The TV series wasn't a masterpiece so to speak, however what it did have that made it very appealing was easy-going-charm and that it was very down-to-earth. This film retread is the complete opposite. I am not the kind who says a film/adaptation is immediately bad when it doesn't follow the source material, but I think the movie could've stuck to the series' spirit. However, there is none of the down-to-earth, easy-going charm here. Instead it has a laboured story, vulgar and smutty jokes, inane dialogue and below-par direction, as well as relentless car chases and explosions. The acting, save for one person, is awful, Jessica Simpson especially is incredibly wooden. The Dukes of Hazzard gets two points instead of one for some decent scenery and soundtrack and Burt Reynolds, whose performance is not great but is the only one passable. All in all, a very laboured and lame film. 2/10 Bethany Cox
The Dukes of Hazzard
2005
Action / Comedy
Plot summary
In Georgia's dusty Hazzard County, the close-knit Duke cousins, Bo and Luke, deliver Uncle Jesse's fine moonshine. Zooming down the rough backwoods on their powerful muscle-car--the tangerine 1969 Dodge Charger, General Lee--the boys easily outrun the corrupt county commissioner Boss Hogg's forces, and his loyal henchman, Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane. However, when the clan of moonshiners are left with nothing, only Bo, Luke, and Daisy Duke can save their farm, as the day of the annual road rally approaches. Can the Dukes of Hazzard beat Hogg's champion, Billy Prickett, save the day, and their beloved home?
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Laboured
The Spirit Of Fun Is Gone
For those of you who remember the Seventies red state hit, The Dukes Of Hazzard you will not be pleased with this big screen remake. Though a lot of the fun is still there, this film takes a serious turn that ruins the fun of the whole concept of the show.
Back on television Bo and Luke Duke were cousins and lived with their uncle Jesse and still another cousin, the shapely Daisy Duke. They were a pair of good old boys who got in some trouble, did a little time in stir and then went back to their general monkeyshines. The running thread of the show was how the boys kept foiling the schemes of the villainous county boss and every week saving their family farm or someone else's.
Seann William Scott and Johnny Knoxville get into the right spirit as Bo and Luke and Willie Nelson is fine as Uncle Jesse. No one can certainly say that Jessica Simpson isn't as shapely as Catherine Bach. The problem lies with the villains who they've turned deadly serious and ruined the whole idea behind The Dukes Of Hazzard.
Odd that an actor like Burt Reynolds who's known for playing many a part with a twinkle in his eye turns serious as Boss Hogg. Half the fun of the original show was seeing how the Duke boys constantly foiled the schemes of the outrageous Sorrell Booke as the Boss. He was one of the most hilarious comic villains ever created on television. His inept partner whom he constantly berated was sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane played on television with fumbling flair by James Best. In the film M.C. Gainey plays it like your garden variety redneck sheriff. It's all wrong from both these two characters.
The rest of the regulars are there and the film did add an interesting new character named Dil played by Michael Roof. He's the county crackpot conspiracy theorist who wears an armadillo helmet to keep the CIA from frying his brain and has all kinds of interesting toys that explode. A good friend to have for the Dukes.
Still the film is a disappointment to those who remember the television series fondly.
Too stupid and too serious at the same time
Cousins Luke (Johnny Knoxville) and Bo (Seann William Scott) are moonshine runners driving the General Lee. With their sexy cousin Daisy (Jessica Simpson) and Uncle Jesse (Willie Nelson),they must save the family farm from the evil plans of Boss Hogg (Burt Reynolds).
With the directions of Jay Chandrasekhar and Jackass' Johnny Knoxville and Stifler, I had some outside hopes of a wacky outlandish parody. The concept was always questionable. The other way would be to go serious with more dark realism which I do NOT recommend. The original Dukes of Hazzard was more of a silly TV show. Trying anything serious would be perilous. Seeing who got cast, silly was the only hope. It started meekly with gun toting angry father and brother, a bar fight, and a General Lee jump. It's a weak parroting parody of the old TV show. Then comes the evil scheme and the movie loses any chance for a laugh. Unless you're a die hard fan of the original, there's no point in watching this. If you're a die hard fan, it might hurt your memories. OK! Everybody should avoid this.