Herbie: Fully Loaded

Herbie: Fully Loaded is a 2005 American comedy film directed by Angela Robinson and produced by Robert Simonds for Walt Disney Pictures. It stars Lindsay Lohan as the youngest member of an automobile-racing family, Michael Keaton as her father, Matt Dillon as a competing racer, Breckin Meyer as her brother, and Justin Long as friend and mechanic. The film features cameos by many NASCAR drivers, including Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin. It is the first theatrical Herbie film since Herbie Goes Bananas in 1980.

Plot

The story focuses on Herbie, a Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of his own, and Maggie Peyton (Lohan), the youngest member of the Peyton racing clan. Herbie is towed to a junkyard after losing several races, and Maggie's father, Ray Peyton Sr. (Keaton), takes Maggie to the junkyard to buy her a car as a college graduation present. After Maggie selects Herbie, Herbie takes her against her will to the garage where her friend Kevin (Long) works as a mechanic. Kevin persuades Maggie to take Herbie to a car show to buy parts for Herbie, but when they arrive, Herbie tricks Maggie into disguising herself in a racing suit and helmet and challenging NASCAR champion Trip Murphy (Dillon) to an impromptu race, which Herbie wins by a hair.

This delights Kevin, who tries to talk Maggie into racing again, but worries Ray Sr., who has forbidden her from racing since she was hospitalized after a street-racing accident years ago. It also infuriates Murphy, who becomes obsessed with Herbie and his mysterious driver. Murphy organizes a local street-racing competition to lure Herbie back for a rematch, which Maggie and Kevin enter. Herbie easily defeats the other cars and qualifies for the final match with Murphy, but when Murphy talks Maggie into racing for pink slips, Herbie becomes jealous over Maggie's desire to win Murphy's stock car and intentionally loses the race. Maggie is publicly embarrassed, Herbie is towed away, and Ray Sr. scolds Maggie for racing without his permission.

However, encouraged by her friend Charisma, Maggie decides to race professionally. She tries to buy Herbie back from Murphy, but Murphy has entered Herbie in a demolition derby. Desperate to save Herbie from destruction, Maggie goes to the derby, runs onto the field while the derby is in progress, pleads with Herbie to help her, and wins the derby.

Meanwhile, the Peyton racing team may have to forfeit an upcoming stock-car race due to financial troubles and two crashes by the team's driver, Ray Peyton Jr. (Meyer). Ray Sr. refuses to let Maggie drive for the team, but Ray Jr. decides on his own that she will take his place and sends the Team Peyton crew to help her and Kevin prepare Herbie for the race. At the race track, Maggie and Herbie have a heart-to-heart conversation, and Murphy ominously warns Maggie that the race will be dangerous.

Herbie starts the race slowly, but he eventually catches up and begins passing the other cars before Maggie makes her first pit stop. Meanwhile, Ray Sr., who has been watching the race at home, decides to join the crowd in person. On the track again, Herbie is soon boxed in by some other cars, but Ray Sr. arrives at the track and encourages Maggie over the team radio, and Maggie escapes the trap by driving directly over the car in front of her. This damages Herbie's oil system, so Maggie makes another pit stop and Kevin hurriedly extracts a replacement part from the yellow New Beetle, which Herbie has been eyeing amorously throughout the film, owned by Sally, one of Team Peyton's few remaining sponsors. The jury-rigged oil system is fragile, and Murphy is intent on preventing Herbie from winning.

With Maggie, Herbie, and Ray Sr. now working together, Maggie and Herbie catch up to Murphy. Murphy tries to damage Herbie by pushing him into the track wall when Maggie tries to pass him, but he is caught off guard and crashes into the wall when she slams on the brakes during his next attempt. Herbie passes Murphy's car, now upside down on the track, by climbing onto the fence above the wall. After landing back on the track, Maggie and Herbie win the race. Maggie is congratulated by her father and brother, and Murphy is driven away in an ambulance, raging furiously about Herbie, as Maggie and Kevin kiss. The film ends with a photograph of Herbie's victory and a scene in which Ray Sr. warns Herbie and Sally's New Beetle not to stay out too long on their date. In the end, Maggie continues to race with Herbie in NASCAR.

Cast

• Lindsay Lohan as Maggie Peyton/Max Simpson, a young auto racer who's love interest is Kevin
• Michael Keaton as Ray Peyton, Sr., Maggie's father
• Matt Dillon as Trip Murphy, driver of the Cheetos #82 Chevrolet NASCAR
• Justin Long as Kevin, a mechanic who likes Maggie and who is Maggie's love interest
• Breckin Meyer as Ray Peyton, Jr., Maggie's brother
• Cheryl Hines as Sally, one of Team Peyton's few remaining sponsors
• Jimmi Simpson as Crash, Trip Murphy's slow-witted sidekick
• Jill Ritchie as Charisma, Maggie's friend from college

Many racing professionals appear as themselves in cameo roles. These include announcers Allen Bestwick and Benny Parsons, ESPN broadcaster Stuart Scott, and drivers Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Jarrett, and Tony Stewart.

Reception

Critical response

The movie was met with mixed reviews. Currently it has a 42% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes.

Box office

In its opening weekend, the film grossed $12,709,221 million in 3,521 theaters in the United States and Canada, ranking #4 at the box office. By the end of its run, Herbie: Fully Loaded grossed $66,023,816 domestically and $78,123,000 internationally, totaling $144,146,816 worldwide.^[1]

Awards

At the 2005 Kids' Choice Awards, Lindsay Lohan won Favorite Female Actress for her role, and the film was also nominated for Favorite Movie, but lost to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Marketing

The movie was reported to include heavy uses of product placements. For example, Maggie Peyton was a ESPN (owned by Disney) journalist turned NASCAR driver. A huge billboard for Mid America Motorworks (an aftermarket parts supplier for classic Volkswagens and other vehicles) is seen in the background of the scene where Murphy attempts to sabotage Herbie. In addition, Volkswagen provided a Volkswagen Touareg and a Volkswagen New Beetle for use in certain scenes.^[2]

Soundtrack

References

External links

• Official site
• Herbie: Fully Loaded at the Internet Movie Database
• Herbie: Fully Loaded at Rotten Tomatoes
• Herbie: Fully Loaded at Box Office Mojo