"The skimpy shorts of Daisy Duke, cousin of Bo and Luke, are filled - and I do mean filled - by the singer Jessica Simpson, in her first movie role. Simpson is not required to do much, which is lucky. She pouts, poses, flashes the whitest teeth in America, takes off her shirt and models a bikini."
Paul Byrnes SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
"Fans of the television show will find a lot to like here. So will fans of the Broken Lizard comedy troupe."
Jeff Vice, DESERET NEWS SALT LAKE CITY
"Comes pretty close to [being] finger-licking good."
Nicholas Schager NICK SCHAGER FILM PROJECT
"Great it ain't, but it entertains for stretches."
Carla Meyer SACRAMENTO BEE
"Flip open the hood of the 'Dukes and you'll find an well-oiled engine that's fast, funny, funky, and foxy, with enough horsepower to shatter a palette of moonshine."
Clint Morris WEB WOMBAT
"Delivering exactly what it promises -- car chasing, girl gazing and yee-hawing -- it takes the high road to low art by remaining faithful to the TV series that spawned it."
Peter Howell TORONTO STAR
"This is simply an excuse for loud car chases, buxom blondes and dumb jokes."
Mark Beirne OUR BRISBANE
"“The Dukes” are back… and the film happily hits the right balance between stupid and fun: you know, everything we loved about the television show."
David Foucher EDGE BOSTON
"The Dukes of Hazzard was hardly brilliant television in its day. But it had its fans and they won’t be disappointed."
Jaimie Leonarder SBS THE MOVIE SHOW
"Injecting enough solid laughs and car chases to make Dukes precisely what it is – an uncomplicated Friday night distraction."
Erik Childress EFILMCRITIC.COM
The Inside Story
At a time when there is enough doom and gloom in the world there is one sure fired cure for the every day blues and Doctor Dick has just the prescription to put a big smile on your face. Yes it's a dose of the good old Yeeehaaahs! Who cares what those staid, grumpy, film critics are saying about "The Dukes Of Hazzard" it's time to put political correctness back in it's box and enjoy this updated version of the television show that entertained millions and millions of viewers between 1979 and 1985. Like its modern day big screen counterpart, the television show was just as mindless, sexist, down right stupid, car chasing, yeeehaaahing hillbilly fun then as it is today. Come on! Get real. Who really gives a damn whether the critics think Jessica Simpson shouldn't be parading around in low tops that reveals her generously, proportioned, firm young breasts or a pink bikini that reveals even more of her generously, proportioned, firm young breasts or that the bottom of her bikini hangs off her undercarriage like a deflated blimp? Millions of randy males the world over care! That's who. And I suspect in these modern times a good proportion of those women who now bat for the other team. Not that there's anything wrong with batting for the other team if that's the team you want to put it in for. You know, go the whole hog for. Politically correctness has gone too far. It's time for a new world order to arise, one where men [and women] can unashamedly enjoy the sight of a young lady with generously, proportioned, firm young breasts and without any feelings of guilt or semblance of embarressment acknowlege that she has a great pair of tits. The same applies when it comes to those short, shorts Jessica wears in the film. What the hell is wrong with just coming out and saying, "Jessica Simpson has a great arse." Nothing what so ever. If there was, I'm sure Jessica, being a savvy, smart, young woman, would have refused to wear the outfits chosen for her. And what if she had refused on the grounds that they are just a clever ploy to spice up "The Dukes Of Hazzard"? Very simple. They would have found another well proportioned, good looking chick with a cute arse and offered her the part. Outrageous isn't it? But on to more serious matters, like do we really need a film that promotes reckless driving at a time when too many young people are being killed on the roads? How irresponsible is it to show two young men breaking the law, mocking law enforcement officers and driving like idiots? The answer to that is, many of them seem hell bent on killing themselves no matter what we try to do in an effort to stop the road carnage. Responsibilty starts with the person behind the wheel and not film makers. If your brain can't work out the difference between fiction and fact then you're already in big trouble. You know something? I've gotten so sick of all this political correctness that every time I receive a letter addressed to me by a Ms Jenny Jones, I instantly reach for my trusty bottle of white-out and everase the Ms as quickly as possible. It's a title that should in reality make every decent woman cringe. Own up! Whose the idiot who thought that one up? I want to know. By now you've guessed I'm a leftie when it comes to political correctness so is it any wonder that I see films such as "The Dukes Of Hazzard" as a breath of fresh air, a ray of sunshine in a dull, dreary day?
