Herbie Fully Loaded (2005)

Cute as a Bug

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Buy Herbie Fully Loaded on DVD.

Herbie, the lovable VW Bug who has starred in four theatrical films, one TV movie and a TV series, returns to the big screen again for the first time since 1980. After a successful racing career, Herbie goes to the junkyard, where a recent college grad, Maggie Peyton (Lindsay Lohan), rescues him. Maggie comes from a family of racecar drivers, though her uptight dad (Michael Keaton) would rather his son (Breckin Meyer) carry on the family tradition than his precious daughter -- even if she's the one with the talent. Nevertheless, Maggie quickly discovers Herbie's aptitude for both speed and troublemaking and winds up racing the current NASCAR champ Trip Murphy (Matt Dillon). The movie throws in a bit of romance, too, between Maggie and a shy mechanic (Justin Long), but the real relationship is between the cute Lohan, the petulant car and the audience. Director Angela Robinson (D.E.B.S.) has a huge affection for pop culture, both good and bad. She pulls out different styles, songs and moods like tools from a toolbox, throwing in a slo-mo car-building montage set to a Loverboy song, or a demolition derby set to Van Halen's "Jump," or a multiple split-screen to illustrate the mood of a real-life NASCAR race. Robinson also has a flair for her actors; Dillon plays a terrifically spiky villain not unlike his There's Something About Mary turn, and Keaton embodies the adrenaline swagger of a NASCAR dad, while Lohan discovers a new kind of introspective depth to her perky teen roles. Robinson also includes a few innocuously sexy moments that should please grown-up fans while not derailing younger viewers. Her fun permeates the entire film, and it's irresistibly infectious.

DVD Details: Disney's DVD comes with bloopers (with Lindsay Lohan screaming and breaking up a lot), deleted scenes, an alternate opening title sequence, a commentary track by director Robinson, a disturbingly suggestive Lohan music video ("First") and several featurettes. The audio is presented in 5.1, plus optional French and Spanish dubbing and optional French subtitles. The picture is mastered in 1:1.85 widescreen.

Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Michael Keaton, Matt Dillon, Breckin Meyer, Justin Long, Cheryl Hines, Jimmi Simpson, Jill Ritchie, Thomas Lennon, Jeremy Roberts, Patrick Cranshaw
Written by: Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant, Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, based on a story by Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant, Mark Perez and on characters by Gordon Buford
Directed by: Angela Robinson
MPAA Rating: G
Running Time: 92 minutes
Date: June 22, 2005