Herbie Fully Loaded (2005) User Reviews

Agreeable Disney's love bug Wolkswagen after many years without adaptations

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 16 July 2007]

This comical Herbie story concerns about Maggie(Lindsay Lohan),recently graduated,she receives a gift from her father(Michael Keaton),instead a new car she takes a magical Wolkswagen Bug named Herbie with a mind of its own from a junkyard.Herbie takes her for a ride and stumbles into ¨Kevin car shop¨run a mechanic(Justin Long),a former friend from her.Maggie,Kevin and Herbie undergo a test drive and takes spontaneously place a race cars against the racer Murphy(Matt Dillon) and results to be Wolkswagen the winner.As always,Herbie the love bug,is helping the young couple find romance but encountering all sorts of hilarious obstacles along the way.Herbie with the number 53 intervenes in the biggest race cars located in Daytona to compete in the Grand Prize, acting as pilot Maggie substituting her brother(Brenkyn Meyer) ,a challenge among top competitors circle the world's most famous racing circuits and quickly slipping in the ranking.

This typical Disney slapdash film displays great loads of amusement,fun,giggles,race cars and is pretty entertaining.It's an enjoyable movie for kids and for those who like cars racing round and round and bounds and leaps by Herbie.The actors seem to enjoy immensely,Lindsay Lohan,a real star with ¨Mean Girls¨,plays of sympathetic manner and Matt Dillon as excessive villain is top notch.After several years with no rendition is shot this delightful film,the original film turns out to be : ¨The love bug¨(1969)by Robert Stevenson,followed by ¨Herbie rides again,Herbie goes to Montecarlo,Herbie goes bananas¨among others and a TV series followed,the most part filmed by Stevenson and Vincent McEveety and usually starred by Dean Jones. The actual version is amusing and with lots of laughs but is a familiar film .The motion picture is correctly directed by Angela Robinson.Worthwhile seeing ,it's a great fun to watch.

Disney's return to successful formula; some laughs...

[moonspinner55 · 5/10 · 11 November 2007]

Lindsay Lohan plays a Los Angeles college grad from a NASCAR family whose graduation present from pop Michael Keaton is the same '63 Volkswagen Beetle from 1968's "The Love Bug" and its horde of cinematic follow-ups. 'Herbie', a car with a mind of its own, not only gets Lohan back on the racing track, but plays matchmaker for her and a cute auto-mechanic as well. Not especially imaginative, but a nice family film with some mild laughs (one which is sweetly in-tune with its '70s roots). The story denouement is utterly predictable, and the performances are all phoned-in (Lohan is so enervated, she barely reacts the first time she realizes her car is possessed). Still, the pace is fast, the music selections bright, and the special effects are good. ** from ****

Fun if you don't take it too seriously.

[hoosierrevue · 6/10 · 24 June 2005]

Repeat the following prior to viewing this movie: "I will suspend my disbelief and dutifully accept all plot devices in order to maintain the sanity that would otherwise escape me were I to process events in the movie from a logical perspective." Because yes, Herbie, an old VW Bug, will compete in a NASCAR race and drive sideways on the fence--as seen in the previews.

Having said that, this movie is quite enjoyable when watched from such a standpoint. It's fun and innocent, but it carries the typical Disney fantastical vibe as well. I sometimes get annoyed with the cheesy ridiculousness of those types of movies, but then again, when I was a kid I thought they were wonderful. So, take that as you will.

Maggie Peyton (Lindsay Lohan) has just graduated from college and is about to happily embark on her new life as an ESPN writer. Her father (Michael Keaton aka The Dark Knight) and late grandfather own Peyton Racing, a NASCAR team in which her brother, Ray Jr.,competes. Unfortunately for the family, Ray Jr. (Breckin Meyer) lacks the racing talent that his father, grandfather and sister possess, and the team is now struggling to keep sponsors from backing out after numerous crashes and defeats on the track. Maggie dreams of racing for the team, but her father desperately wants her to use her college degree and leave the horrible world of racing behind. We're never really told why her father considers professional racing to be so lowly a profession, given that it produces dozens of respectable sports stars and, oh yeah, lots and lots of money; but, again let's stick to the original "suspension of disbelief" mantra, and we'll have no trouble with his opinion of the sport. Maggie comes across Herbie and quickly learns that the car has a mind of its own and can magically propel her and her family into fame and fortune on the racetrack.

