Herbie Fully Loaded (2005)

Herbie Fully Loaded

After 25 years resting in the Disney garage, Herbie comes out of retirement once again to enter another car race. Like at the beginning of the 1997 TV movie, Herbie is washed up and this time is resting in ‘Crazy Dave’s’ junk yard waiting to squished. That is until Maggie Peyton ( Lindsey Lohan) comes to find a car as a graduation gift from her dad (Michael Keaton).

She is supposed to be off to a grand job at ESPN but instead ends fills up her racing blood, paring off Herbie against big shot NASCAR jerk Trip Murphy (Matt Dillion). Like other Disney antagonist’s he hates the little car and is out to get it. Like other Herbie drivers, Herbie matches Maggie up with a love interest, who happens to be her long time friend Kevin (Justin Long). Like other Herbie movies, the little car gets depressed and almost gives up on living. Like other Herbie movies , Herbie defies the normal laws of gravity for cars and humans. Like other Herbie movies he enters into lots of races and wins. Like other Herbie movies he squirts oil on those he doesn’t like.

In Banana’s he fights a bull and an airplane. In this film he fights a monster truck. In Monte Carlo he fell in love with another car. Here he gets another chance. In ‘Rides Again’ he gets to chase the villain Alonzo Hawk around an office building full of suds. In this film he doesn’t chase anyone but manages to hit Trip with his hood and makes a face at him (in full CGI style). In the Love Bug, he got saved when Jim Douglas went looking for him. In FL he gets saved when Maggie comes looking for him. There are many similarities and differences in fully loaded.

To notice the differences you will have to watch the film. Fully Loaded has the look and feel of a 2005 film but still retains in a different sort of way the Herbie fun present in the other films. The original film and the first sequel are far superior to Fully Loaded artistically, comedically, and originality. But it is better then Monte Carlo, even though MC had Don Knots, and is as much fun in certain ways to Bananas. If you like the previous Herbie films, you might want to check out the tuned up version of Herbie, or you may want to retain your memories and keep Herbie: Fully Loaded in the garage. I know that is not much help in making a movie going decision but…. I fail to find a witty remark to go along with that sentence. I know that this doesn’t make for a good movie review ending but I’m all out of gas.

Maybe this will help though.

“As a whole, Fully Loaded is as predictable as any past Herbie installment or any underdog sports film for that matter. For most viewers, this is not a downfall because every mild twist and turn is overshadowed by a light comedic spirit that is mostly in tune with the charm of past Herbie films. Furthermore, who enters a Herbie movie expecting to be blown away, either by plot surprises or the generally unexpected?

Herbie: Fully Loaded feels like an older film placed in the modern world. Those wanting the universes of yesteryear Disney comedies and present-day cinema to mesh will mostly be pleased and amused with some consistency. From Ultimate Disney Review