Film

The Dukes of Hazzard

Name: The Dukes of Hazzard
Genre: Comedy, Adventure, Action
Released: 2005
Cast: Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott, Jessica Simpson, Willie Nelson, Burt Reynolds

Other titles called The Dukes of Hazzard: the 1979 series (CBS).

Car-chase action
Crime
Light-hearted
Relentless

A hyperkinetic comedy about two cousins outwitting a corrupt Southern politician to save their family farm, built entirely on car chases, explosions, and the principle that nothing matters except the next stunt. It's pure spectacle—no pretense, no moral weight, just orange metal and mayhem. For people who genuinely love '70s Americana kitsch and don't need their comedy to be clever.

TMDb rating

2.8

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like broad, cheerfully dumb Southern caper comedy where the car chases are the point and the jokes land on loud, physical slapstick rather than sharp dialogue.

Skip it if you want a film with a tight plot or grounded stakes; the story is a loose frame for stunts, gags and a lot of noise, and the humour leans hard on silliness.

What it asks of you: Around ninety minutes of nonstop, bouncy momentum, with little pause for quiet and no need to follow anything closely beyond who is chasing whom.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby2006

Will Ferrell at peak absurdism in a world where cars and stupidity are treated with complete sincerity. Faster, louder, and funnier than Dukes, with a genuine emotional core underneath the chaos.

But Ferrell's brand of yelling works for some people and absolutely doesn't for others. Also, it's 40 minutes of NASCAR.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby poster

The Cannonball Run1981

The spiritual ancestor of this entire energy—a motormouth comedy about a cross-country car race full of famous faces doing bits. Made when stunts were real and movie star cameos meant something.

But Feels chaotic and dated in ways that will bore you if you're not nostalgic for 1980s pacing. Some gags land softly.

Rush Hour1998

Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker generate genuine chemistry while the film explodes around them. Comedy and action that actually need each other, not movies stitched together.

But If you can't tolerate Chris Tucker's mile-a-minute delivery, you're out. The plot is perfunctory.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Dukes of Hazzard

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Vanishing Point1971

Both films worship the American muscle car as a character and symbol, but Vanishing Point treats that worship as metaphysical rather than comedic—same church, inverted sermon.

A muscle-car odyssey across America with almost no plot—just a man, a Dodge Challenger, and the road. Hypnotic, meditative action filmmaking that proves car movies can be art without lecturing about it.

But Completely silent on dialogue for long stretches. If you need constant interaction and plot advancement, it will feel slow and frustrating.

National Lampoon's Vacation1983

Chevy Chase's everyman suffers catastrophically while trying to hold his family trip together. Comedy rooted in something real—failure, embarrassment, American delusion—which makes the chaos land harder.

But Slower and quieter than Dukes, built on cringe rather than spectacle. If you want relentless action, you'll get bored.

Speed1994

A movie that understands the pleasure of watching a vehicle move fast and people solve problems under extreme pressure. Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock + a bus that can't slow down. Pure kinetic joy.

But The plot is thin, and it knows it. Some people find that liberating; others find it unsatisfying.

The A-Team2010

Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, and two charismatic supporting players blow things up with the same careless energy. It's a film that understands it's a cartoon and commits fully.

But That commitment means it never asks you to care about anything. Some viewers need a reason to stay invested.

Point Break1991

Keanu Reeves joins a surf gang to catch bank robbers. The script is earnest nonsense, but the action sequences are genuinely thrilling, and Reeves' deadpan confusion sells the whole thing.

But It's very of the early '90s and takes itself seriously in ways that undercut the absurdity. Not as self-aware as Dukes.

Smokey and the Bandit1977

Burt Reynolds and a Trans Am outrunning police across the South. Spiritual DNA of Dukes of Hazzard—made in the era these boys were trying to replicate, with real stunts and genuine charm.

But Slower by modern standards, and the humor is gentler. If you want constant stimulation, it might feel thin.

CHiPs2017

Dax Shepard and Michael Peña banter their way through motorcycle chases in Los Angeles. It's lightweight and knows it, which somehow makes it work better than films that pretend to matter.

But Even lighter than Dukes—almost no plot, and the humor depends entirely on whether you like these two guys. Many viewers don't.

Duel1971

Both films make the car itself the protagonist and the landscape a character, but Duel uses that framework for existential horror where Dukes uses it for escapist joy—same formal idea, opposite emotional temperature.

Spielberg's feature debut: a man in a sedan hunted across America by an unseen truck driver. Pure sustained tension using a car as the entire story. A masterclass in what movie vehicles can do.

But There is no comedy, no relief, no spectacle—just dread building for 90 minutes. It's the opposite register from Dukes, and deliberately so.