The movie is complete with a standard garden-variety villain, Trip Murphy (Matt Dillon), a four-time NASCAR champion, who, despite being competent enough to win the Nextel Cup series four times, cannot keep his mind off an impromptu street race that he lost to Herbie. He acts like a jerk, flings insults at Maggie, and generally struts around like he's better than everyone, thus enabling the audience to despise him. Plus, he was like, totally mean to Herbie and called him a piece of junk! You just don't talk about Herbie like that, and I so kept hoping he'd get his comeuppance in the end.

I did like the movie, however, because from a certain standpoint it is enjoyable to watch. Herbie himself has several humorous moments, and I couldn't help but like him. Given that this wasn't a documentary it's forgivable in its transgressions on reality, which in the end make the movie more entertaining. It's lighthearted and doesn't attempt to beat the audience down with a message (ahem, Sharkboy & LavaGirl). I highly recommend Herbie: Fully Loaded for kids and for those who like cute and wholesome movies—if you're simply looking for a good pick-me up and a fun movie, then this is definitely one that you shouldn't miss.

Just...don't get caught up in the details.

Surprisingly agreeable

[Wizard-8 · 18 October 2009]

When I was a kid (long ago), I saw all four "Herbie" movies, and I can remember being kind of underwhelmed by them even at that tender age. In fact, I thought the last two of the original four were really lame. So I made it a point to avoid "Herbie Fully Loaded" when it came out. But it came on television recently, and I decided to give it a chance since I'd be seeing it for free.

I was surprised. Now, I will admit that the movie has its share of flaws. It doesn't explain why Herbie, in the time between the previous movie and this movie went downhill as a racer, and why Herbie had been forgotten by the racing community (and its audience) - you would think a Beetle that kept winning races would be remembered by SOMEONE! I could go on with listing its flaws, but I found its charms outweighed its flaws. For starters, the protagonists are very likable, down to earth and not annoyingly goofy. And Dillon's character of the rival racer was not broad and instead more of a realistic villain.

The special effects are a mix of "old school" effects like the original movies used, mixed in with CGI. I actually found the combination worked, blending with each other well.

I'm not saying that this is a movie to actively seek out... but if you come across it while in a silly mood, I think there's a good chance you'd find it an agreeable way to pass the time.

Harmless, yet fairly humorless as well

[TheMovieMark · 5/10 · 23 June 2005]

I suppose I could just really rake this movie over the coals if I wanted to, but what's the point? It'd be like beating a physically handicapped kid in arm wrestling - it's way easy, but you walk away without really accomplishing anything, and you feel kind of bad afterwards.

Plus, I'm not exactly part of the main demographic for this movie, and if you aren't part of the demographic, then why would you even consider paying money to see it? What are you expecting? This is a movie about a lifelike car that spits exhaust in the faces of bad guys, leaks oil on their bad guy shoes, and opens its trunk, doors, or glove compartment whenever something needs to be revealed or somebody needs to be strategically hit in a slapstick manner. If those types of shenanigans send you rolling down the aisles in apoplectic fits of laughter then you're in luck. However, if you're like me and aren't quite so easily amused then you might want to veer your hard-earned dollars in another direction.

