Release Date: 3/13/07
Released by: Warner Bros. Home Video
Fans of The Dukes of Hazzard have had to live with the realization that some television shows (or most for that matter) should not be made into movies. The first Dukes movie while slightly entertaining when Jessica Simpson took her clothes off, showed little in the way of acting and high quality entertainment. The acting was off as was the casting. The only good choice was Uncle Jessie and unfortunately, as much as he did for that movie it was never going to be enough. The good news is that in this second installment, which is more of a prequel, Uncle Jessie (Willie Nelson) returns. However, as this movie is set ahead of the original movie, the rest of the cast was tossed aside (thankfully) for a new, younger cast.
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When it came to television, The Dukes of Hazzard offered everything from moonshine and hell raising to the most vivacious woman (at the time) on prime time television, Ms. Daisy Duke. Many were unhappy with the decision to cast the blonde and dimwitted Jessica Simpson in the role of Daisy. This time around they chose to use a former Deal or No Deal suitcase holder, April Scott. While some will feel that Scott does not hold a candle to the memory of Daisy, I will say she does look closer to the part than Simpson did. As the title explains, this movie offers your first glimpse of Bo and Luke Duke. Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning stars Jonathan Bennett (Mean Girls) in the role of Bo and Randy Wayne as Luke. The Duke boys get in a spot of trouble and they are sent to live with their Uncle Jessie after spending a little time in jail. Uncle Jessie is there to get the boys into shape and keep them out of trouble. In short, he is supposed to make them respectable citizens. Of course, in Hazzard County the Dukes are anything but respectable. Soon the boys are attempting to save Uncle Jessie’s farm, which is handled by raising money through moonshine delivery. When they are not delivering moonshine they are speeding around and causing trouble in the General Lee. Some people have compared Dukes:The Beginning to American Pie. It has been said that this flick offers the same pre-pubescent humor with the boys being young and sex-charged and the awkwardness of the age of the boys shining through. I do not know that I would go that far to compare it to American Pie, as it was such a funny movie, but Dukes is in a similar class. I consider it more of the B-movie version of American Pie. There are a few funny moments but this is hardly in the same class. |
One of the oddest parts of the movie is Daisy Duke. For a good portion of the film she is frumpy to say the least. She vows to stay a virgin until marriage and just seems out of place. Of course, Daisy does end up becoming the beautiful, teasing Daisy everyone knows and loves. Watching her play the frumpy schoolmarm is quite a stretch while it lasts, but like everyone else, I was more than glad when it ended.
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When it comes to the things you love most about the Dukes of Hazzard you may be missing some of your favorites. There are not a lot of the typical car chasing, General Lee scenes that tend to steal the show. In fact, there is only one really big one that was cool enough to have that Duke Boy feel. There are some amusing scenes with Cooter where his flamboyance steals your attention, but that is usually for a totally different reason. It is not clear if they wrote Cooter to seem the way he did or the actor added it on his own, but it sure is a sight to see. |
Bottom Line: The Dukes of Hazzard is a huge franchise that has been a part of the movies and television for years. This has allowed Dukes to gain a spot in pop culture. The first Dukes of Hazzard, which was based on the television show, was the worst representation of the Dukes. The Beginning is somewhere in the middle. It does not have the power and entertainment value of the television show, but it lacks Jessica Simpson, which makes it better than the first movie attempt.
For more information on The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning, Check out the Official Website.
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