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Movie Review - The Dukes of Hazzard (2005)
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(What this rating means)
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| Director: |
Jay Chandrasekhar |
| Starring: |
Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott, Jessica Simpson, Burt Reynolds, and Willie Nelson |
| Rated: |
PG-13 (for sexual content, crude and drug-related humor, language and comic action violence) |
| Length: |
106 minutes |
| Genre: |
Action/Comedy |
| Tagline: |
Cousins. Outlaws. Thrillbillies. |
| Studio: |
Warner Bros. |
| Website: |
Dukes of Hazzard |
| Release: |
August 5, 2005 |
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PLOT
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I bet I can sum up the entire movie in one sentence: Boss Hog plans on turning Hazzard County into a strip mine,
and it's up to the Dukes to thwart said plans. See? Told ya. If you find anything deeper than that in the
story then be sure and let me know. The Dukes jumping in and out of the General Lee, blowing stuff up, getting in
barfights, outrunning the law, and Daisy's short shorts ensue.
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JOHNNY'S TAKE
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Let's be perfectly honest here: this is formulaic filmmaking at its most basic. You take a couple of goofballs,
throw in a little barfighting, add doses of a gal who looks really hot in short shorts and a bikini, cover it
heavily with car chases, subtract any traces of high brow, and you've got The Dukes of Hazzard. If
you're expecting anything more than that then I have to seriously question your ability to judge a movie based
on its trailer and/or reference point.
Is this movie stupid? Uh, yeah, why don't you just ask me if Rosie O'Donnell likes an all-you-can-eat buffet?
But never underestimate the ability of stupidity to entertain people. Seriously, have you *listened* to the lyrics
of most of today's country music? Yet it remains wildly popular. The difference with The Dukes is that
it's intentionally stupid. It doesn't pretend to be making an eloquent statement, so I can deal with that. Just
expect as many misses as hits.
If you can't laugh at intentionally bad puns then I strongly suggest investing your money elsewhere.
For example, if you fail to see the humor of Bo listening to the Laurence Fishburne-narrated life story of
Al Unser that claims there are no questions here, "only Unsers" then this probably isn't the movie for you.
Or how about the newscaster who thinks he's so cute by using the phrase "General Lee speaking" (as in "generally
speaking," get it?) when talking about the General Lee? He then chuckles to himself because of how ingenious he
thinks this little quip is. Anybody who is frustrated with the media's inability to comprehend that their lame
puns are NOT clever can appreciate this.
What else can you expect? Weeeeeell, we've got fake Southern accents, real Southern accents that are over
accentuated, over-the-top action sequences, and lots and lots of chase scenes. In fact, I'd say the General Lee
is the real star here. I'm a sucker for car chases and races involving muscle cars (I own a '69 Camaro), and
the General Lee absolutely puts on a show. If you dig lots of fast-paced car action set against the backdrop
of 70s classic rock (DAIR NAIR NAIR NAIR NAIR! Mississippi Queeeeeen! DAIR NAIR NAIR NAIR NAIR! If you know what
I meeeeean!) then you should walk away at least somewhat entertained.
I was hoping this would take a page from the Starsky & Hutch book and
poke more fun at the show it's based on, but it didn't touch on the subject too much. Come on, no inside jokes
about Coy and Vance (the ambiguously gay duo that replaced John Schneider and Tom Wopat for a season because of
contract disputes)? That was definitely a missed opportunity. We're talking about two infamously ridiculed
characters. They did have a little fun by looking at different people's reactions to the Rebel flag that's painted
atop the General Lee, but that's about it.
Hardcore Hazzard fans might not be too pleased with this product. I have no doubt that graduates of the old
school will be saddened to see Luke turned into a big perv, they'll be shocked at Bo's strange car fetish, and
they'll probably walk away with the opinion that "the Duke boys don't cuss and Uncle Jesse don't smoke the pot!"
Welcome to a new generation of Duke boys I suppose.
