Herbie Fully Loaded

Fortunes have changed for Herbie the 1963 Volkswagen Beetle who finds himself rusting away in a scrap yard. That is until Maggie Peyton (Lindsay Lohan) becomes his new owner when she gets the car as a present for her graduation. She soon realises that Herbie is a special car that has some human characteristics and seems to understand what's going on around him. He also has a mind of his own!

Buy this Poster at AllPosters.com

Herbie might ride again for a whole new generation, but I'm not sure that the new generation will be that impressed! The title Herbie Fully Loaded might sound updated but it's all fairly standard and predictable stuff, best described as harmless family fun. Not that's there's anything wrong with that, but it will probably appeal only to younger children and doesn't really offer much for the adults that will watch it with them. It's as if Walt Disney Pictures are applying a tried and tested formula - the feisty daughter, mother dead, overprotective dad, potential boyfriend and of course a nasty villain - wheel out Herbie for another spin and there you go!

Lindsay Lohan takes centre stage as Herbie's new owner and racing driver. She does add something to the movie but having starred recently in Freaky Friday and Mean Girls, which would have appealed to the young teenage audience, this movie is a bit 'kiddie-ish'. Perhaps she should have continued in the same vein with a movie that would appeal to her growing teenage fan base. She could definitely handle something more substantial and with more scope for her talents.

Matt Dillon plays the obligatory villain of the plot; Trip Murphy, the ace racing driver whose nose is out of joint when Herbie hits the track. It's one thing to be beaten, but to be beaten by a 1963 Volkswagen Beetle - it doesn't do anything for his over inflated ego.

Bottom Line: Harmless, silly, predictable family fun. Young kids will enjoy it but older kids mightn't be that impressed. If you, or more importantly the children, enjoy Herbie Fully Loaded you might also enjoy Princess Diaries 2,  Scooby Doo,  Good Boy, or Cats & Dogs.

Reviewed by Niall Quinn, Premier Movie Reviews 2005.

RELATED MOVIE REVIEWS: LINDSAY LOHAN: Freaky Friday,  Mean Girls.  JUSTIN LONG: Dodgeball,  Jeepers Creepers.

Genre: Family Comedy/Action

Director: Angela Robinson

Certificate: Herbie Fully Loaded was rated PG (Parental Guidance) by the Irish Film Censor's Office (www.ifco.ie) i.e. may be watched by unaccompanied children of any age but some scenes might be unsuitable for young children. Violence = mild. Drugs = none. Sex/Nudity = none. Language = none.

Official Movie Website: Herbie Fully Loaded

~ Main Cast ~

Lindsay Lohan

Michael Keaton

Matt Dillon

Justin Long

Breckin Meyer

Cheryl Hines