Sunday, August 07, 2005

The Dukes of Hazzard

Welcome to Hazzard County, GA, where hillbilly cousins Bo (Sean William Scott) and Luke (Johnny Knoxville) drive their '69 Dodge Charger as fast as they can always running from the law and getting women. Well, at least Luke because Bo seems more in love with the General Lee as they call the car than with anybody else. They also sell moonshine for their Uncle Jesse (Willie Nelson), and that's what mostly gives them trouble with the authorities led by Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane (M.C. Gainey) and the town's commissioner Boss Hogg (Burt Reynolds).
There's also Daisy (Jessica Simpson), their beautiful long legged, short shorts wearing cousin, who must use her sex appeal to get them out of trouble all the time.
These are The Dukes of Hazzard, based on the '80s sitcom of the same name, a very entertaining movie that much like The Longest Yard remake earlier this year (which also featured Reynolds), succeeds in the fun department, but it'll be gone from our memories in no time. In fact, I watched this one a week ago and I've already forgotten some stuff.

What I do remember is Jessica Simpson's body, she's super hot of course, but her acting is not. It's a very small part, it even looks as if it's been shortened or something because she's really in just a handful of scenes. And while she does look good, her accent is way too exaggerated, and she's from the south, so I don't know why she 'acted' the accent instead of talking as she always does. And Daisy is supposed to be the girl next door, but Jessica wears so much make up that it hurts the part.
Knoxville is very good as Luke, though there's not much development for the character, as the movie puts more focus on Scott's Bo, who besides loving his car loves to race. He's been winning the town's rally for 4 years straight now, and winning the upcoming 5th would be a record. He's also star struck when local star and current NASCAR champion Billy Prickett (played by James Roday) comes back to town to compete in the rally too. It's a very good performance by Scott and he's the only one you can care for in the movie.
Another funny character is Cooter (played by Anchorman's David Koechner), the town's mechanic who fixes the General Lee and leaves him like new all the time.
There's also Kevin Heffernan who plays Sheev, the town's idiot who thinks someone is watching them and there's a conspiracy everywhere. Another funny performance there by the Broken Lizzard member.

Speaking of which, all Broken Lizzard members make an appearance in the movie, small roles though, with one of them, Jay Chandrasekhar directing the movie. The music is also good in the movie (except for Jessica's awful cover of Nancy Sinatra's These Boots Are Made for Walkin').
There's a could taken as offensive scene in which the boys go to Atlanta (though it's nothing like it cause the movie was filmed in Louisiana) and after a wrong turn face a gang of black men who attacks them after noting the Confederate Flag on top of the General Lee. The cops arrive but they're black too so they end up in jail.

Overall, The Dukes of Hazzard is a very dumb, but fun movie, good only to waste time watching cars jumping onto highways and crushing other cars, and to watch Jessica in a bikini. There's a scene in a college the boys visit that is fun, though as with the whole movie, it would've been much better if it were rated R. Oh well, there's hope for the DVD.