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The Movie:  "Dukes of Hazzard" is the latest attempt to try and mine a new franchise out of an old TV show, but this time around, it doesn't seem like the writers had much to go on - it's not stretching matters to say that this is about as close to plotless as it gets. The picture stars Johnny Knoxville and Sean William Scott as Cousins Luke and Bo Duke, who drive around in their Dodge Charger, named the General Lee, and spend their days delivering (or deliverin', I guess) moonshine, made by uncle Jesse (Willie Nelson). The two also spend just about as much time using Lee to try and outrun the law, which is never too far behind. However, the two run into a more powerful foe in the form of Boss Hogg (Burt Reynolds), a corrupt state official who takes Jesse's farm - the first of many in the area - in order to start up a get-rich-quick scheme. There's also a race that Scott's character wants to compete in, driving the General. The best thing about the movie is the pairing of Knoxville and Scott, who do have a chemistry together and also, have differing enough styles of comedy that they can play off one another pretty well. Simpson doesn't fare terribly well in what's essentially a very small, mostly forgettable role that doesn't seem like the best way to start a film career. A better role for Simpson may have been a supporting role in the remake of "Stepford Wives". Still, the material doesn't exactly help matters - aside from having hardly anything in the way of plot (not that I expected "Dukes of Hazzard" to be an epic, but there's noticably not enough here to fill the 107-minute running time as is), the jokes rarely get a chuckle, and mostly fall flat. Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar (best known for "Super Troopers"), finally hits a speedbump here after a couple of cult comedies that are well-liked. The few driving sequences could have been a real highlight, as they were apparently coordinated by "Bourne Supremacy" stunt coordinator Dan Bradley. While some of the sequences have impressive moments, they really aren't filmed in a way that gives the viewer a feeling of momentum or intensity. Beyond that, they all start to feel rather repetitive after a while. Overall though, with so little in the way of character development, the thin plot and uneven humor, it's really rather difficult to become that involved in the proceedings. While not without a fun moment here-and-there, "Dukes of Hazzard" is mostly disappointing. The Unrated edition of "Dukes" offers a bit of random female nudity and what seems like a few extra curse words. The DVD VIDEO: "Dukes of Hazzard" is presented by Warner Brothers in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen (a heavily cropped pan & scan presentation is also available.) The picture quality is mostly superb, as images remained crisp and detailed throughout the feature. However, some minor edge enhancement was apparent in some scenes. Still, that stood out as the only concern, as no pixelation, print flaws or other concerns were spotted. Colors appeared bright and natural, with no smearing or other faults. Flesh tones looked accurate and natural, and black level looked solid. SOUND: "Dukes" is offered up in Dolby Digital 5.1. The film's sound design takes advantage of the handful of action/driving sequences in the film, as surrounds kick in with a solid amount of effects. However, once those sequences come to a close, the soundtrack folds up to the front, and stays mostly dialogue-driven. Dialogue remains crisp and clear, music sounds dynamic and clean, and effects sounded rich and well-recorded. Overall, the audio certainly gets the job done. EXTRAS: "Dukes" doesn't offer a commentary (which is unfortunate, as a cast commentary could have been quite a bit of fun.) Instead, we get a series of featurettes, including: "Daisy Dukes: The Short Short Shorts", "The General Lee Lives", "How to Launch a Muscle Car 175 Feet in 4 Seconds" and "The Hazards of Dukes". There's also the music video for Simpson's "These Boots Were Made For Walkin'", the trailer and two sets of both deleted scenes (rated and unrated) and bloopers (rated and unrated.) Final Thoughts: Hopefully, Knoxville and Scott will get paired up again for a better movie. Both do have chemistry and attempt to build some laughs throughout "Dukes", but the script falls short in terms of comedy and plot. The DVD presentation offers excellent video quality, very good audio and a decent selection of extras. Those who are fans may want to check out the DVD, but others who are interested and haven't seen the picture already should rent first. 
Film Grade The Film C- DVD Grades Video 91/A Audio: 89/B+ Extras: 75/C |