Summer is nearly here, so it’s time to crank up the AC, pour yourself a glass of sweet tea, and revisit the honky-tonk beatdowns of the Dukes of Hazzard movies.
Videos by Suggest
While die-hard fans of the good ol’ boys might prefer the classic CBS series (1979-1985), let’s not forget the cinematic universe it spawned. With two TV movies featuring the OG cast, a big-screen blockbuster, and a raunchy direct-to-DVD prequel, there’s more than enough blacktop-burnin’, short-short-wearin’ hijinks to go around.
The ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ TV Movies
Kicking things off is 1997’s The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!.
As the title suggests, it is a belated sequel to the series starring the original stars of the show. The TV movie, which aired on CBS (and fueled by popular reruns on cable), has some fun updating the young hellraisers as adults.
Bo’s a NASCAR driver, Luke’s a smoke jumper, and Daisy’s at (ahem) Duke University after a failed marriage. Back in Hazzard, Boss Hogg has passed on, leaving the bumbling Roscoe P. Coltrane in charge.
The plot offers a pretty good excuse to bring the gang back together again: saving Hazzard Swamp and Uncle Jesse’s farm from a crooked developer who wants to build a theme park. To stop the plan, they’ll have to dust off the General Lee and win a cross-country moonshine race. Complications ensue when the developer stops at nothing to prevent the Duke Boys from competing. Yes, Daisy gets kidnapped.
The fun TV romp can be rented on Amazon Prime for $3.99
Next up, we have 2000’s The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood. As you might expect from the title, the plot of this one switches things up with a fish-out-of-water story.
The Duke Boys head to Hollywood to sell some tunes and save Hazzard County Hospital. Naturally, their recordings get swiped, forcing them to dodge a colorful cast of hitmen, loan sharks, and Russian mobsters.
Meanwhile, the opening credits certainly set the tone. They feature sizzling footage of the Duke Boys making out with hot blondes and a bikini-clad babe pressing her… assets against the General Lee’s window as she gives it a wash.
This one was less of a hit than its TV movie predecessor, but don’t let that stop you. If you’re feeling brave, you can rent it on Fandango for $9.99.
The ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ Theatrical Flick and Its Direct-to-DVD Prequel
Of course, the start of the 21st century saw beloved IPs getting remakes and prequels.The Dukes of Hazzard got both.
In 2005, a full-on big-screen film featuring a new cast. On paper, there’s a lot of fun ideas here. Johnny Knoxville and Seann William Scott seem like fun comedic casting as Bo and Luke, and Jessica Simpson at least seemed game to fill Daisy Duke’s denim shorts. Plus, you had legends like Willlie Nelson as Uncle Jesse and Burt Reynolds as Boss Hogg.
However, maybe the weirdest thing about this Hollywood remake is a bit from the red carpet premiere… It featured an uncanny valley wax statue of Simpson as Daisy Dukes that seems like it’s melting infront of the snapping cameras…
Red carpet hijinks aside, this one is widely available to rent via stream services like Amazon Prime, YouTube, and Apple TV, all for $5.99. It’s also free with commercials on Tubi.
Finally, we have 2007’s The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning. With the 2005 film being a modest success, but not big enough to bring the high-profile cast back, the powers that be went the prequel route. Well, they did get Willie Nelson back… but everyone else is recast with slightly younger actors
That said, the premise goes back to basics. A now-teenage Bo and Luke Duke spend their first few weeks in Hazzard County getting into all sorts of trouble, running moonshine to save Uncle Jesse’s farm. The casting adds a little fun, with Happy Gilmore‘s Christopher McDonald as Boss Hog and comedian Harland Williams as Sheriff Roscoe. Plus, this one also adds a bit of unrated sleaze that its PG-13 predecessor lacked.
However, you don’t have to grab the DVD to check this one out. It’s available to stream for free over at Tubi.