Herbie: Fully Loaded
Starring:
Lindsay Lohan, Michael Keaton, Matt Dillon, Breckin Meyer, Justin Long, Cheryl
Hines, Jill Ritchie
Directed by: Angela Robinson
Released in
the US on: June 22nd 2005
Released in the UK on: August 2005
Reviewed
by: Sir Dizzy, ZBoneman.com Start
your engines! Herbie, the most beloved car star of them all, is back. Maggie Peyton
(Lindsay Lohan, 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. As a third-generation member of a NASCAR family, racing is
in Maggie Peyton's blood, but she is forbidden from pursuing her dream by her
overprotective father, Ray Peyton, Sr. (Michael Keaton). When Ray, Sr. offers
Maggie a car as a college graduation present, he takes her to a junkyard to choose
one from an assortment of very used cars. Maggie has her eye on an old Nissan,
but a certain rusty, banged up '63 VW Bug seems to be clamoring for her attention.
To her surprise, Maggie leaves the lot with Herbie. As she prepares to leave town
for a position with ESPN News, Maggie discovers that Herbie has a mind of his
own -- and an alternate route for her future. 
I
have to admit the only reason I went and saw this movie was because I have very
fond memories of the series from when I was a child. The series didn’t end
well though as the movies quickly became bad sequels banking on a franchise name,
which I thought the newest Herbie, was going to be as well. I came expecting a
turkey and for the most part I actually enjoyed the movie, as it was cute, fun
and a breezy way to spend the afternoon. By no means could anybody call the movie
great, and the original Love Bug and one or two of its sequels were far better,
but the movie had me smiling from beginning to end. I wasn’t busting a gut
with laughter but I was entertained as I found myself wrapped-up in the utterly
silly world of a car with a personality who wins a NASCAR race. If anything the
movie tried too hard, it tried to appeal to the girls by casting Lindsay Lohan,
it tried to appeal to the boys with NASCAR and it tried to appeal to those of
us with nostalgia about the series, when it should have just stuck to its roots. I
am still not sold on why they had to cast Lindsay Lohan as the lead; it is almost
a cry of desperation to get the young teenage girls to come see the movie. Lohan
can be a good actress if she is given the right role - not the case with Herbie,
it was more of her baring her midriff than plying her wares. The movie would have
been a lot better off had it stuck to the formula of the originals rather than
trying to pander to a fickler modern day audience. The story was there, it was
fun and it was cute but the acting wasn’t there. Mat Dillon was terrible
as the villain of the movie, he almost seemed comical (in a bad way) at times.
Michael Keaton was the one lone star of the film as he does a good job as the
worried parent. I am sure I liked the film more from a nostalgic standpoint than
the actual film itself - but for its target audience, the tweens - the movie should
introduce them to the fun world that was Herbie.
Grade:
B-
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