Even though I've never been a fan of the Herbie series, and this movie did nothing to make me a convert, there are some positives. The most important being that Lindsay Lohan is looking very good and is in fine pre-anorexia, pre-fake blonde form. She claims her current look (Ode De Skeletal Olsen Twin) is for a movie she's doing in which she plays a fashion designer, and she promises to put her weight back on. I hope so because she definitely looks better with a little meat on them bones! The second positive is that the entire cast is giving it their best. They're not given great material to work with, but at least they look like they're having a little fun. I'm quite sure Matt Dillon is well aware that this isn't exactly a step up from his previous movie, Crash, but he doesn't use that as an excuse to phone in his performance, so I have to give credit there.

I think they should've renamed the movie though. I would've suggested Herbie: Fully Loaded WITH MUSIC MONTAGES! Sheesh. I honestly don't think I've ever seen one movie with that many montages. At times I thought I was watching a series of Disney music videos. What in the world? Was this a prime example of avoiding dialogue? Oh well. At times boring, and never threatening to entice riotous laughter, Herbie at least moves along at a decent pace and is never quite so stupid that it's intellectually insulting, so I won't be too harsh. I'm sure it's loads of fun for the really young (under 7). However, when I asked my 10-year-old brother what he thought of the movie he replied, "It was OK." When I asked if he thought it was funny he replied, "Kind of. I guess." Not exactly a ringing endorsement but not a total condemnation either.

Low On Gas

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 5 February 2009]

Four films were made by the Disney Studios with Herbie the enchanted Volkswagen during the Seventies and Eighties and the little car with a heart proved to be quite a money maker. So much so that the Disney Studios decided that once more around the NASCAR track was a good deal for the Magic Kingdom. They even got the current teen queen Lindsay Lohan to star in this one.

One thing you can bet on, with her current publicity both with her substance abuse problems, her parental problems, and all the speculation about her sexual orientation, Lindsay's pretty well gone as a star of G rated movies from Disney. I hope her adult career which shows a lot of promise with Georgia Rule is a big success for her.

She's outgrown Herbie for sure. In this film she's the daughter of former NASCAR great Michael Keaton and she'd like to follow him. But he being the old fashioned type says do more girlish type things. A trip to the auto junkyard for a used car brings her in contact with Herbie who seems to have fallen on bad times. But it's an instant karma for Lindsay and Herbie. He even brings about a reunion of Lindsay with a former boyfriend who is a mechanic. Talk about one practical thinking bug.

Villain of this film is NASCAR driver Matt Dillon, one rather arrogant individual who Herbie shows up. And Dillon KNOWS it's the car outsmarting him, that it's haunted somehow, but of course like in all these films can't get anyone to believe him. He uses some psychology on Herbie and it almost works though.

Herbie Fully Loaded is nothing special, the franchise has run low on gas with this one. Back in the day such folks as Don Knotts and Buddy Hackett were great foils for the car, but they're gone now and no one took their place for this film. Still Lindsay's fans will appreciate though I'm sure she's glad to be doing more adult stuff now.

Bring YOUNG kids to this

[flesh-6 · 4/10 · 24 June 2005]

I can sit through this movie once, but I doubt I could make it through a second time. Mildly entertaining mainly for the physical presence of Lindsay Lohan. The fun of Matt Dillon(think Something About Mary), and the re-emergence of a more serious acting Micheal Keaton. This is not the fun romp The Love Bug was but it is watchable. One of my main detractions from the movie was the fact that Herbie had evolved into R2D2 antics for the most part. I was bored with the headlight eyes effects about the second time of the 30 or so times they were used and the bending front fender caused the same reaction from me. Go see this with your little ones, i.e. the "single digit bracket" kids and don't expect a lot from this film.

_X

Delightfully Cute

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 15 September 2008]

When Maggie Peyton (Lindsay Lohan) graduates from college, her father Ray Peyton Sr. (Michael Keaton) gives an used car from a scrap metal yard as a gift, and she takes a 1963 Volkswagen beetle with the number 53. Maggie finds a letter in the glove compartment telling that the bug's name is Herbie and she visits her friend and mechanic Kevin (Justin Long) to check Herbie. They go to a car show where they are challenged by the arrogant champion racer Trip Murphy (Matt Dillon) for a race. Maggie and Herbie win Trip, and the revengeful pilot plots a scheme to take Herbie from Maggie.

