Movie Type: Family-Oriented Comedy, Screwball Comedy
Themes: Car Racing, Down on Their Luck
Main Cast: Bruce Campbell, John Hannah, Alexandra Wentworth, Kevin J. O'Connor, Dana Gould
Release Year: 1997
Country: US
Run Time: 120 minutes
Plot
This 1997 remake of the '60s successful, sequel-spawning The Love Bug (the highest grossing film in the U.S. in 1969) includes a cameo by Dean Jones, star of the original Love Bug. Herbie, a 1963 VW Bug with personality, is saved from destruction by former race-car driver Hank Cooper (Bruce Campbell), who sees the car has special talents. Conceited Scotsman Simon Moore III (John Hannah) creates an evil vehicle named Horace the Hate Bug and sends it after Hank and his girlfriend, auto journalist Alex (Alexandra Wentworth). Clarence Williams III is seen as an eccentric garage owner, and Monkee Mickey Dolenz appears as a racing promoter. The remake first aired November 30, 1997 as part of ABC's Wonderful World of Disney series. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
Allison Jones - Casting, Peyton Reed - Director, Chip Masamitsu - Editor, Les Mayfield - Executive Producer, George Zaloom - Executive Producer, Russ T. Alsobrook - Cinematographer, Joan Van Horn - Producer, Gary P. D'Amico - Special Effects, David Barr Yaffe - Sound/Sound Designer, Ryan Rowe - Screenwriter
The Love Bug is made-for-television film starring Bruce Campbell and a sequel to the original The Love Bug film. The sequel included a Dean Jones cameo, tying it to the previous films. Also, this movie introduced an evil black Volkswagen named Horace, "the Hate Bug", giving the film a much darker tone then the other "Herbie" films.
The film can be seen as a remake of the original, since the events of the original are repeated closely, as well as a sequel, since it is made clear that this film happens after Herbie Goes Bananas. It can also be thought of as a prototype or "first attempt" of Herbie: Fully Loaded, since the plot of that film is similar to this film's story, such as a modern racer finding Herbie in a junkyard and restoring him, as well being considered a non-canonical addition to the franchise.
This 1997 Love Bug film marks the first new appearance of Herbie in more than 15 years, following the Bug's lone TV series, which had ended after five episodes.
Trivia
The font and placement of the number 53 on Herbie is completely different from all previous incarnations.
The name "Hank Cooper" had already been used in the Disney film Gus as the name of the owner of the fictional football team the "California Atoms". Don Knotts starred in the film and co-starred with Dean Jones in the film Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo.
Unlike all other Herbie movies, The Love Bug is not available on DVD. It was only released on video in Region 1.
Near the end of the final race, Herbie is split in half by a laser installed in Horace. This is similar to the ending of the big race in The Love Bug, where Herbie had fallen apart into a "front" and "back" half. In this movie, Herbie is split into a "left" and "right" half. True to the end of The Love Bug, Herbie takes "first and third place".
The showdown between Horace and Herbie is somewhat similar to discussions by fans of a possible showdown between Herbie and Christine, an evil car created by Stephen King. Both cars have often been likened as polar opposites.
Jim Douglas insists that all of Herbie's original parts must be fixed and used, instead of replacing them with vintage parts from ordinary VW Bugs. Not to do so would cause Herbie to lose his "vital essence." Yet, in Herbie: Fully Loaded Herbie is rebuilt into both a street racer and later a NASCAR racer, with new parts, but with no loss of his personality. It could be considered that this film is not canon, and does not play a part in The Love Bug/Herbie franchise.
This is another film to have a Herbie villain, which is Horace the Hate Bug, but he later dies at the end when he drives off the cliff and explodes, probably refering to the tanker truck being beaten and driving off the cliff at the end of the 1971 film, Duel.
This remake has since been seen in recent years on cable networks, most notably, Hallmark Channel (which usually shows both the original and remake back-to-back), and the Disney Channel.
