The Love Bug (1968)

Very disappointed :(

Best movie of this year hands down!

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Now I do remember Herbie being in the old promos of Disney Channel as a kid but never remember seeing his movies. Now to start with I'm thinking that Cinderella's fairy godmother or the three good fairy's made Herbie come to life. lol. I also like the paint job on him especially the patriotic look. This movie is also from 1969 the year Woodstock was around and the Beatles released their album Abby Road which is my favorite album from them. Now Herbie is a funny and an amazing little Volkswagen vehicle that anyone can drive. I also remember seeing Herbie in the Planet Hollywood restaurant in Disney World last year. He's also at the Disney All Star Movies Hotel. So when Jim Douglas first saw the car he thought it was a fine looking car, but didn't know about it coming alive until it came to his house. Herbie also brought Jim and Carole together. Also Peter Thorndyke the main villain play by David Tomlinson who also played Mr. Banks in Mary Poppins is obsessed with having the car for his own and turning it whatever he wants it to be. So during the El Dorado race he try's to get Herbie for his own by cheating but thanks to a few tricks up Jim's, Tennessee's, Carole's and Herbies sleeves and hubcaps they managed to beat Thorndyke and win the race. Tang Wu who owned part of the car after Herbie crashing into his meat stand in Chinatown gave Jim back Herbie and Jim and Carole got married and went in Herbie on their honeymoon. As for Thorndyke and his henchman Havershaw got reduced from car salesmen to lowly mechanics. This is a good movie for all families to watch for many generations and who are really into racecar driving. The Love Bug is definitely a Disney classic.

Amusing and funny first installment with the ¨Wolkswagen Love Bug¨ racing the tracks . Love Bug's outing in which Herbie is racing in competitions , it is full of pranks and car stunts that are great fun to see . Agreeable Disney's love bug Wolkswagen plenty of action , slapdash , laughs and entertainment . This hilarious Herbie story concerns about The Love Bug falls 'hood-over-wheels' for a classy chassis! . It deals with a down-on-his-luck race car pilot named Jim Douglas (Dean Jones who also plays the role of the hippy in the drive-in scene), who lives in an old run-down fire mansion in San Francisco with his partner , an occasional alcoholic mechanic called Tennessee Steinmetz (Buddy Hackett) . One day, Jim goes to a car seller and surprisingly sees a rare Volkswagon Beetle with a unusual problem, it tends to drive on its own will . Then, Jim and Tennessee who dubbed the car "Herbie" fixed it and now is under control . After that , Jim used Herbie for notorious international races and he was rising to fame and fortune , turning more successful in racing . Later on , Thorndyke (David Tomlinson) wants Herbie back, but Jim refuses and Thorndyke wishes to compete against Jim in the races, then he sabotaged Herbie before a car race so , he can vanquish . As the backdrop in the race scenes is of the Riverside International Raceway . Then, a big race was coming up and Herbie, the Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own undergoes the famous international car race called EL Dorado but encountering all sorts of comical obstacles along the way . Jim and Tennessee along with Thorndyke's previous assistant named Carrol Bennet (Michelle Lee) , repaired Herbie before the race . The trio are determined to win Thorndyke in the El Dorado, but he will swindle and trap to make sure that they do not win . Fortunately, the couple of pilots have a sleeve in the form of Herbie , the fantastic car , as they take the magical Wolkswagen Bug with a mind of its own as both of them compete in the notorious race and attempt to beat . So the two rogue pilots (Joe Flynn , David Tomlinson) resort to all manner of cheats , legal or otherwise, to get it and are now attempting to get them back . There is one obstacle however : Herbie . Miraculous Herbie take them for a ride and stumbles into evil hoodlums who pursue through roads and race tracks . As always, Herbie the love bug , is helping the young couple (Dean Jones , Michelle Lee) find romance but encountering all sorts of hilarious problems along the way . Herbie with the number 53 intervenes in the biggest car race and win the Grand Prize , a challenge among top competitors circle the world's most famous racing circuits and quickly slipping in the ranking.This delightful Disney comedy displays great loads of amusement , fantastic race cars , slapstick , fun , giggles , chases are great fun to watch and being pretty entertaining . It's an enjoyable movie for kids and for those who enjoy cars racing round and round and bounds and leaps carried out by Herbie . Herbie The Love Bug was a 1963 Volkswagen Beetle deluxe ragtop sedan painted in Volkswagen L87 pearl white. Under normal circumstances, the interior would be a matching white. However, Herbie's interior was painted a special non-reflective grey color so the camera and studio lights would not reflect . The actors seem to enjoy immensely , as Dean Jones and Buddy Hackett play of sympathetic manner and the mean-spirited villains performed by David Tomlinson Joe Flynn are top notch. Colorful cinematography by Edward Colman and jolly soundtrack by George Bruns including the lively leitmotif , usual in the Herbie's series. This is a delightful film , this original entry is followed by ¨ Herbie rides again (1974)¨ also by Robert Stevenson and starred by Ken Berry , Stefanie Powers and Helen Hayes ; it's followed by ¨Herbie goes to Montecarlo¨ with Dean Jones , Don Knotts and Julie Sommers ; followed by ¨Herbie goes bananas¨ (1980 , or Herbie Torero) by Vincent McEveety starred by Charles Martin Smith and Cloris Leachman , among others and a 1997-for-television-movie with Bruce Campbell and John Hanna and a TV series , the most part filmed by Stevenson and Vincent McEveety and usually starred by Dean Jones . Furthermore recent version starred by Linsay Lohan , Justin Long and Matt Dillon , being directed by Angela Robinson. This first version " Love Bug ¨ results to be the best version , it is amusing story with lots of laughs but is a familiar film . The motion picture is correctly directed by Robert Stevenson . He's an usual craftsman from Disney productions who achieved for the famous company its greatest successes such as ¨Mary Poppins¨ , ¨Bednobs and broomsticks , ¨Gnome-mobile¨, ¨Herbie rides again¨ , ¨Absent-minded professor¨, ¨Son of Flubber¨, ¨Shaggy DA¨ , ¨That darn cat¨ , ¨One of our dinosaurs is missing¨ and many others . Rating : Acceptable , 6,5 , worthwhile watching . Amusing and engaging film with effective combination of primitive special effects , live action , adventure , fantasy and humor . The children will get a kick out of this typical Disney film ,it's a great fun to watch and there are loads of entertainment in this one . It' one of the best and funniest of ¨Herbie¨ series