I was a big fan of the original show when I was a kid, and I know that it wasn't exactly setting the bar for high
brow comedy itself, but it did have more legitimate Southern charm than its movie counterpart. Back when I was
9 or 10 I wanted to be just like the Dukes. They were a couple of Southern gentlemen who'd change a tire for a
couple of gals and then tell them they'd discuss things over a picnic. The girls would swoon and teenage
Southerner male viewers would hurriedly take notes.
There's really not much that is suave or subtle about the new Dukes. And Boss Hog is no longer the fat little
weasel that we all grew up hating. Now he's more of a pimp who talks like he's a bit constipated. Ah, and good
ol' Rosco. Once a loveable goofball, he's now merely a menacing, inept cop with an oddly-proportioned body.
But like I said, I suppose this is a new generation of Dukes. Dukes 2K5 if you will. If you're looking for a
touching homage of the TV series then you're looking in the wrong place. However, if all you want is mindless
action, hot gals, and impressive car chases, then this just might satisfy your appetite.
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ODDS & ENDS
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- Chandrasekhar said he cast Jessica Simpson as Daisy Duke because not only was she charming, but he wanted
someone in the role who came from a true Southern background. I guess that might explain how she supposedly "won"
the role over Northerners Mandy Moore and Jessica Biel. But I have yet to see any proof that Ms. Moore or Ms.
Biel actually auditioned.
- Simpson worked out for 2 hours a day and cut sugar and fried foods out of her diet. Excellent work, Ms.
Simpson, excellent work indeed.
- Willie Nelson was originally only going to contribute musically to the movie but then Chandrasekhar realized
he'd fit perfectly with his version of Uncle Jesse. Willie immediately agreed to take the role. Anything to help
with those back taxes I suppose. Or just to be on set with Jessica. Dirty old man.
- 28 Dodge Chargers had to be found to be converted into the many General Lees that were used in the movie.
They couldn't find a company that still sold parts for a '69 Dodge Charger, so all parts had to be found via
the Internet, junkyards, and word of mouth.
- Johnny Betts was never as cool as when he was toolin' around in his '69 Camaro.
- Seann William Scott (what's with the two n's???) underwent a 3 week, 2 hour per day stunt driving school that
was taught by famous stunt driver Bobby Orr.
- Is there anybody here who has never confused the names of Seann William Scott, Sean Patrick Flanery, and
Sean Patrick Thomas? I refuse to believe any such claims. It's easier to make all three of them one big
conglomerate: Sean William Patrick Flanery Thomas Scott. Cuts down on the confusion.
- Johnny gets annoyed with people who basically have three first names.
- When the Dukes head to the University, we see a quick shot of the Electrical Engineering building. Mr. Shade
and Johnny both have Electrical Engineering degrees. As such, they're probably the only two people who marked out
over this. Arms were pumped in mockery. Or so they claim. Everybody knows they were genuinely excited.
- Stay for the ending credits. The bloopers and car crashes are highly entertaining.
- I still think Owen and Luke Wilson would've been perfect as Bo and Luke Duke, and Ben Stiller would've nailed
the role of Billy Prickett. When you watch the movie you'll see exactly what I mean.
- M.C. Gainey (who plays Rosco P. Coltrane) was in an episode of The Young Riders with Josh Brolin who
was in Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon.
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MAMA'S APPROVAL
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Mama wouldn't enjoy this one too much, and let me point out that this is NOT for younger audiences. Just because
you let your pre-teen watch the old series on TV doesn't mean the movie's kid-friendly. There's quite a bit of
cussing (including several uses of G-d**n), there's a handful of sexual situations, scantily-clad women are indeed
featured, there's a couple of implications of mary-ju-wana usage (that's "marijuana" or "pot" for those of you
in Frayser, TN), and the Duke boys now flip people off.
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TRAILER COMPARISON
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You get what you expect. It is what it is. Or insert another cliched term that indicates the trailer is
representative of what to expect from the movie.
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THE GIST
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I shouldn't have to say this, but The Dukes of Hazzard is not for movie sophisticates or viewers who are
looking for an accurate depiction of the original show. This is a movie that sets its standards low but makes
sure to meet them. If you can have a little fun with lots of car chases and intentionally goofy humor, then you'll
surely have fun with this.
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