This little charmer from Disney is in effect a live action cartoon. It was the first film to feature the character Herbie, who of course is none other than the lovable Volkswagen Beetle car who has a mind of its own. The story boils down to Herbie finding himself between two race drivers, one who is a mediocre driver but with a heart of gold, while the other is far more talented but is an utter cad. Unsurprisingly Herbie chooses to be with the former, creating all manner of tensions when the latter tries all manner of underhand tactics to either get the car back or to sabotage it. The film climaxes in a memorable race scene.
Set in and around picturesque San Francisco locations and boasting a nice lush soundtrack, The Love Bug is a fun, good natured romp. It has an amusing performance from David Tomlinson as the baddie, in a role where he chews the scenery at every given opportunity, by the final race he is very much like a live action Dick Dastardly! The other human performer whom I liked was Michele Lee, who plays a character caught between both drivers; she is really lovely here and a radiant presence throughout. But at the end of the day, The Love Bug ultimately belongs to Herbie. He may be a pile of metal but it's easy to go along with the film and believe in him. The final race is a fitting end to things where Herbie and the gang give it that little bit extra and get us over the line with a smile. On the whole, very likable stuff.
Set in and around picturesque San Francisco locations and boasting a nice lush soundtrack, The Love Bug is a fun, good natured romp. It has an amusing performance from David Tomlinson as the baddie, in a role where he chews the scenery at every given opportunity, by the final race he is very much like a live action Dick Dastardly! The other human performer whom I liked was Michele Lee, who plays a character caught between both drivers; she is really lovely here and a radiant presence throughout. But at the end of the day, The Love Bug ultimately belongs to Herbie. He may be a pile of metal but it's easy to go along with the film and believe in him. The final race is a fitting end to things where Herbie and the gang give it that little bit extra and get us over the line with a smile. On the whole, very likable stuff.