of 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGLCQfsiSIs The accents are that weird British that these fantasy movies usually carry but essentially this is an R-Rated Monty Python-style parody of movies like
Princess Bride and
Willow and countless other 80's derivatives. I think I need to see this now... if I had this on VHS my copy would have burnt out from my constant repeated plays. Your Highness opens April 8th.