Truly Dreadful Film

recommended

I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

I saw all the Herbie/Love Bug movies as a kid and they did not insult my intelligence as this one did. Believe it or not, the special effects were better in the 60s/70s films because they were not as obvious. Just seeing Herbie pull a sad "face" every time someone insulted his looks or ability to race was enough to make me want to vomit. After the "sad headlights" eyes effect was shown for the tenth time, I was tasting my breakfast rise up my throat, ready to puke it up and out.Just as a contrast, in the 1968 Dean Jones original, Dean buys a souped up race car halfway into the movie after Herbie wins some race(s) for him first. Later that night Herbie slams the crap out of the new racer out of jealousy and contempt. It was actually kind of frightening as a youngster to see that scene where a car can "kill" if it is pushed too far, like in a horror film.This incarnation is Herbie as a brat who pees oil on anyone who dares to question its ability to perform and win. After a third of this movie, I would have taken a blow torch to Herbie until his "sad eyes" stopped functioning. I don't care if Herbie wins the race. This is not the same love bug from almost 50 years ago. They even give Herbie a "girlfriend" car who also drives on her own. Give me a break. Avoid at all costs, unless you swallowed some poison by accident and need to throw up quickly.

Herbie the Love Bug Number 53 has fallen on tough times. He's in the junkyard ready to be scraped. Ray Peyton Sr. (Michael Keaton) is struggling with his son Ray Jr. (Breckin Meyer) to pay the bills racing. Sr. takes his daughter Maggie (Lindsay Lohan) out to buy a car from the junkyard. Tomboy former street racer Maggie wants a muscle car but Herbie intervene. She and her old friend Kevin (Justin Long) fix up the Bug. Despite promising her dad never to race again, she gets into a street race with arrogant top racer Trip Murphy (Matt Dillon) as the mysterious Maxx.It's going for the same silly family fun as the originals with limited success. A couple of things bug me. The first is Lohan's constant squealing. It may be cute for some but it gets a little annoying. The second is that everybody goes nuts over Maggie making an offhanded comment about liking Trip's car. The CG Bug isn't quite the same charming old VW Bug. The movie probably needs a good comedian to clown around. This is OK but not that good.

If you end up watching this, you will probably be like me in saying that it starts off great then gradually begins to suck. It holds the attention but demands complete suspension of logic. Maggie Peyton, the new owner of Number 53 - the free-wheelin' Volkswagen bug with a mind of its own - puts the car through its paces on the road to becoming a NASCAR competitor. Fortunately the director lets the actors breathe and the music lets the atmosphere live. From an artistic standpoint, there were some plot elements and character developments I didn't think were totally needed. They do however drive the story, which seemed to be their purpose, so I can accept them. My final rating for this is 7 out of 10.

This latest Herbie movie is worthy to stand proudly with its forebears. Like the Dean Jones original, "Herbie Fully Loaded" is charming in every way. Ms Lohan is more than adequate and appealing, Justin Long is appealing and charming, Matt Dillon is a fine villain, Michael Keaton makes a good Father and the rest of the cast is quite OK. Herbie, the lovable original VW Beetle, is a fine actor in this newest incarnation. He is more expressive but this only goes over the top once in the obvious CGI incident. The pathos of the opening scenes creates a real tension and suspense, even when one is sure of the outcome. The movie has at least one unpredictable moment, which, in an ancient franchise such as this one, is highly commendable. There is nothing here to shock a child and much charm, especially for anyone who has owned an air-cooled Beetle - and the final save-the-day solution is doubly hilarious for anyone who knows even a little about auto mechanics. Yet it is the genuine good-heartedness of this film that shines above all.