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You've always got to be careful when reviving a classic character, no matter that the character in question happens to be a lump of rusting metal. There are few automobiles held in as fond regard as Herbie, the little Volkswagen Beatle with a big heart, which made its big screen debut in the 1968 Disney comedy, The Love Bug. Now Herbie is back after a long absence and ready to hit DVD just in time for Christmas. Angela Robinson's Fully Loaded sees Herbie retrieved from the scrapyard by Lindsay Lohan, currently carving out a name for herself in a handful of Disney remakes, including The Parent Trap and Freaky Friday. Robinson has refrained from replacing the vintage VW with one of those bubbly-but-bland modern beetles and Herbie: Fully Loaded contains all the family-friendly ingredients that helped make the franchise such a hit in the first place. Of course, the plot is basic, the message is life-affirming and there's nothing here to strain the synapses, but it's all good fun, and there are a couple of decent supporting performances from Michael Keaton as the serious but sentimental father and Matt Dillon the beaten race driver. One for after Xmas lunch. |
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