Film Reviews

The Dukes of Hazzard

• Rating:
• Director: Jay Chandrasekhar
• Starring: Burt Reynolds
• Details: US / 106 mins (12A).

When the peaceful Southern county of Hazzard is threatened by the dastardly plans of Boss Hogg (Reynolds) to turn it into a coal-mine, Luke and Bo Duke (Knoxville and Williams) take to the road in their souped-up Dodge Charger, General Lee. While this is (obviously) based on the old TV series from the '70s, it owes more than a significant debt to another old TV series, The A-Team. Despite all the car chases, multiple pile-ups, wild shooting and the occasional Molotov cocktail, no one ships as much as a scratch. Luke and Bo squabble over local gal Laurie (Alice Greczyn), leer at the outrageously scantily-clad babes they invariably meet on their travels, engage in wearisome Dumb and Dumber-style banter, and drive their car in what appears to be an endless, rubber-burning circle. Meanwhile, every cop between Miami and Seattle gets called in to prevent their joy-riding antics; unfortunately, said cops all learned to drive from watching old Smokey and the Bandit videos. Yet another example of a cynical cash-generating machine masquerading as a movie, The Dukes of Hazzard is a tawdry, cheap exercise in squeezing nostalgia until it squeaks. Jessica Simpson, as Daisy Duke, is about as sexy as toffee left too long in a toaster, while Willie Nelson, as Uncle Jesse, appears to be acting by remote control. All in all, this is a cars 'n' gals road movie for 10-year-old boys who are too old for Scalectrix.

Review by Declan Burke