>>REVIEW
THE DUKES OF HAZZARD
STARRING Johnny Knoxville, Sean William Scott and Jessica Simpson
DIRECTED BY Jay Chandrasekhar
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There is no way that The Dukes of Hazzard is as bad as you think. To be fair, my critical eye is slightly biased due to my affection for Johnny Knoxville, Sean William Scott and even Jessica Simpson – affections that existed long before this trio of lookers were cast in this adaptation of the once popular television series. But that doesn’t affect the fact that this is an entertaining movie with plenty of fast driving and good fun.
So, the plot…. Well, guess what? Those Dukes, Bo (Scott) and Luke (Knoxville), just keep getting into trouble with the Hazzard County authorities. Starting bar fights, crashing up their car and lipping off Sheriff Coltrane gets these good ol’ boys a lot of unwanted attention, and greedy Boss Hogg (Burt Reynolds) wants them put away for good – or at least until the big Hazzard County car race is done. When the Duke boys discover Hogg’s plot to turn their home into a coal-mining strip, it is up to them to alert the town, win the race and save the day — with a little help from Daisy, Uncle Jesse and Cooter, of course.
Despite a few weak performances, particularly by Burt Reynolds, who is terrible as Boss Hogg, this film manages to be quite enjoyable thanks to the two leads, whose chemistry, facial expressions and comic timing are all you need. And writer John O’Brien, who also wrote the Starsky & Hutch movie, addresses certain details that were accepted in the series, but are no longer cool 20 years later. Case in point – the confederate flag on top of the Duke’s prize roadster, General Lee.
It’s neither amazing nor essential, but director Jay Chandrasekhar, together with his cast, provide a fun 90 minutes at the movies. And Jessica Simpson? Well, she’s just not in it that much, and that is probably a good thing. |
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