Watch The Love Bug For Free

Really Surprised!

Fantastic!

A Brilliant Conflict

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Jim Douglas (Dean Jones) is a struggling race car driver. He and his mechanic friend Tennessee Steinmetz (Buddy Hackett) work out of a former fire house in San Francisco. Carole (Michele Lee) works for car dealer Thorndyke. The strange little Volkswagon Beetle takes a liking to Jim and follows him home. He's forced to buy it when Thorndyke threatens to have him arrested. The car has a mind of its own and Jim starts winning with it. Thorndyke wants the car back.Jim could be nicer especially to Carole and Tennessee in the first half. Once he finally recognizes Herbie, the team is pulled together. It becomes more fun like the big car race. It's a classic Disney live-action joyride.

The Love Bug (1968): Dir: Robert Stevenson / Cast: Dean Jones, Michele Lee, Buddy Hackett, David Tomlinson, Joe Flynn: Family film that crosses the line in terms of improbable silliness with charm. Title symbolizes our materialistic nature yet it is Volkswagen, Herbie that cherishes its driver. It comes into possession of a struggling race driver when it follows him home from a dealership where it was under threat with dismantlement. Ridiculous plot has too much idiocy that is never explained. It is never clear why Herbie has these abilities and our request to merely accept it is lazy on part of the screenwriter. Director Robert Stevenson is a veteran of Disney having made the wonderfully creative family film Mary Poppins and the pathetically overrated family crap Old Yeller. Dean Jones delivers correct bewilderment but doesn't exactly seek answers as to why his car acts more like a pet. It is obvious that he will win the race because of Herbie, and we are treated to a lame tree climbing joke that should have been scrapped the moment it was thought of. Michele Lee plays a potential love interest and that is about the height of her involvement. Buddy Hackett is the sidekick mechanic with all the personality of a can of motor oil. David Tomlinson and Joe Flynn are hilarious as over the top villains. It showcases one's love for automobiles in a whole new way. It also showcases one's desire for foolishness. Score: 5 ½ / 10

Now I do remember Herbie being in the old promos of Disney Channel as a kid but never remember seeing his movies. Now to start with I'm thinking that Cinderella's fairy godmother or the three good fairy's made Herbie come to life. lol. I also like the paint job on him especially the patriotic look. This movie is also from 1969 the year Woodstock was around and the Beatles released their album Abby Road which is my favorite album from them. Now Herbie is a funny and an amazing little Volkswagen vehicle that anyone can drive. I also remember seeing Herbie in the Planet Hollywood restaurant in Disney World last year. He's also at the Disney All Star Movies Hotel. So when Jim Douglas first saw the car he thought it was a fine looking car, but didn't know about it coming alive until it came to his house. Herbie also brought Jim and Carole together. Also Peter Thorndyke the main villain play by David Tomlinson who also played Mr. Banks in Mary Poppins is obsessed with having the car for his own and turning it whatever he wants it to be. So during the El Dorado race he try's to get Herbie for his own by cheating but thanks to a few tricks up Jim's, Tennessee's, Carole's and Herbies sleeves and hubcaps they managed to beat Thorndyke and win the race. Tang Wu who owned part of the car after Herbie crashing into his meat stand in Chinatown gave Jim back Herbie and Jim and Carole got married and went in Herbie on their honeymoon. As for Thorndyke and his henchman Havershaw got reduced from car salesmen to lowly mechanics. This is a good movie for all families to watch for many generations and who are really into racecar driving. The Love Bug is definitely a Disney classic.

This really is the close-to-perfect live-action Disney flick. No real false notes, nothing socially significant (up until you count up all the bucks the various Herbies have raked in), fun, breezy performances, and a 12 year old who sat there in our living room, laughing out loud, 40 years after the movie came out.Good job, Herbie! What makes The Love Bug work is its package of journeymen performances, off-the-wall special effects, and a thorough feeling of niceness oozing from the good guys, even when they fall off their respective nice wagons. TLB is sweet without being campy, childlike without childishness.It's a hard act to follow--the sequels have run the gamut from dull to downright stupid (unless you tuned into Lindsay Lohan's version to enjoy seeing her squeezed into coveralls), but the strength of The Love Bug is in watching your spouse and kid laughing without embarrassment.The Love Bug is delightful. Don't be embarrassed by enjoying it!