Checking my school email account for the first time in months, I came across this movie review. It’s written by Jeff Roberlard, one of my oldest friends, who has with similar movie tastes as myself so I figured I’d share it with the rest of you.
i just saw this last friday opening night down at sam’s town hotel/casino and for many years i had waited to see this remake of the 1979-1985 cbs friday night comedy/action series brought to the big screen. it was not worth the wait nor the $9 i spent on it!!!!
the film is about cousins bo and luke duke played by seann william scott and johnny knoxville evading law and order in hazzard county while taking care of their family farm run by their uncle jessie played by music great willie nelson. also, rounding out the family is sexy cousin daisy played by the gorgeous “can’t act her way out of a paper bag” jessica simpson. rounding out the cast is burt reynolds playing the evil and corrupt boss hogg and his sheriff rosco p. coltrane played by mc gainey. the film’s weak plot centers around boss hogg strip mining hazzard county and plowing over the duke farm to bring wealth to his empire and bring an end to uncle jessie’s moonshining operation. boss with the help of some nascar racers will stop at nothing to complete their task even if it means getting rid of the duke boys. not much else to the plot accept for that. it feels like the writers couldn’t come up with any fresh or interesting things to do. i had a few laughs when bo and luke visit atlanta, georgia and pick up a few college girlfriends who are specializing in geology in their hunt to find out why boss hogg is strip mining hazzard. one girlfriend in particular played by nikki griffin was pretty hot! i had seen her before in the direct to video sequel, wild things 3 diamonds in the rough.
both seann william scott and johnny knoxville were no johnn schneider and tom wopat. they did not have the charisma or friendship that those two guys had all those years before when i would watch the series when i was little. bo and luke were my childhood heroes in pre school and kindergarten. knoxville and scott are a good duo don’t get me wrong but they were not cut out to play bo and luke. burt reynolds did not have the charm or humor that sorrell booke had when he played boss hogg and mc gainey could of toned down the seriousness in rosco and made it more laughable like jimmy best achieved way back. willie nelson who is a music legend was pretty foul mouthed, i was surprised at all the dirty jokes coming from him and even some of the other actors. the series back in the 80s stood out as an action/comedy that was good wholesome family fun that had an underlying meaning to each episode that family and friends are important. to hear all the swearing, dirty sexual innuendos surrounding daisy in the boar’s nest scene, and the racist comments surrounding the confederate flag were quite appalling. they ruined this movie on cheap laughs and sexist slandering. the only good comment i can make is the stunts. watching that general lee fly in the air and seann william scott cruising that car around corners in hazzard and atlanta were alot of fun but still in all john schneider and tom wopat drove that car better.
watching this movie was like watching an episode from the 5th season of dukes with clone cousins coy and vance!!! enough said.
** out of ****