A nice tribute to the two original "Love Bug" movies (Herbie, the Love Bug, and Herbie Rides Again).

While fun, the plot goes a bit beyond believable. The original movies had Herbie as a road/off-road racer. This one places him in a NASCAR race.

Also, the originals managed to give Herbie a personality without any F/X on his headlights/bumper. This film uses them. It uses them well, but I believe they are unnecessary.

That said, I thought it was a cute, fun film. My wife and I enjoyed it (the kids didn't want to go...).

Nice intro, though... even if it did use certain clips out of context, and I don't really buy Herbie's losing streak.

Also... for a top racing car, Herbie-vission sure has lousy range/peripheral vission... maybe that's why he lost? :-)

This is classic insanity for ya. The prudes take a fine healthy girl like lindsey and do that to her. Its no wonder girls have such negative self images.

At test screenings, some parents felt that Lindsay Lohan's character was too busty and revealingly dressed for a children's film. Disney technicians went back and digitally raised necklines on her shirts and reduced the appearance of her breasts by two cup sizes.

Trip offers to race Maggie for pinks. Only problem is that Trip most likely doesn't hold title to the car (unless he's the *sole* owner of the team). Of course, since we see the building of "Trip Murphy Racing", that may be possible.

"At test screenings, some parents felt that Lindsay Lohan's character was too busty and revealingly dressed for a children's film. Disney technicians went back and digitally raised necklines on her shirts and reduced the appearance of her breasts by two cup sizes."-anonreducer

According to the newspaper, this was an untrue rumor. Personally, I would tend to believe that more.

On further reflection:
The demolition derby was a fairly effective scene, if a bit goofy- what is it about showing Herby being abused that the film-makers love? herbie getting tossed overboard in "Herbie Goes Bannanas" was traumatizing as a child!

(Perhaps a part of my general dislike for this film stems from our family deciding to go for the 'experience' of one of the few drive-in theaters still operating in this state. Unfortunately, the sound system sounded like it was coming off of a 30 year old cassette tape that had been left in the over- the still notes of the soundtrack were almost hilarious in their warbling...)

Something did occurr to me yesterday, though. A big deal is made about Herbie's oil leak. (My father suggested wile we were watching the movie that the chasis is closed during a NASCAR race and such a substitution would not be allwed.)

Shunting this aside for the moment, some nice fake tension is built up with the idea that if the oil goes, THIS COULD BE IT FOR HERBIE!!! Dum dum dum!

Excuse me... isn't this the car the finished the race IN TWO PIECES in the Love Bug? The one that was thrown into the Panama Canal and nearly rusted solid in "Herbie Goes Bannanas?" The one that was cut in half the other way by a laser in "The Love Bug" remake?

And if he loses his oil, he's doomed? How does that work?

I saw that about lindsey lohan on IMDB, though without knowing for sure I'd believe it to be possible given disney co's image consciousness and some people's ability to overreact.

As for the oil leak NASCAR will let certain repairs during a race to be done but it isnt generally done if its too major a repair due to how hard it can be to get back into the running. Sometimes an oil leak can cause a driver to be pulled from the race as a hazard to the other drivers.

But as for herbie's oil. Maybe its magic oil and if he looses it all then there wont be any more magic left. I dunno.

I might take the family to go see this eventually when it gets to the danberry dollar saver but i havent liked a herbie movie since the first one with murrey and hackett.

Let me rephrase that sicne I first saw the love bug with Dean Jones and Buddy Hackett. I have no idea where i got fred murry in it. ANyhow I saw this on tv as a kid and have thought that all the rest have been getting more and more over the top as they went along.

"But as for herbie's oil. Maybe its magic oil and if he looses it all then there wont be any more magic left. I dunno."-R

I assumed it was supposed to be something like that... but you're telling me that's never happened, even with all of the calamities of the previous movies, or even the junkyard time in this one?

I duno its a kind of magic. I only work within the plot lines of the movie. The plot for this movie required the oil leak to be dangerous, the plot lines of the other movies required what they required.

I mean trying to get some kind of consistency or set of rules for the herbie universe from movie to movie is about like trying to spit into the wind without getting any on you.

And they say
You don't tug on superman's cape
You don't spit into the wind
You don't pull the mask of the ol' lone ranger
And you don't mess around with Jim

Shouldn't you have posted as Jim Croce instead of Josh Turner?

R, you've got an excellent point...

Oh, thank you...

Ah yes Jim croce most excellent choice.

This shows that Lindsay Lohan is a good actor.