I had seen the modern Lindsay Lohan/Michael Keaton remake of the classic collection of films about the living car, Herbie: Fully Loaded, and it was right I should see the first of the old ones, from director Robert Stevenson (Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks). Basically down on his luck racing car driver Jim Douglas (Dean Jones) and his friend, occasionally drunk mechanic Tennessee Steinmetz (The Little Mermaid's Buddy Hackett), live together in an old run down fire house. One day Jim goes to a luxury car dealership and wants something in a rather low price range, but mean dealer Peter Thorndyke (Mary Poppins' David Tomlinson) has no interest in helping him. Then Jim spots a strange car, an old Vauxwagen Beetle, and after managing to take it away with him, it proves to be an unusual car, it has a mind of its own driving where it wants to. He believes Thorndyke planted the car on purpose, but dealer assistant Carole Bennett (Michele Lee) proves the car is a good purchase, only to discover the car is living as well, and Jim has found a love interest. After being fixed up Jim, and given the name "Herbie" by Tennessee, the car is more controlled by its driver, and with a high speed they start racing to be champions, against Thorndyke, who wants the car back. After Thorndyke sabotages one race to win, the big race called the "El Dorado" is on the way, and there is a point when you wonder if Herbie will go to it, but after the apologies, he does. So the two lap gets started, with Thorndyke seeming to cheat his way to the lead, but Jim, Carole and Tennessee in Herbie manage to catch up and eventually win the race. Also starring Joe Flynn as Havershaw, Benson Fong as Mr. Wu, Andy Granatelli as Association President and Joe E. Ross as Detective. The car doesn't have as much personality as perhaps the remake version does, Tomlinson makes a reasonably mean villain, like a live version Dick Dastardly, and the jokes are alright, it is something the family will enjoy, an alright comedy. It was number 94 on The 100 Greatest Family Films. Good!

What to say about this movie its so good and well made its so amazing Disney put more time on this movie then he did with any other Herbie films this one has to be the best in the series its my favorite Herbie movie they put this movie on car who has a mind of its own and I really like Volkswagens and this one has a name he's name Herbie with love in the air and happens in is heart its very funny and fun and it looks so realist. I don't care how many people say how cheesy it is its a amazing Herbie you showed every one love and care you are very fast car you should really get 7.3 out of 10. I now what I am thinking this movie should be rated a 7.3 out of 10 for its true rating who ever rated a 6.3 out of 10 for this movie should be shot its the best in series and by for to be own DVD I have got it on DVD I have not seen it on DVD at the shops for couples time maybe its such a good movie. OK here are some changes I want to see on the rating for this movie I want to see a 7.3 out of 10 for its true rating OK thats good for me and for my rating I give this movie a 10 out of 10. very good this movie brought back one of my childhood.