Of course not. But it seems that while many will not see the inspiration in Jessica Simpson appearing in the film and revealing her generous proportions, the fact is, it wouldn't be "The Dukes Of Hazzard" if Daisy Duke was missing. The sight of Catherine Bach who played Daisy in the television series was, amongst other things, what inspired Jay Chandrasekhar to take the role of Director. "I grew up watching The Dukes of Hazzard and loved outlaw films like Smokey and the Bandit," says the director. "I've always wanted to make a movie that had a Seventies feel to it, with a bunch of cars screeching around and an alternate view of law enforcement. I also had a poster of Daisy Duke on my wall when I was nine that was very inspiring," he adds, "and when you combine the prospect of a new Daisy Duke with the opportunity to send the General Lee flying through the air again, it was impossible for me to say no." Good on you Jay. Now those who can remember the television series will already have an affinity for the films two main characters Luke Duke and Bo Duke. Their almost kin, right? Just a couple of harmless lads with a bright orange Dodge Charger known as the General Lee. "I was a big fan of The Dukes of Hazzard as a kid," reveals Seann William Scott who plays Bo, "and I thought it would be fun to be a part of the film. These guys are just two good ole' boys who like fast cars, fast women and good moonshine." Hallelujah to that Sean. "Bo and Luke are essentially good guys," says Johnny Knoxville who plays Bo's older cousin, the womaizing Luke Duke."They're just reckless as all hell. Mean as snakes, but in a good way. I mean they are respectful to women, and they are more than happy to deck someone who isn't. But really the only real trouble they get in is selling moonshine and outrunning the law." Chandrasekhar says had he been making the film back in '79 he'd have cast Burt Reynolds in the role of Bo Duke. "I wanted to find two guys who embody that Reynolds kind of mentality. Seann is such a wild force of energy and Johnny is a very funny ex-stunt man who's also a damn good actor. They were the perfect combination of being a little crazy with a hint of Southern rebellion." Finding an actress to play the part of Daisy Duke wasn't proving an easy job until Jessica Simpson walked into the auditions. "We met with almost every young actress in Hollywood, but we really wanted someone who had a true Southern background," says Producer Bill Gerber. "When Jessica walked into the room, everything about her just screamed that she was Daisy Duke. We didn't hire her because she's a famous singer; she simply came in, had a great audition and blew everyone away with her presence and energy." For Jessica there was real connection between her and Daisy Duke. She'd named her dog after the famous television character from Hazzard County, Georgia. "I've loved Daisy Duke ever since I was a kid," Simpson says. "She was definitely a role model and someone girls looked up to, because she was powerful, very sexy and always got the job done. Daisy's an all-American girl who's courageous, really cares about her family and at the end of the day wants to help them out of every sticky situation." The three make a great team on the screen just as they did during the filming of "The Dukes Of Hazzard".
