Shérif, fais-moi peur

Jefferson Davis 'Boss' Hogg (Burt Reynolds) intends to make a fortune by strip-mining Hazzard Count for its coal, but when moonshiners Bo and Luke Duke (Seann William Scott and Johnny Knoxville) get wind of his nefarious plan, they decide to throw a spanner in the works, with a little help from Uncle Jesse (Willie Nelson), cousin Daisy (Jessica Simpson), and Wonder Woman (Lynda Carter).

I was never really a fan of the TV series of The Dukes of Hazzard, despite hailing from the South (of England, that is), so I'm not going to complain about this big screen adaptation crapping all over my childhood memories. I am, however, going to complain that the film lacks charm, a decent plot, memorable performances and any real sense of fun, director Jay Chandrasekhar merely going through the motions, delivering what he expects fans want to see, but doing so with seemingly little love, imagination or enthusiasm.

Knoxville and Scott might get top billing as good ol' boys Bo and Luke, moonshine runners and general troublemakers of Hazzard County, but the real stars of the film are General Lee, their muscle car, which is involved in numerous silly chase scenes in which the vehicle continues to function despite preposterous chassis knackering jumps and crashes, and Jessica Simpson as delectable Daisy Duke, whose bodywork is absolutely stunning and who, I imagine, handles like a dream.

Yes, I was once a 9-year-old who would 'yee-haw' in front of the TV every Friday night. But then I grew up and basically forgot about the Dukes of Hazzard. Years later, when I learned of the movie, I scoffed. I had zero expectations and no plans to see it. Then months later, I ran into it on HBO.

This movie is a blast. Anyone looking for a dusty museum exhibit to replay the original series for a new generation will be disappointed. But It's great fun for anyone willing to be in on the joke and go along for the ride.

Boss Hogg isn't fat. Uncle Jesse smokes weed. Roscoe is less cartoon bumbling, more cartoon menacing. Daisy is blonde. The General's paint job needs... explaining.

But the movie retains everything that made the original series work: car chases, bar brawls, short-shorts and good-hearted outlaws looking out for the good folks of Hazzard County. The movie brings back all these crucial elements... and then takes them out and gets them drunk. Buckle up for safety!

The plot is an inch deep, but gets the job done. The humor is perfectly simple and perfectly funny. And, aside from Burt Reynolds, the cast aren't winning any Oscars (ever), but they can handle these characters just fine.

Lastly, I had no idea how much I missed the General Lee. I'm not a car guy or an action-for-the-sake-of-action guy, but the car chases, crashes and jumps in this movie are incredible. Most modern action scenes are just noise and blur, but the driving-action scenes in this movie are extremely well-paced and well-executed. I could replay the car chase in Atlanta (with Bo in emotional crisis behind the wheel) a hundred times and never stop loving that scene.

I was truly surprised how much I enjoyed this movie - both times (thanks, Netflix!), with about 10 years between viewings. The big screen version of The Dukes of Hazzard actually works, and no one was more surprised than me.

Now how do you think them boys are going to top this one?

I had low expectations when going to see this film, so I wasn't disappointed: it was a lot better than I expected.

A lot of the jokes are corny and the plot is weak, but I have to say that the audience I saw it with thought it was hilarious. There was a lot of laughing throughout the film, some of it at Willie Nelson's terrible jokes (and he has a stack of them), some at the various situations and some at the antics of the Duke cousins. I was in need of cheering up and had a good cackle at this. A lot of the driving sequences were highly enjoyable.

Not Oscar winning material, but a good laugh. Don't take it seriously and you may enjoy it!

I'm a huge fan of the Dukes of Hazzard TV show. And I really enjoyed this flick. I enjoyed myself here a lot more than I did with other summer blockbusters.

It's funny hearing people rail against this movie with excuses like "lame plot" and "it's much cruder than the show." Does ANYONE remember the crudeness of the humor in the pilot episode? Daisy makes incest jokes and Bo says that Luke had probably fathered half the kids in the orphanage. The only reason it was cleaned up is because it changed to and earlier time slot.

And as far as the plot goes. It was the perfect Dukes plot. In fact as a remake it probably stays truer to the source material than any TV show that has migrated to the big screen.

While Sean William Scott and Johnny Knoxville aren't EXACTLY like their small screen versions, they do a great job and work very well together. I wasn't too keen on Burt's Boss Hogg though. And I would have like a little bit more incompetence from Sheriff Roscoe. In the movie Roscoe is a little... scary.

And who didn't have a smile on their face as the General Lee is racing through the streets of Atlanta and the back roads of Hazzard?

Folks, allow yourself to enjoy a movie that is just an excuse for nostalgia, bikinis and car chases, you won't be sorry. It's just a great dumb movie!

Let me start off by admitting that I did not know what I was missing out until I watched this movie courtesy of Netflix. To be honest, I am guilty. Guilty of the sin of Hubris. I have never seen the original TV series but I love this film version. Lock, stock & one hundred barrels. With respect to the generation that grew up watching the show, this film is not a bastardisation. In my opinion, this film is a standalone & a cult.

Full of life, laughter & car chases because the chemistry between Sean William Scott & Johnny Knoxville as Cousin Bo & Cousin Luke create a boisterous duo.

Jessica Simpson as Cousin Daisy might not be on the same level as Catherine Bach (original Daisy) but she nailed the role as her own with her suave & finesse.

To summarise, this movie is a blast. I had a great time watching it. It might not be a masterpiece, but this film has that special variable as it was adventurous & it made me laugh.

Grab a couple of bottles, order a steaming bucket of chicken or whatever, sit back & enjoy the film!