"Herbie Fully Loaded" is delightfully cute and a magnificent family entertainment. The story is predictable, corny, but mainly adorable. The sweet Lindsay Lohan is perfect for this type of role, and Matt Dillon performs a great villain. Take the popcorn, join family and friends and have a good-time watching "Herbie Fully Loaded" on DVD. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Herbie, Meu Fusca Turbinado" ("Herbie, My Turbined Beetle")

Save your money

[tonygarzami · 1/10 · 31 July 2005]

I went to see this movie with my 17 y.o. daughter. I insisted we go the matinée showing, not because I'm a tightwad, but just feeling I had. In the NASCAR spirit, this is a sponser's dream. SO much blatant advertising, it almost qualifies as an info-mercial, if it weren't for the so-called acting. Keeping with tradition, the Herbie franchise continues with its cheesy story lines, the car is only a 'vehicle' (no pun intended)for this cornball of a motion picture. Earlier Herbie installments (although cheesy as well) were produced during more serious times, making them a little easier to digest. Ms. Lohan, Disney's reigning drama queen, has little acting ability. I was surprised that Mr. Keaton and Mr. Dillon would get involved in such a project. Only the snack bar, was a bigger ripoff!

Good family movie... but has some problems for film buffs

[Fear_Mage · 6/10 · 18 June 2005]

The first thing I want to say about this movie is that after the opening credits it has about 5 to 10 minutes of THE WORST acting (save Halle Berry's friend in Catwoman). BUT if you wait this out, you'll at least be entertained by the movie.

Herbie: Fully Loaded is definitely a family movie. If you're not going with a family, or aren't a long-time Herbie fan, wait until it's on DVD. Herbie is chock full of family-friendly humor and a tried-and-true Disney style storyline.

What's the story in a nutshell you ask? Well, Lindsay Lohan just graduates from college (no that's not a typo, they actually expect us to believe Lindsay Lohan is about 22, not the 18-19 that she looks.) Her father, Michael Keaton, takes her to a salvage yard to find a car for her graduation present. She finds Herbie, Herbie finds her, bing-bang-boom, she street races a NASCAR pro, Matt Dillon. Yada-yada-yada, stuff happens, typical Disney finish.

Now I had two MAJOR issues with the movies. First of those being that whenever CGI is used it is Blatantly obvious. Sometimes non-CGI effects are obvious too! What do I mean? In one shot where Herbie is doing some tricky driving, an incredibly mannish stunt driver in a ugly wig can be seen doubling (although silhouetted) for Lohan in Herbie.

Two, there are plot holes galore. I can't think of any off hand, but I remember noticing things that happened that didn't make much sense.

Also, this movie has some of the BEST MUSIC (compilation wise) I have ever heard in a movie. I'm not good with names of bands and songs, so I'm not sure if the good songs are on the soundtrack, but if they are, the soundtrack is a definite buy for any classic rock fan. If you completely ignore this review and see the movie by yourself (or on a date) SPECIFICALLY listen for the music.

All in all, this movie is a good family movie. Don't expect it to win any awards. If you can deal with lackluster CGI, a dud of a beginning, and a standard Disney storyline, then you'll be pleasantly entertained.

6/10

Bad.

[joshening · 3/10 · 17 July 2005]

A failure. The movie was just not good. It has humor that 5 year olds that will not even giggle at. I mean, sure, some parts were amusing, but most of it is not. Lindsey Lohan is a great actress (and a bad singer,) and she should be working on better movies. The movie should have been aired as a Disney Channel original movie, that is FREE.

The only thing that was well done about this movie was the music. Nothing like a remade rock soundtrack to brighten up your day. These songs are so good. Especially Alyson and Amanda's Walking On Sunshine and Caleigh Peter's, Beach Boy song, Fun Fun Fun.

