Killing time before work. Actually, I just watched the trailer for one movie I'm semi-curious about this summer. Disney felt it was about time for another Herbie the Love Bug movie, so this June, we're going to be getting Herbie: Fully Loaded. Ehh, looks like no suprises in the trailer. The standard Heribe formula: race car driver, down on his luck, stumbles upon an old VW bug that seems to be magic. Only he seems to know that this bug is magic, so with its help, he wins the big race and turns his life around. Looks to be not so much a remake of the original, as the 25 year late next film in the franchise. The new twists:
- This time, the donw on his luck driver is a family of drivers! The patriarch is Michael Keaton, and Herbie's new driver, the one who knows Herbie is magic, is tween idol Lindsey Lohan™. (Lindsey Lohan © and ™ the Walt Disney Company)
- The slimy rival driver is Matt Dillon
- The race circuit is NASCAR
- And, thanks to advances in CGI, Herbie is more expressive than ever.
Only two things in the trailer made me giggle. One is when Dillon is trying to figure out what's up with Herbie. He opens the hood, looks at the engine, and Herbie squirts oil in his face. In frustation, he pounds Herbie on the trunk and says, "How do you that, huh?" So, Herbie pops his trunk and nails Dillon in the chin. While flat on his butt, Herbie proceeds to "growl" at Dillon. That's classic Herbie.
The second one is a joke that you know had to happen. Herbie is "checking out" one of the new VW Bugs, and obviously falling in love. Lohan notices this and says to Herbie, "Forget it. She's too young for you." Herbie is heartbroken. Yes, Herbie is still a classic bug.
Anyway, it'll be an entertaining afternoon for my neice and nephew.
Actually, I love the story of how a new Herbie movie came about. About 3 or 4 years ago, branding was the big business buzz word. That's when Disney started turning all their theme park rides into movies; because they were established brand names. While all his execs were busy pitching It's a Small World After All: The Movie, Michael Eisner said, "Why not a new Love Bug movie?" and made it a top priority.
Next Issue...Frietag
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