jstnwrkmn
For those of us who are real fans of the TV show The Dukes of Hazzard, this movie has it all wrong!In the movie Bo, Luke, Daisy are teenagers. Therefore, we all know based on the original show, there were no cellphones! The movie clearly states the Duke boys are at Uncle Jesse's for the summer, yet, they go to the high school where class is still in session. In this movie the Duke boys find the General Lee at the bottom of Hogg's Ravine covered by water. This completely goes against knowing in the TV show Bo and Luke found the Black 69 Charger that became the General Lee at a used car lot WELL after they were teenagers. I know for the sake of the Dukes of Hazzard they HAD to have the General in the movie, so I can't fault them tooooooooo much. The boars nest looks like a somewhat modern bar, which is fine by be, but they show Boss Hogg's office in the movie, WITHOUT having a pool table or a barbers chair in it....and the office looked more like a small closet!They used several new Ford Crown Vic's in the show as police cruisers, not to mention Huey has a new BMW. For the producer to be making a movie that was technically supposed to be taking place in the 1970's NO attempt was made to make it look somewhat realistic. Now we all know the Duke boys were woman crazy, so I don't fault the fact the producer used that frequently in the movie. What I do fault the producer for, is the foul language, nudity, and many many many sexual references used. Not to mention having Lulu Hogg seducing Luke..c'mon. NOT Dukes-likeThat all said...the story is right in line with the original Dukes, everything else about this movie sucked. If this were just any ol' movie NOT based on the Dukes, I could appreciate it a little more. The Dukes of Hazzard is a wonderful TV show, movies like this, just give the Dukes a bad name!
Robert_Hearth
"The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning" (2007) Directed By: Robert Berlinger Starring: Jonathan Bennett, Randy Wayne, April Scott, Christopher McDonald, Willie Nelson, Harland Williams, & Joel MooreMPAA Rating: "Unrated" (for sexual humor and dialogue) ***PLEASE NOTE: This Is A Review Of The "Unrated" Version Of The Movie*** After a long-running television series (that survived for six years and still remains a fan favorite) and a big-screen movie all based on the same material and the same characters, I believe we have seen everything that the Duke boys have to offer. We have seen countless chase scenes, the "General Lee" getting destroyed and resurrected over and over, and Daisy Duke in all of her glory. What else is there to show? Well, as "The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning" shows, not much. I have only seen bits and pieces of episodes from the original television series and, though it certainly is not the most intelligent piece of televised history, it is still a classic show that is entertaining. In 2005, its big-screen adaptation (starring Johnny Knoxville, Sean William Scott, and Jessica Simpson) was a moderate success despite critical pounding. I found it to be an average movie that, like its source material, lacked brains, but made up for it with its entertainment value. With, "The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning", nothing new is presented and everything seems recycled…but is it as fun as its predecessors? Bo (Bennett) and Luke (Wayne) Duke have gotten into a spot of trouble and have been sent to live with their Uncle Jesse (Nelson) and their dowdy cousin, Daisy (Scott). Uncle Jesse is a farmer and a moonshiner who develops a huge rivalry with the most powerful man in town, the notorious Boss Hogg (McDonald), who is threatening to foreclose on Uncle Jesse's farm. I'll give you a little hint. This plot has been done before, both in the television series and the 2005 film. It is nothing new, but the real fun in "The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning" comes with how it explains the back story of Hazzard county. We are given explanations for the rivalry between the Dukes and Boss Hogg, Daisy's famous shorts, Flash, and, of course, the birth of the "General Lee". I enjoyed watching how everything came together…though I would have preferred to have seen it all happen in a plot that wasn't so completely recycled (and poorly assembled, I might add).I liked the cast of the 2005 movie, even if Daisy Duke was a blonde. So, I was disappointed to see that only one person would be returning--Willie Nelson. Not surprisingly, Nelson gives the best performance in the movie. Jonathan Bennett is usually a good actor…but, here, he overacts in a few scenes. I found his portrayal of Bo to be rather average, which kind of disappointed me. Randy Wayne suffers from the same problem, though not quite as badly. His performance is okay. They were both too animated, unfortunately, giving the characters a slightly cartoonish feel. April Scott made me sympathize with Daisy, bringing more to the role than just a flawless body (though, she brought that too). I liked it. Christopher McDonald was a bad guy. I bought it. Harland Williams shocked me. He just didn't do anything for me. I could see how the screenwriters envisioned his performance (probably to be much like that of M.C. Gainey in the 2005 movie)…but, instead of playing it with even an ounce of evilness, he was goofy and comedic. He missed the point.I want to make something very, very clear. "The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning" is not a quality film. It is cheesy, silly, and many of the scenes are just not plausible. I mean, did you know that a car can turn up on its side and drive on two wheels just by you turning the steering wheel…or that a pig can escape its pin, climb up onto the roof, and then prevent itself from falling just long enough for help to come? But, really, did anyone watch the original television series to see intellectual situations with strong messages. People watched the show to be entertained and, for that purpose (and that purpose only), "The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning" works. It may be a guilty pleasure…but the fun you will have here is comparable to that of the original show.Final Thought: "The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning" will entertain the people who enjoyed the original show.Overall Rating: 5/10 (B-)
