While many fans of classic television remember Dukes of Hazzard fondly, the same cannot be said about the 2005 film of the same name.
That goes for the original show’s star, Tom Wopat, too. Considering how poorly the movie did from a critical and commercial standpoint, it only makes sense.
While the film did end up hitting $109 million at the box office, it took a while to do so, only hitting $30.7 million in its opening weekend. Further, the production has been considered a dud by professional and amateur critics alike, with a 33 percent score on Metacritic, a 14 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 5.1 on IMDB.
So it should come as no surprise that Wopat slammed the film in a unique and hilarious way back in 2016. At Salt Lake City Comic Con, Wopat and co-stars John Schneider and Catherine Bush, were asked a question about the film.
Before a member of the audience can finish their question, Wopat raspberries loudly. So that’s a good start.
When she does finish, Wopat is the first to answer.
“I didn’t watch it because I told people it would be like watching my ex-wife go out on a date,” Wopat starts. “I feel like they missed the point of what [the original show] did. Our thing was kind of a Robin Hood thing and that was a slacker movie. Those guys had, there was no higher motive to anything they were doing.”
Sheesh. Wopat doesn’t pull a single punch in the video, and, many would say, rightly so.
The Original Dukes of Hazzard
The original show took the country by storm when it first aired in 1979. At a point, the show only ranked second in the ratings to hit soap opera Dallas. This made sense, as the program was captivating audiences with tales of the Ewing family.
The adventures of Bo and Luke Duke was something TV audiences adored, as the pair made their escape from the law time and time again. It was a sign of an interesting pivot, as two characters who would classically be described as criminals were instead framed as protagonists.
This was, primarily, due to the fact that the show’s antagonists, Boss Hog Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane were corrupt cops. When you can’t trust the law, you can only trust yourself and the Luke boys embodied that.
After seven successful seasons and 147 episodes, Dukes of Hazzard came to an end on February 9, 1985. Fans still cherish the show to this day, and attempt to ignore the Jessica Simpson-flaunting remake.
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