Movie Review: The Dukes of Hazzard

The Dukes of Hazzard 

Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures, Gerber Pictures, WV Films III, USA, 2005. 

Cousins Luke Duke (Johnny Knoxville) and Bo Duke (Seann William Scott) drive around the countryside in their General Lee Dodge Charger. They deliver the moonshine their uncle Jesse (Willie Nelson) distills. Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane (M.C. Gainey) is always after the Dukes but their hot cousin Daisy Duke (Jessica Simpson) saves them when they get into trouble. Race driver Billy Prickett (James Roday) challenges the boys to car race. However their car is wrecked. 

Luke and Bo Duke

Daisy Duke

Jesse Duke

Boss Hogg (Burt Reynolds) plants fake evidence to confiscate Jesse's farm. Boss is also stealing the surrounding lands. The Dukes steal Boss Hogg's safe full of soil samples and head to Atlanta to analyze the contents. Maybe Dukes' friend geology student Katie Johnson (Nikki Griffin) can help. Mechanic Cooter (David Koechner) has repaired General Lee and upgraded it a bit. The painted Confederate flag on the roof of the car raises attention in the city. 

Boss Hogg

Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane

General Lee

Boss plans to open a strip mine. The Dukes will not allow it but they end up in jail. Daisy helps them escape. Many car chases ensue and the Dukes have also the car race to win. 

This is quite fun update of the 1980s show. It pays homage to the classic hillbilly car chase comedies. Sure it is quite low brow and stupid but fun with good car stunts, hillbillies and moonshine. The plot is quite faithful to the spirit of the series with the Dukes foiling yet another scheme of Boss Hogg. Genre veteran Burt Reynolds leaves the driving to new generation. The Narrator (Junior Brown) tells about the exploits of the Dukes. Knoxville and Scott have fun as the crazy cousins. Willie Nelson tells bad jokes and Jessica Simpson looks good as Daisy Duke, who uses her charms to get the information she needs. Director Jay Chandrasekhar has cameo role as campus police. Joe Don Baker appears as the Governor.

Rating: Good

Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott, Alice Greczyn, Steve Lemme, Michael Weston, Mitch Braswell, Michael Roof, Jessica Simpson, Rusty Tennant, Dolan Wilson, James Roday, Heather Hemmens, David Leitch, A.J. Foyt IV, M.C. Gainey, Burt Reynolds, David Koechner, Willie Nelson, Jack Polick, Lynda Carter, Jim Cody Williams, Kevin Heffernan, Tammi Arender, Artist W. Robinson, Tenia Taylor, Bruce McKinnon, Lara Grice, Kristen Laird, Brittany Landry, Erica Lee, Crystal Barrett, Jillian Batherson, Kristen Broussard , Christina Dare, Amber Duke, Hana Dupre, Jenifer Rebecca Foster, Alexis Hebert, Tracey Mills, Nikki Griffin, Jacqui Maxwell, Jay Chandrasekhar, Erik Stolhanske, Charlie Finn, Thomas Elliott, Dremaceo Giles, Thomas Tah Hyde III, Wayne Douglas Morgan, Danny Hanemann, Tobi Gadison, Chris Richard, Dan Montgomery Jr., Therial 'Houseman' DeClouet, Emily Smith, Stacy Brown, Joe Don Baker, Alicen Holden, Paul Soter, Ritchie Montgomery, Kim Wall, Andrew Prine, Grace C. Gerber, Rip Taylor, Junior Brown Jamin Olivencia

Director: Jay Chandrasekhar