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Story by: Jack Foley
THE Dukes of Hazzard raced to the top of the US box office n
its first weekend of release, taking a creditable $30.6 million
in its first three days, according to distributor Warner Bros.
Pictures.
The $53 million film is based on the popular 1980s TV show about
two good' ol boys, their Dodge Charger, The General Lee, and the
cops on their trail. Oh, and the presence of a buxom cousin (who
also wears hot pants) might have helped.
Interestingly, about two-thirds of the audience was aged under
25, according to advance statistics, indicating that older fans
of the show were not strongly inclined to go and see it, especially
since a former star urged them to stay away.
The negative reviews may also have put off the more discerning
viewer, although young men probably enjoyed the comedy pairing
of Seann William Scott and Johnny Knoxville, as well as the sight
of Jessica Simpson.
Burt Reynolds and Willie Nelson co-star in a film that struggled
to find many fans among critics.
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US reaction
Word on the Dukes of Hazzard was not at all good, with many viewing
it as facile and a sign that Hollywood was running out of ideas.
The Los Angeles Times, for instance, wrote:
"With no plot, character or dialogue worth experiencing,
let alone remembering, the film merely occupies space on the screen
and hopes for the best."
While Rolling Stone lamented that 'there's a
stink coming off the big-screen Dukes of Hazzard that even fans
of the TV series (1979 to 1985) won't be able to shake out of
their nostrils'.
And the New York Times opined: "The Dukes
of Hazzard is the latest evidence that, for Hollywood studios
at least, there can never be too much of a mediocre thing."
There were some positives, however, among those critics who took
the film at face value.
Among these was Newsday, which wrote: "It's
as dumb as a bag of hammers and as cheesy as, well, macaroni and
cheese. But it's a movie that knows how inconsequential it is
at the outset and doesn't care much whether you can party with
it or not."
While the Washington Post declared that 'this
is one unusual case in which aiming for a middling C grade turns
out to be A-plus work'.
And Variety concludes this overview by stating:
"Assuming that someone was determined to remake this mediocre
but iconic TV show, this is probably as good as it's going to
get."
Related stories: Our
verdict on the film
Seann William Scott interview
Jessica Simpson interview
Jessica
Simpson - These Boots Were Made For Walking video and clips
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