4 out of 10. If I gave it a ten, 9 of that would be the music and 1 will be the movie. Not worth your money, but the soundtrack is.

So much better than the bad reviews!

[cwhistorylover · 10/10 · 14 May 2020]

Great clean funny family film! Please ignore the critics and watch and enjoy this movie.

It's a movie made for the whole family, but the only ones who will be amused are the younger ones.

[eXtreme23 · 6/10 · 5 July 2005]

Herbie:Fully Loaded stars the gorgeous Lindsay Lohan. She's all over the tabloids now a days. But I'm going to talk about her movie. Herbie is the famous Love Bug. I personally haven't seen any Herbie movies, and the only reason I saw this one was because of Lohan. If there was another actress other than Lohan, I probably wouldn't be interested. Oh yeah-the movie! Herbie isn't as bad as some critics say it is. There were some scenes when I did get kind of lost in and I would be asking my cousin questions. I found Lindsay likable but she could've probably done something else.

Lindsay Lohan's last movie before Herbie was "Mean Girls" written by Tina Fey. That was a really funny movie and it sky rocketed Lindsay's career. The movie was edgier and more for teenagers. But she had to go back and make another children's film, and not only was it rated PG, it as rated G. But maybe she wants to do family films, but what I want her to do is something different. Maybe a horror movie would be good. Okay, enough with talking about Lindsay Lohan, lets go on with the movie.

Herbie:Fully Loaded is a movie made for the whole family, but the only ones enjoying it are the younger ones. Maybe some older audience will get easily bored. I didn't get bored. There were scenes I found entertaining, but nothing made me laugh, maybe a smirk or half a smirk. But the point is that younger viewers might enjoy this film. Not that I'm saying Herbie is a terrible movie, the critics made it look bad, but it's not. It maybe a good movie for the whole family to watch. Out of everyone, the ones who probably will least like it are the teenagers. I'm a teenager, and I still liked it, there's nothing wrong with it. Maybe kids in Elementart School will enjoy it even more. (6.5/10)

Spoiling it for everyone.

[inhumane_restraints · 1/10 · 19 September 2005]

I went to see this movie a couple months ago with some friends, and from the outset I found myself extremely disappointed. First and foremost, Herbie is entirely too anthropomorphic. All that smiling and frowning and settling on his chassis, and the actors pretending like they don't notice this possessed automobile (I think the ghost of James Dean, upon getting kicked out of heaven for being too rowdy, tried to possess a Porsche 550, like the one he died in, but was drunk on tequila and mistook the VW type 1 that was to become Herbie for his beloved death-mobile. Its just a theory.) It began with the opening scene, where Herbie "pees" on the fat man's foot. What would oil be doing anywhere near the front end of a VW? It would've made more sense, (and looked more like pee, probably why they didn't do it) if Herbie has just sprayed his leg with gas. Immediately following this, Herbie gets a flat on some carelessly left scrap. In the 1974 film entitled "Herbie rides again", in the final scenes, a sad, wrecked green VW drags itself off a scrapheap to help scare off Alonzo Hawk, with perhaps three wheels altogether, yet Herbie cannot limp out of a junkyard? I find that hard to swallow. I find the incestuous relationship between Herbie and the New Beetle distasteful, notwithstanding the fact that she is a distant cousin, mostly an Audi as a matter of fact. Why did the pit crew even have NASCAR spec tyres and wheels that would fit the classic wide spaced VW bolt pattern? Where did that little grease monkey get all the money to rebuild Herbie in the first place? Entering a VW Type 1 sedan in a Nextel cup race is a concept at which I scoff heartily. Scoff! The last time I checked, the 1963 VW was not a current production American family sedan with an OHV V8, though as I don't watch the news much, this may have changed without me realizing it. Anyone familiar with the layout of a boxer engine would scoff at the idea of a new beetle's valve cover being used as a replacement, they'd have had better luck (with me anyway) cannibalizing a Subaru, at least its the right layout. Whats up with that teeny little slutty skirt and the spike heels? Lindsey, your a cutie, but Chebus! I guess that one was for the dads in the audience. Also, I scoff at the idea that Herbie would over react so badly to that little tramp taking off in whats his face's Nextel cup "stock" car. In short, the entire movie was deeply flawed and I believe the original Herbie, (who is currently living the retired life in Lake in the Hills Illinois, BTW.) Would choke on his Irish coffee should he ever be witness to this travesty. So there.

