I’ve only seen clips of the popular television series upon which The Dukes of Hazzards movie is based, but I’m sure that TV sitcom must have been better than its big screen counterpart, which earns a place on my "worst movies of the year" list. Yelling interspersed with car chases and explosions, followed by more yelling and more car chases and more explosions isn’t my idea of entertainment, but maybe I’m missing something where the “good ol’ boys” mystique is concerned. I have to admit hearing a couple of people laughing several times during the screening I attended.

Seann William Scott and Johnny Knoxville play cousins Bo and Luke Duke, respectively -- roles originated by John Schneider and Tom Wopat. Scott (The Rundown), a young actor with lots of comic potential, uses high-octane energy to compensate for the lack of material here, and even succeeds when driving General Lee, the infamous orange Dodge Charger, in a climactic Hazzard County race. Knoxville (Walking Tall) comes across as the more sophisticated cousin, but that’s like saying one of the Three Stooges is smarter than the others.

Bo and Luke love fast cars, fast women and good moonshine, but -- with the help of sexy cousin Daisy (Jessica Simpson) -- they also take time to save Uncle Jesse (Willie Nelson) as well as the family farm from Boss Hogg’s (Burt Reynolds) unscrupulous strip mining plans.

Gorgeous in Daisy’s short shorts, Simpson manages to liven things up a bit, so her feature film debut should please her fans. And veteran character actor M. C. Gainey (Sideways) delivers a splendid performance as Roscoe P. Coltrane, a sheriff with questionable dedication to the law and zero tolerance for the Duke family. On the other hand, Oscar winner Reynolds (Boogie Nights), with his shameless overacting, makes Boss Hogg look like a cartoon character in search of a comic strip.   

Commenting on why he wanted to bring this project to the big screen, producer Bill Gerber explains, “I was searching for a project that really captured the American spirit. The heart of The Dukes of Hazzard is family and protecting what you love. Bo and Luke were such endearing characters and had a very playful attitude about the law -- I liked the Robin Hood aspect of the show, and when you add the allure of Daisy Duke, it just felt like the timing was right to bring the concept to the big screen.”

In other words, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Too bad the finished movie doesn’t do this worthwhile concept justice.

(Released by Warner Bros. and rated “PG-13” for sexual content, crude and drug-related humor, language and comic action violence.)