Dean Jones plays race driver Jim Douglas who just wants to race. Jones visits a car agency run by the super snooty Peter Thorndyke (David Tomlinson) and first meets Carole Bennett (Michele Lee), but soon after meets a Volkswagen Beetle. He ends up owning it, but quickly finds its got a mind of its own. Buddy Hackett plays his total goofball buddy Tennessee Steinmetz who ends up naming the car Herbie. Jones and Thorndyke become racing rivals until the final showdown at a race called the El Dorado. The final race is funny and cartoon-like, which is perfect for Disney (or what they were back in the late 60s anyways).
I remember as a kid I LOVED the Herbie movies and after revisiting the original I think the kids should really enjoy it. There are also are enough adult things going on that the parents might enjoy it, too. One thing though is at times the film is very 1969 and that may work well or hamper the film depending on how you view the film. There are also some very nice locations shots putting you in San Francisco in the late 60s, but there is a lot of green screening at work though which may take you out of the action of the scene.
In the end you have a family film that is really just plain ol' fun. Was a box office smash and lead to five sequels and a short lived TV series.
I remember as a kid I LOVED the Herbie movies and after revisiting the original I think the kids should really enjoy it. There are also are enough adult things going on that the parents might enjoy it, too. One thing though is at times the film is very 1969 and that may work well or hamper the film depending on how you view the film. There are also some very nice locations shots putting you in San Francisco in the late 60s, but there is a lot of green screening at work though which may take you out of the action of the scene.
In the end you have a family film that is really just plain ol' fun. Was a box office smash and lead to five sequels and a short lived TV series.