Good clean unpretentious fun that is as charming and winning as it is silly

[bob the moo · 10 March 2008]

Maggie Peytton is not overly impressed when her graduation gift from her race driver father is a busted VW beetle. Planning to ditch it at a gathering of car fans, Maggie inadvertently finds herself in a promotional street race with undefeated NASCAR champion Trip Murphy. What nobody knows is that this little VW is none other than former sensation Herbie – sadly now confined to the scrap heap of history (literally). When Maggie wins, Murphy is outraged and sets out to engineer a rematch while Maggie tries to work out quite what it is about this little car that makes her drive so fast.

I think it is important to come into this film as a fan of the Herbie films rather than someone for whom the laws of thermodynamics must be rigidly applied across all film genres. I say this because much of the film is absurd and there will be those wringing their hands about the simply impossible moves that the little car makes, however these same people should also keep in mind that they are watching a film about a mischievous car that is alive. It is important to enter into the spirit of the film and, in fairness, Fully Loaded does help the viewer as much as possible by being wonderfully charming and disarming.

It doesn't really have a bad bone in its body and I must admit that I found it refreshingly clean family entertainment that was easy to enjoy even if it was just as easy to forget. Of course if you're not sold on this charm and find it grating or silly from the start then you should bail out because it will not get easier for you as it gets sillier the longer it goes on. Director Robinson delivers a good clean script really well, not making it post0ironic but totally hitting the innocent charm that made the character so good in the first place. Herbie himself is quite fun but it is the main cast that do the harder job of getting the mood right.

Ignore her real-life personae and just watch Lohan for what she does here and you'll find her performance to be quite good and fitting the film. Keaton, Dillon, Long and Meyer are all solid and provide the film with a professional feel in the cast. Overall then this is a fun and clean family film that is surprisingly charming and effective. Getting into the swing with it is important as the action is very silly at times and it is only if you are feeling it that you can forgive it. For me, I was right there with it and enjoyed it for the simple fun it was.

What a stupid movie !

[ppsfreak · 1/10 · 22 October 2005]

Damnit. I'm ashamed of Hollywood !! How did they approved such a stupid movie. The idea was good, but i THINK they could have made a few other scene's. I am happy i did not go to the cinema for this awful movie. I guess this was a real junk movie and i will never ever buy it !! 1 thing was good. Lindsay Lohan was hot. But for Breckin Meyer and Justin Long it was real back bad carrier step. Also i never had expected this kind of movie from Wal Disney.

Damnit. I'm ashamed of Hollywood !! How did they approved such a stupid movie. The idea was good, but i THINK they could have made a few other scene's. I am happy i did not go to the cinema for this awful movie. I guess this was a real junk movie and i will never ever buy it !! 1 thing was good. Lindsay Lohan was hot. But for Breckin Meyer and Justin Long it was real back bad carrier step. Also i never had expected this kind of movie from Wal Disney.

Another sign of Hollywood's downfall

[tommy_mcgee · 1/10 · 26 June 2005]

One word: Lame Who would watch this poor Hollywood excuse for entertainment?!? A prime example of how destitute and poor Hollywood has become with ideas, material, and everything else. They had to make a Herbie movie?!? Come on, it is such a silly story not meant to be taken for anything. We should have more movies like Being John Malkovich, or Shawshenk Redemption, or anything else other than remakes, sequels, different renditions, remakes of remakes, special editions, so on. My word for advice: Don't bother with this movie, there are better movies out there like Batman Begins, or War of the Worlds. Go spend your money on quality, not garbage.

