Herbie: Um Fusca em Monte Carlo

When you think about Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo raises some interesting philosophical questions. Such as how is the sex of a car determined? Are here certain part variations as there are with animals or is the sex determined by the owner?

You won't get the answer to these questions, but with Dean Jones as racing driver Jim Douglas back at the steering wheel you will get a reasonably fun movie from the Disney Studio. This is the third Herbie film from the Magic Kingdom and it lives up to the standard created by the first one.

Jones after giving the car over to the tender care of Helen Hayes in the second film is back at the wheel, this time with Don Knotts instead of Buddy Hackett as his mechanic. Though I like Knotts very much as a performer, something was definitely missing without Buddy Hackett in the film. You'd have to have seen the first to appreciate it, but Hackett was the first to discover the true essence of Herbie, the Volkwagen with a soul.

Dean and Don have several problems to overcome. The first is a pair of inept jewel thieves who nearly get themselves caught even with all the museum layout and security systems information. To avoid capture Bernard Fox and Roy Kinnear dump one very large diamond into Herbie's gas tank before the Grand Prix race from Paris to Monte Carlo. The second is an officious German driver who apparently well remembers that Volkswagen's were not vehicles of sport from the Third Reich. Eric Braeden is one of those Germans you just love to hate.

The final problem is Herbie who takes one look at the lines on the car Julie Sommars is driving and guess what, her car has a soul as well. I guess you needed a handsome, devilish may car, rogue like Herbie to bring it out. He also of course brings Julie and Dean together, though I do have to wonder what happened with Michele Lee from the original film.

Nice location scenery of France, the countryside and the metropolitan areas of Paris and Monte Carlo definitely help one enjoy this film even if you're not a devoted fan of the soulful Herbie.

It has been twelve years since Jim Douglas last won a race; in fact, it has been twelve years since he last drove a race but he has selected the prodigious France-Monte Carlo race to make their come back. Being greeted with laughter is a problem they can overcome but when Herbie falls in love with a rival car it means that he is distracted and more interesting in impressing her than giving his all. Mind you, even if they manage to get over that problem Jim and Wheely don't even know about the stolen diamond in their fuel tank or the international thieves chasing them to get it back.

Herbie films have never been about high production standards, character or plot and this entry in the series is no exception. The plot mixes one thread about a jewel robbery and another about romance. The former is the more enjoyable strand but it doesn't do enough to get the most out of it because it focuses more on the romance side of things. In regards Herbie, this at least provides some scenes that kids will find funny with the two cars, however it also brings tiresome bits between Douglas and Diane Darcy that aren't fun at all. It all does what you expect it to in all regards and there isn't anything special here but most of it is amusing and inoffensive enough for adults to watch while also being broad, visual and silly enough to keep children content.

Dean Jones is happy to mug along as usual and he does it well enough to fit the mood of the film; likewise Knotts pulls faces and gurns as much as he possibly can. Sommars is really rather annoying and has as little character as her character's ugly and charisma-lacking car. Herbie is amusing as ever and the film does well to draw a character out of the car without resorting to the cheap effects used by the modern entry.

Overall this is not a great film but it is an enjoyable kids movie and should be viewed as such. It is delivered with consistent good humour even if it has no surprises or laughs to really speak of. Adults might get bored of it easily but are unlikely to be annoyed by it, while children should be amused and distracted by the inoffensive antics.

Well what can I say about "Herbie" the good old vw with a humanside. Nothing much but, all that I can say even if I happen to watch this movie now I would for sure enjoy every fun moment of it for anyone who still has not seen the "Herbie" series go out and rent it. I am sure it will bring back the kid in you!!! or if you are a kid then you will surely like it.

Herbie goes to Monte Carlo is my first favorite "Herbie" film. My favorite scenes were: The scene when the diamond thieves are chasing Herbie through the French country side and my other favorite scene was when Dean Jones and Don Knotts got into a fight with the diamond thieves. The whole movie is funny but I thought those were the funniest scenes. Don Knotts is hilarious as usual, just like on the "Andy Griffith" show.

A cute scene I liked was when Herbie was taking a shower from the splashing water of a big fountain.

Love Bug's third entry in which Herbie is racing in the Monte Carlo Rally , it is full of pranks and car stunts that are great fun to see . Agreeable Disney's love bug Wolkswagen plenty of action , slapstick , laughs and fun . This hilarious Herbie story concerns about The Love Bug falls 'hood-over-wheels' for a classy chassis! Herbie, the Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own undertakes the famous international car race but encountering all sorts of comical obstacles along the way . Unbeknownst to Herbie's driver thieves (Ron Kinnear, Bernard Fox) have hidden a cache of stolen diamond in the gas tank . So the thieves resort to all manner of traps , legal or otherwise, to get it and are now attempting to get them back . There is one obstacle however : Herbie and a French Police Inspector (Jacques Marin) is investigating the robbing . Fortunately, the couple of pilots (Dean Jones, Don Knotts) have a sleeve in the form of Herbie , the fantastic car , as they takes the magical Wolkswagen Bug with a mind of its own . The VW falls in love with a sports car, a Lancia , as both of them compete in the notorious race . Miraculous Herbie take them for a ride and stumbles into evil hoodlums who pursue through roads , highways and race tracks . As always, Herbie the love bug , is helping the young couple (Dean Jones ,Julie Sommars) find romance but encountering all sorts of hilarious problems along the way . Meanwhile Herbie with the number 53 intervenes in the biggest race cars from Paris to Monte Carlo 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 ordinary Disney slapdash film displays great loads of amusement , fun , giggles , race cars and is pretty entertaining . It's an enjoyable movie for kids and for those who enjoy cars racing round and round and bounds and leaps by Herbie . The actors seem to enjoy immensely , as Dean Jones and Don Knotts play of sympathetic manner and the mean-spirited villains performed by Ron Kinnear , Bernard Fox and Jacques Marin are top notch . Brief appearance as sympathetic waiter by Gerard Jugnot subsequently prestigious player in the successful ¨The choir boys ¨. Colorful cinematography by Leonard South and jolly soundtrack by Frank De Vol including the lively leitmotif , usual in the Herbie's series. This is a delightful film , the original film turns out to be : ¨The love bug¨ (1969) by Robert Stevenson with Dean Jones, Michele Lee and Buddy Hackett , 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¨ and ¨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 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 " Herbie goes to Monte Carlo¨ version is amusing and with lots of laughs but is a familiar film . The motion picture is correctly directed by Vincent McEveety . Worthwhile seeing , typical Disney slapstick ,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 .