"Seann and Johnny both really took me under their wings and taught me a lot," says Newlyweds star Simpson. "My first day on set I was so nervous and they made me feel comfortable and helped calm my nerves." Sean William Scott says, "Jessica did a great job, kicking butt and looking sexy. And a lot of people are going to be really happy when they see her in the Daisy Dukes." There was another highlight for Simpson. "Willie Nelson is a legend and someone I've always admired," Simpson says. "Working with him has been a dream come true, it's like we are musical soulmates." Nelson wh plays Uncle Jesse says, "I enjoy acting and knew Denver Pyle personally," says Nelson, "so I pretty much knew what the character was all about. Uncle Jesse treats Bo, Luke and Daisy as if they were his own children." Yes it's all one big happy family down in Hazzard County except for that varmit Jefferson Davis Hogg, played with wonderful distraction by screen and television legend Burt Reynolds. "There's really nobody else you could cast in this role besides Burt Reynolds," says Jay Chandrasekha. "Burt in 'Smokey and the Bandit' is the reason why 'The Dukes of Hazzard' even exists." How did Reynolds feel about the role? "When they started talking to me about playing Boss Hogg I told a bunch of my longtime friends and at first they all started laughing real hard. I didn't know if that was a good sign, but they all said, 'You just gotta do it.' Boss Hogg is real Southern, and I grew up around a lot of guys like him so I was very attracted to the fact that he was an obnoxious, loud-mouthed, but amusingly self-indulgent character. I spent fifteen years trying to get rid of my Southern accent before I finally got to use it in Deliverance and it's great to dust it off again for Boss Hogg." Another nemesis for the Dukes boys is the local Sheriff Roscoe P Coltrane. "Roscoe is a petty tyrant who has no experience whatsoever as a law officer," says M.C. Gainey. "He truly dislikes the Dukes, in the most profound terms imaginable. They are slimmer, younger and cooler and have always treated him with a certain level of contempt. The other thing I love about Roscoe is that there's a Wile E Coyote factor to him; he's got the ACME box with the plan to catch the Dukes, but somehow it never quite works out." Every county Sheriff needs a bumbling, bungling deputy and the role for Coltrane's sidekick fell to a young man who admits to having a childhood infactuation with Daisy Duke, actor Michael Weston. "I had a huge crush on Daisy Duke, which is where I found the core of this character," says Weston. "You can always find Enos looking for Daisy in every leaf and cloud. She is his reason to get up in the morning, and the rest of the day is one big dream about Daisy Duke. It gets him into trouble, because throughout the film he has a hard time keeping information from Daisy that helps the Dukes." If by now you haven't gathered that "The Dukes Of Hazzard" is a lot of fun, you're really in big trouble. Sure it's a bit silly at times, but who cares? It's all good old fashioned fun and a good old laugh never hurt anyone, now did it? Yeeehaaah!
Crew Bytes
"THE DUKES OF HAZZARD" was .......
directed by Jay Chandrasekhar
["Puddle Cruiser", "Super Troopers" and "Club Dread"]; story by John O'Brien ["Cradle 2 the Grave" and "Starsky & Hutch"] and Jonathan L Davis ["The Dukes of Hazzard"]; characters by Gy Waldron ["Moonrunners"]; costume design by Genevieve Tyrrell ["Go", "The United States Of Leland", "Freaky Friday" and "Employee of the Month"]; production design by Jon Gary Steele ["Sleep, Baby, Sleep", "Cruel Intentions", "The Glass House" and "Beauty Shop"]; Art Direction by Chris Cornwell ["While You Were Sleeping", "America's Sweethearts", "Daddy Day Care" and "Suddenly 30 "]; cinematography by Lawrence Sher ["Kissing Jessica Stein", "Legally Blonde", "Garden State" and "Club Dread"]; original music by Nathan Barr ["Traveling Companion", "Red Dirt", "Cabin Fever" and "Club Dread"] produced by Bill Gerber ["Get Carter", "Queen of the Damned", "What A Woman Wants" and "A Very Long Engagement "].
Casting About
"THE DUKES OF HAZZARD" stars .......