Not Bitten by This Love Bug

[jimmylee-1 · 4/10 · 29 September 2006]

So, back when Herbie made his first appearance, I was perfectly happy watching Dean Jones mug away. I only wanted to be entertained for a few hours and eat overly buttered popcorn. Now, unfortunately, I have expectations of a riveting/delightful story whenever I watch a movie, if I'm not on some sort of medication. And this is another good movie for the medicated. There are no major laughs, no complex plot lines, no difficult twists. Herbie Fully Loaded is great for the fully loaded.

This was the first time I had seen La Lohan on the screen since she swapped places with Jamie Lee Curtis (I thought she was excellent in that), and I can't say I was terribly impressed this time around. Aside from her constantly changing and distractingly unnatural hair color, she just didn't ring true as the kid next door who had spent a lifetime hanging around road racers. Her 'need for speed' wasn't portrayed consistently in the film - perhaps it was elsewhere - she looked older than her part, and seemed to always be looking for something (a party? designer togs? new place to spend money?) off set. I couldn't see any chemistry with Justin Long; that romance seemed obligatory at best. The only time Lindsay appeared engaged was when she was interacting with Matt Dillon, who I thought was appropriately over the top as Evil Bad Guy Trip Murphy.

It was great to see Herbie again, and I loved the movie intro with material from the old movies. If Disney had popped out with some Car 53 jewelry, I might have worn some just to be loyal. His new feature (?) was a little inconsistent (does he channel the thoughts of his driver? Does he now skateboard?) but whatever. We all knew how it was going to end, but I do wish he had ended up with someone a little less dopey than Maggie. And my head still hurts from that lesson Maggie and we viewers had hammered home.

What would have made the movie worthwhile? Have the old Herbie in a real story with a real plot - at the very least, Herbie's as good as Lassie - but clearly that's asking too much. Why is it that Disney always goes back to the same well as "Herbie Goes Bananas" and "the Computer That Wore Tennis Shoes" when it comes to innovation?

I'm sure this was a great movie for kids and those with no expectations. For the rest of us....it's for when you have the 'flu and just can't take the suspense of Rear Window.

What a surprise, in a nice way.

[RatedVforVinny · 6/10 · 29 November 2019]

The lovable VW bug is back and better than ever before. A top family film, entertaining on all levels and for all ages (with lots of naughty jokes hidden in the sharp script). Matt Dillon playing an arrogant NASCAR champ, instructing his agent "Next time you take a girls number, get a photo, Iv'e done enough charity work back in Arizona!". Also the title seems to be referring to close ups of Lindsay Lohan, busting out of her low-cut racing top. Great fun and as good if not better than the originals. Also features loads of cameos by real NASCAR drivers.

Childish and dull

[MrTacchi · 3/10 · 29 June 2005]

Well, what can I say, I'm surprised that I made it through the whole movie. I just felt an urge to leave the cinema since the very beginning. Not that I dislike Lohan, but this one was really a bad film. Not funny, cute or whatsoever, all I was thinking during this childish and dull film was that I could have spent so much better my time and money.

Somehow, the idea of Herbie fitted so much better back in the 80's. Now is just naive and extremely unbelievable, even for a child. Kids aren't stupid, and they deserve a good plot and character development as well. I wonder why the filmmakers insists on bringing up idiotic ideas when it comes to shoot a "family movie". ¿Do they think that just because children are their main target, they have to reduce all the ideas to moronic behavior and clown jokes? Believe me, there's nothing in Herbie that a grown up should enjoy (besides, Lindsay Lohan's anatomy was "reduced "to please the audiences ¿can you believe that?). So, if you're not a 5 years old kid, stay away from this one.

Speaking of her, Lindsay should choose better her roles. She's not a kid anymore, and she's talented indeed ¿so why keep choosing this childish movies? "Mean Girls" was alright, because it was witty, but her latter movies had been so dull! I hope she realizes that her characters should grow up as she might as well.

