The Dukes of Hazzard **
Cast: Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott, Jessica Simpson, Burt Reynolds, Willie Nelson, M.C. Gainey, David Koechner, Lynda Carter
Director: Jay Chandrasekhar
Running Length: 1:40
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Another old TV show hits the big screen as Bo (Scott) and Luke Duke (Knoxville), along with Daisy (Simpson) and Uncle Jesse (Nelson) try to thwart Boss Hogg's (Reynolds) mysterious plans for Hazzard County. Along the way you are treated to the car chases and Southern locales that fans of the show are used to. There's not a whole lot of plot, and what plot there is is kind of silly, but "Dukes" was never known for its awesome storylines.

Seann William Scott and Johnny Knoxville fill the shoes of the Duke brothers pretty well, while Jessica Simpson and Willie Nelson are poorly cast. Simpson in particular is almost painful to watch at times. The standout is Burt Reynolds as Boss Hogg. He seems to be enjoying himself thoroughly in every scene he is in.

We are not talking about a great movie here, people. "Dukes" brings the TV show to the big screen, and if you found the TV show stupid, this will be more of the same. But, if you enjoyed it, especially because of it's silliness, you will enjoy the movie.

Must Love Dogs **
Cast: Diane Lane, John Cusack, Elizabeth Perkins, Christopher Plummer, Dermot Mulroney, Stockard Channing, Ali Hills
Director: Gary David Goldberg
Running Length: 1:39
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Recently divorced school teacher Sarah (Lane) wants no part of the dating scene, but her family, including sister Carol (Perkins) and father Bill (Plummer) are bound and determined to get her dating. Carol puts Sarah's profile on perfectmatch.com, and she ends up on a series of bad dates, and a date with her own father. But then comes Jake (Cusack), who is also dealing with the end of his marriage and is also dealing with dating again. Their first date is awkward, but not off-putting, and they both want to try again. Of course, when things start to look good, Bob (Mulroney), the father of one of her students, enters the picture and makes things a little more complicated.

"Must Love Dogs" is pretty much a standard romantic comedy. There is nothin special about it to seperate it from any other romantic comedy. Cusack and Lane are trying to make it work, but this formula can only take things so far. That is a shame, because both are good actors that deserve a better story. This one is for fans of the genre only. Otherwise, stay away.

Sky High ***1/2
Cast: Michael Angarano, Danielle Panabaker, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kurt Russell, Kelly Preston, Steven Strait, Dee Jay Daniels, Nicholas Braun, Kelly Vitz, Bruce Campbell, Lynda Carter
Director: Mike Mitchell
Running Length: 1:38
MPAA Classification: PG

Will Stronghold (Angarano) is not a normal 14-year old. His parents are the two most known superheros in the world, Commander (Russell) and Jetstream (Preston). Will is starting high school at Sky High, his parents' alma mater. Sky High is a high school for kids with super powers. And there lies the problem -- Will has no super powers. He has been waiting for them to appear, as some show up late, but to no avail. At school, Will and his best friend Layla (Panabaker) get placed in the "Sidekicks" class.

Will is afraid of what his parents will think, knowing that they expect great things from him. So, he tries to delay telling them for as long as he can. Another problem is that the girl of his dreams, Gwen (Winstead), is out of reach in the superheros class. Soon, things start to change for Will, and he finds himself in a position where hi must step up and save the day.

"Sky High" works surprisingly well. As a superhero movie, it gives the audience plenty of superpowers to take in. They are all done with solid special effects. When the effects are less than stellar, it suits the situation and does not work against the movie. As a high school movie, "Sky High" is right on the money as Will experiences the different cliques (heros & sidekicks) and gives us a glimpse into each. Resemblences to the real world are scary.

The young actors, all virtual unknowns, are all up to the task. They all breathe life into their characters and make them real. Russell, Preston, and Campbell all give good performances that call for a little over the top acting. "Sky High" is a pleasant surprise as the summer movie season begins to wind down. It is a movie that can be enjoyed by everyone, and I highly recommend it, especially for those with kids.