Johnny Knoxville
["Coyote Ugly", "Men In Black II", "Walking Tall" and "Lords of Dogtown"]; Seann William Scott ["American Pie 1, 2 & 3", "Final Destination", "Dude, Where's My Car?", "Bulletproof Monk" and "Welcome To The Jungle"]; Jessica Simpson ["The Dukes of Hazzard"]; James Roday ["Coming Soon", "Repli-Kate", "Showtime" and "Don't Come Knocking"]; Alice Greczyn ["Sleepover" and "Fat Albert"]; M.C. Gainey ["Con Air", "Meet The Deedles", "Club Dread", "Sideways" and "Are We There Yet?"]; David Koechner ["Life Without Dick", "Waking Up in Reno", "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" and "The 40 Year Old Virgin"]; Willie Nelson ["The Electric Horseman", "Wag the Dog", "Stardust" and "The Big Bounce"]; Jack Polick ["The Brave" and "Blow"]; Lynda Carter ["Super Troopers" and "Sky High" & TV'S "Wonder Woman", "She Woke Up Pregnant" and "Prayer In The Dark"]; Steve Lemme ["Puddle Cruiser", "Super Troopers", "Club Dread" and "Open Water"]; Michael Weston ["Getting to Know You", "Coyote Ugly", "Hart's War" and "Garden State"] and Burt Reynolds ["Striptease", "Bean", "Mystery, Alaska", "Without A Paddle" and "The Longest Yard"] as Boss Hogg.
What It's All About
Yeeehaaah! The Dukes Of Hazzard are back. There's cousins Luke Duke and Bo Duke taking 'The General Lee' on the moonshine run for Uncle Jesse; Daisy Duke is still breaking all the boys hearts, including Deputy Cletus; Billy Prickett is back for the annual road race; Sheriff Roscoe P Coltrane and his deputies are still being run circles around by Bo and Luke, and as for that sneaky Boss Jefferson Davis Hogg, well he's always up to no good. And speakin of Boss Hogg, that no good crook is running everyone off their properties and it's up to the boys to find out why. So why don't you good folks get yourself a taste of southern hospitality Hazzard County style with Luke, Bo and Daisy's hootin, hollerin and down right rib ticklin, thigh slappin, boot scootin, yeeehaaahing escapades on the big screen in "The Dukes Of Hazzard".
The Verdict
"It all boils down to whether you need a bit of fun and laughter in your life. If the answer is yes then get yourself down to your local cinema or megaplex and settle in with "The Dukes Of Hazzard". And stay for the credits which feature some very funny bloopers from filming. Recommended to anyone who wants a good laugh."
The Cast
Johnny Knoxville
Seann William Scott
Jessica Simpson
James Roday
Alice Greczyn
M.C. Gainey
Burt Reynolds
David Koechner
Willie Nelson
Jack Polick
Lynda Carter
Steve Lemme
Michael Weston
Michael Roof
Rusty Tennant
Dolan Wilson
Heather Hemmens
David Leitch
A.J. Foyt IV
Jim Cody Williams
Kevin Heffernan
Tammi Arender
Artist Robinson
Tenia Taylor
Bruce McKinnon
Nikki Griffin
Jay Chandrasekhar
Erik Stolhanske
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Luke Duke
Bo Duke
Daisy Duke
Billy Prickett
Laurie Pullman
Sheriff Rosco P Coltrane
Boss Hogg
Cooter
Uncle Jesse
Deputy Cletus
Pauline
Jimmy
Deputy Enos Strate
Dil Driscoll
Local One
Local Two
Girl #1
Puncher
Race Car Driver #1
Security Guard Chip
Sheev
Local Reporter #1
18 Wheeler Driver
Pretty Girl
Van Driver
Katie Johnson
Campus Cop #1
Campus Cop #2
The Crew
Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar
Story by John O'Brien & Jonathan L Davis
Characters created by Gy Waldron
Produced by Bill Gerber
Original Music by Nathan Barr
Cinematography by Lawrence Sher
Film Editing by Jay Chandrasekhar/Lee Haxall/Myron I Kerstein
Casting by Lisa Mae Fincannon & Mary Vernieu
Production Design by Jon Gary Steele
Art Direction by Chris Cornwell
Set Decoration by Traci Kirschbaum & Traci Kirshbaum
Costume Design by Genevieve Tyrrell
Run Time 104 minutes
Rated M [AUST]
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