I loved it!

[chris-1898 · 7/10 · 26 June 2005]

I grew up watching the Herbie movies and this one was an excellent addition to those silly old movies. If you're a Herbie fan, go see this movie, you'll have fun!

Lindsay Lohan was cute in this movie, and even Michael Keeton was decent as the NASCAR dad. Herbie himself had a lot more tricks due to CGI special effects, but I don't think these were overdone.

Sure, the plot was contrived and even outrageous at times, but so were the old Herbie movies back in the day.

It's a fantasy, so those looking for 'realistic' NASCAR racing should stay home. I mean, it's a movie about a car who comes to life and plays matchmaker and some guys are out there quibbling about NASCAR requirements? Come on.

It was good to see Number 53 back in action!

worst movie I've seen in ages

[mr_miskin · 1/10 · 27 June 2005]

Well being a student and someone who works in a cinema i see all the movies for free, this is both a privilege and a curse - in the case of Herbie fully loaded it was a curse!! The film is awful, I've seen less wooden acting in a forest, Lindsay Lohan cant act and the plot seems to be non existent...

the movie seems to rely on the use of well known actors and actresses to pull off what is otherwise a show of computer generated graphics i can see how it would be popular for small kids however having seen the original Herbie movies as a child i was mortified when i saw that they had given Herbie eyes and a mouth (the bumper moves like a mouth)..

in short id have preferred to have been given the almost 2 hours of my life i spent watching this movie back to watch something more worthwhile or even study

Captured the Spirit of the Original Movies -- Loved It!

[remotePortal · 10/10 · 26 June 2005]

First of all, let me say that I'm a 41 year old man who saw all of the original Love Bug movies with my mom growing up in Chicago.

This movie is an instant classic! It captured the fun spirit of the original moves--I felt like very little time had passed and the same magic was present in this movie. It's was fun, zany, cute, and endearing.

My nine year old daughter and I laughed and cheered through the whole thing. It's a solid 'A' rating and 5/5 stars in both of our eyes. We couldn't stop talking about how good it was after leaving the theater.

The acting wouldn't win an Oscar but was more than adequate for a kids' movie.

The story was well written. It did a great job bridging the past to the current time-frame. It was also pretty original and employed modern racing car themes like monster trucks and NASCAR.

I don't understand why the general public and professional critics are rating it so low. It's a kids' movie and likewise one has to have the correct mind-set when viewing it. I was swept away from the beginning and it kept me engaged. So many other movies these days have various flaws that keep coming to mind when you watch them; this movie was just fine.

Go see this movie with your kids. It's refreshingly clean and a blast!

A fun romp

[kolyanbogie · 7/10 · 24 June 2005]

While it's not going to go down in cinematic history as one of the greatest moments, it's fun and certainly worth the six bucks I paid to see it. I suspect viewers who are old enough to remember the original Love Bug movie will get more out of it, because there's a strong nostalgic appeal. Herbie emerges as a character more sympathetic than a lot of human characters! After hearing so much about Lindsay in the popular media, I was curious to see if there's anything behind the hype. There is. She is adorable, and although not the strongest actress, she is only 19 and will surely get better. Her look is a little different: reddish/brown hair and freckles. I was surprised to see how much Michael Keaton has aged.

the cinematic equivalent of dropping soap in prison

[suemac527 · 1/10 · 2 July 2005]

this film his a fully loaded sack of s££t. I was utterly surprised that a film could be a step down from the butt loaf that was Mean Girls, but this in fact takes a giant leap head first into a festering pool of sewage. After leaving the film i felt like i had devolved into an ape. it was so dumb. Lindsay lohan is about the worst actress on the face of the planet, save for my best friend Sam and she was involved in car accident three years ago and subsequently has became mentally impaired, but man can she do a mean star wars kid impression. my advice to all who value their faith that movies can actually be good sometimes. should avoid this because the moment the credits roll, your world will implode. i feel violated, abused by careless shoddy film making.