Convinced that Herbie is an outcast Transformer.

Now I am doubting whether or not I actually enjoyed the original run of the Herbie movies when I was a youth in the 70's. If they were cut from the same mold as this tired number, I can't believe I was snookered into watching it again. Everything about this movie just screams cheese. Her graduation ceremony, the way she gets Herbie, the fact that her family even HAS a NASCAR team when they can't even make it around a track in one piece, the coincidence of her friend being a mechanic...If people enjoyed this movie, I would recommend we get together and start writing a script for a Speed Buggy movie... How much of a dive has Michael Keaton's career and to a lesser extent Matt Dillon's to have to take on roles such as these. Lindsey better wake up and stop taking the Disney retread train out of town or she'll be done.

I grew up loving the original Herbie movies. I wasn't so interested in this one being too "new" and feeling it would be far from the style of the previous films. Also, reading that Dean Jones couldn't return also made me lose interest. Ironically, this sequel gave me something I had always felt was missing from the original movies. As much as I adore them, there was always a small part of the human-car relationship that bugged me (super mega fun pun intended!). Herbie would help his driver, but the partnership often felt one-sided. You get on a magic car, become a passive passenger, and win the race (if the car trusts and loves you). I am over simplifying things, sorry for that. One of the most common criticisms of this film is its dynamic between Maggie and Herbie, but that is actually what I loved most. For me, it is the first time in the series that the relationship truly feels like it reached a balance. Herbie learns from Maggie, even picking up tricks from her skateboarding style and adapting them to his own driving. Maggie learns to trust Herbie, but she never becomes a passive passenger. Sometimes she takes control, sometimes she lets Herbie lead, and together they become stronger than either could be alone. What I loved most is that they actually work as a team. They communicate, react to each other, compensate for each other's weaknesses, and share the journey rather than simply relying on a magical car to solve every problem. This is the partnership I always felt was missing from the earlier entries. The cast is excellent. Is it different from the classics? Absolutely. But I found it to be a worthy addition to the Herbie saga, and one that understands the heart of the character better than it is often given credit for. That said, there are a couple of elements that have never really worked for me, even in the older films. I've never been particularly fond of the romantic relationships between cars. It's not a major issue, but it is a concept I never connected with. I also have mixed feelings about the junkyard sequence. It is creative and often funny, but if Herbie has a soul, it inevitably makes me wonder about the other cars. Watching vehicles being crushed and destroyed feels surprisingly sad. Maybe that's because I've experienced that same feeling in real life when an object I cared about was damaged or lost. It's a strangely emotional reaction, but one that the film unintentionally brought out in me. Overall, I think this is a charming and underrated sequel that deserves far more love than it received. After all, Herbie is still there, giving us back the love we give him :) And this series is about loving something and feeling the love back to you. On this, Herbie fully loaded works great.

Lohan was so pretty back then, Herbie films are always entertaining.

A light comedy for fans of Herbie and Lindsay.