Herbie Love Bug: Fully Loaded

One of the first movies I saw when I first came to the US was Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo, at a drive-in when we were living in Livermore, CA. Since then, there has been a connection between the family, more through my brother, with that gutsy VW Bug with a mind and heart of its own, that blazed a trail through four movies. In fact, racing excerpts from those movies are shown in the opening sequences of Herbie-Fully Loaded, which has the famed racing Bug resurrected for the current generation.

Fully Loaded finds the famed Bug ready to be turned to scrap metal at Crazy Dave's scrapyard. He is rescued by Maggie Peyton (Lindsay Lohan), whose family has racing in their blood, as her grandfather's a racing legend. Her father is as well, and is trying to groom his son Ray Jr. to succeed him, but a series of crashes at the race track as well as a dearth of sponsors, dwindling by the minute, makes that impossible. Maggie though, had her own racing days in high school, and finds her true calling other than going to New York behind the racing scenes.

She gains an enemy in macho NASCAR champion Trip Murphy, played by Matt Dillon, when the ever-sensitive Herbie takes offense to one of Murphy's insults to him and scrapes the star's car with his rearview mirror. This leads to a race where Herbie beats Murphy, to the delight and surprise of the local racing fans.

Maggie's reaction to Herbie, pop-eyes and screams, as the VW shows her what he's made of, is akin to what every kid might have if a car did its own thing. Gradually, she recognizes that Herbie has a soul, as does her school friend Kevin, who runs a garage, and takes a liking to the car. She does learn of Herbie's sensitivity, when the car, hurt at something she says during another race with Trip, deliberately loses. This is nothing new, as in The Love Bug, when Jim Douglas, agrees to give up Herbie for a Lancia, only to find an enraged and betrayed Herbie ramming the Lancia. Herbie fuels Maggie's desire to race again, but her father (Michael Keaton) isn't keen on his daughter suffering injuries or even getting killed on the track, and forbids it.

Unlike the other movies, Herbie's headlights move, lowering down when depressed, as does his front bumper. And yes, he still does squirt oil at anyone mean. The corporate sponsors and video game tie-ins (Trip's new game) make this up to date for this generation. And when Herbie sees one of the new Bugs, a bright yellow one, Maggie says, "Herbie, I think she's too young for you."

As if remembering what Herbie's main passion was, it was a good move to show this as a racing picture per The Love Bug and Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo, and as such, the racing scenes are the best part of the picture, as is a scene when Herbie takes on a monster truck driven by a nasty thug at a car crash derby, set to Van Halen's "Jump." The names of Ray Peyton and Ray Peyton Jr. have syllabic similarities to another racing family-think Al Unser and Al Unser Jr. And having Maggie at the wheel also brings into mind Shirley Muldowney.

It's also great having two 80's film stars, Michael Keaton and Matt Dillon back in prominent roles. And mark this as one of Lindsay Lohan's better films along with the Parent Trap.

I still say The Love Bug's the best movie in the Herbie series, but Fully Loaded takes Herbie back to his roots without too much radical updating, and is better than Herbie Goes Bananas, so as such, it qualifies. Those who grew up on Herbie will definitely enjoy it.

I remember enjoying the original films, and was actually looking forward to seeing this film almost as much as my kids were. My only concern was that I was a little worried that the film was going to focus too much on CGI effects and turn Herbie into a goofy version of that awful 70's cartoon Speed Buggy. Instead, Disney simply updated all of the great things about the original. There was very little use of the CGI effects, and when done, it's done well. I have seen a couple reviews that complained that Breckin Meyer, Michael Keaton, Matt Dillon and the other human stars are relegated to minor roles in the film....so what? I wasn't there to see a Michael Keaton film, I'm in the theater to see Herbie kick some butt on the race track, smack people with doors, trunks, hubcaps, spit oil in the bad guys face etc. and that is what I got. Fully Loaded has all of the magic of the original series. This is one of the best Disney live action films to come out in some time. Long live Herbie!!!!

Herbie is back folks, "Fully Loaded" in this new motion picture staring Lidsay Lohan(Freaky Friday,..etc), Michael Keaton(Batman), and Matt Dillion, along with the ever lovable Herbie!!! Hey, I will admit I was a little surprised that the movie was as good as it was, and I like how they blended the whole Nascar themed racing into the movie, along with some awesome street racing( when The Fast and The Furious meets Disney in a pretty awesome combination!!!

Disney has all the bases covered in this one and make the movie fun for kids, adults, or plainly a troubled teen like me!!! This film will, be enjoyed by all ages and is worth seeing!!! The story starts off, with Maggie Peyton(Lindsay Lohan), a daring fearless chick with attitude, has a secert dream of racing in Nascar!!! She has just graduated from high school and begins her life!!! Her, dad (Michael Keaton) run a race team in Nascar that is barely surviving, and in need of a sponsor, with her older brother at the wheel!!! Maggie's dad has his heart set on keeping the legendary Peyton legacy alive, the Peyton racing dynasty!!!

Maggies' dad (Keaton) takes Maggie to Crazy Dave's Junkyard to pick out a car, if you're asking why, it's because of the shortage of money due to the racing team!!! Maggie has a hard time deciding which car to choose!!! When, Maggie gets behind the wheel of a car and dreams about being a race car driver, Herbie, takes a liking to her and sparks her interest!!! Well from their Herbie is a handfull, like all the other movies I recall!!!

Well, she falls in love with the car and her friend convinces her to get back into street racing!!! She hides her idenity as Max and ends up challenging Trip Murphy(Matt Dillion), the reigning Nascar champion, thanks to good ol' Herbie!!! Now this is what I mean when The Fast and the Furious meets Disney, in this great cinematic moment, when the Herbie a '63 Beatle beats a modified muscle car with the works!!! Trip, who plays the role as the villian, wants revenge from Max( really Maggie), and sets up a race tournment in the middle of the desert, for a huge grand prize!!!

Herbie soars through the ranks, of the tournment as usual!!! Trip approaches Maggie, knowing that she is actually Max and lets her drive his nascar, while he tries to figure out how a '63 beatle runs that fast, and Herbie has a few surprises for him !!! Then trip and Maggie make a side deal with these terms: if Maggie wins she keeps Trip's nascar, if Trip wins he keeps Herbie!!! Towards, the end Maxie quotes "I want that Nascar Herbie", and poor Herbie is hurt and stops trying and Trip wins!!!

In a chain of events she realizes that she wants Herbie and ends up rescuing him from a Destruction Derby, and takes him to her friends car shop and work on him!!! herbie ends up being ok!!! When her brother is qualifing for the race and gets in a crash on the second lap, the first lap though was enough to make the race!!! The teams sponsorship depended on this race, Maggies, brother won't be able to race!!! Maggie's brother suggest that Maggie ride in his place, her Father refusing, remembering the street racing crash from a few years ago!!!

Her brother, helps Maggie anyways and plays the role as crew chief, and they basicalliy fix up Herbie into a nascar, which was cool!!! Her dad finally does come around ,and all of Maggie's dreams finally did coming true, as she wins the raceand teaches, a little lesson to that Trip Murphy!!! Maggie and Herbie work together in this heart felt movie, that will teach you a lfew lessons about life, while watching a cute family movie!!!

This was a great cinametic experience and suggest to anyone!!! True, it is different from the original Herbie movies, and shows how racing as a sports has involved!!! This was pretty good non animated feature relesed by Disney!!!

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