Lindsay Lohan Is Wonderful!
A sweet and funny family comedy with a sentient car!
Director Angela Robinson’s coming of age racing comedy Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005) is such a blast to revisit. Robinson allows her lead to feel like a regular teenage girl with aspirations to race cars, while conflicted about not disappointing her dad. Herbie: Fully Loaded has aged well and remains a delightful family comedy. Tender romance, exhilarating races, funny jokes, charming car gags, and earnest acting across the board all help Herbie feel fun and sincere. Herbie: Fully Loaded has a fun campy tone for the comedy with heartfelt dramatic acting for a nicely balanced feeling.
Robinson’s direction is really playful as Herbie feels like a real character here without any dialogue. The practical effects of Herbie’s car headlights acting like eyes and the fender being his mouth is cute and still looks realistic. I found visual effects artists Mat Beck, Valerie Delahaye, Scott Wirtz, and Sara Lee did a phenomenal job making you believe Herbie can do all these crazy car stunts. The stunt drivers are impressive too. The races are actually adrenaline pumping like you’re suddenly watching Le Mans or Ford v. Ferrari.
Writers Thomas Lennon, Miles Millar, Alfred Gough, Mark Perez, and Ben Garant find the heart of Herbie desiring to be a race car again with Lindsay Lohan’s Maggie yearning to be a race car driver. You get put into the perspective of a small town girl trying to impress all these car enthusiasts as well as her stern father. Herbie is so funny, but it is the careful character development that makes it really hold up as something more earnest and inspiring.
Lindsay Lohan is very charming and gorgeous as Maggie Peyton. She’s naturally funny, beautiful, surprised, determined, and romantic. Lindsay Lohan was a fantastic actress with her warm personality and sincere acting. She’s mostly acting opposite a car! Michael Keaton is quite touching as her father Ray Peyton Sr. He is nurturing and cautious as her overly concerned father, who is also mourning his wife and trying to help his son’s racing career. Breckin Meyer is great as Lohan’s brother Ray Peyton Jr. as he’s clearly over his head as a racer, but ultimately supportive of his sister’s racing potential.
Matt Dillon is perfectly cast as the mean villain Trip Murphy with his arrogant attitude and incredulous faces. Justin Long is likable as Lohan’s quirky mechanic love interest Kevin with his awkward charm. Cheryl Hines is kind and perceptive as the Peyton family sponsor and a clear love interest for Keaton. Jimmi Simpson’s eager sycophant toadie for Trip named Crash is pretty fun. Thomas Lennon’s concerned, appeasing brother to Trip named Larry Murphy is funny. Scoot McNairy cameos as Maggie’s pit stop crew member Augie.
Wendy Greene Bricmont’s sharp editing makes the races burst to life and the drama scenes feel genuine. Herbie does not even feel half of its 100 minute run-time. Greg Gardiner’s creative cinematography is fun as you suddenly get Herbie’s headlight perspective or all angles on the races. The reaction shots from Herbie are the highlight really.
Composer Mark Mothersbaugh’s playful score is upbeat and fits Herbie: Fully Loaded’s lighthearted atmosphere. The soundtrack is stuffed with killer 1980’s pop and rock tracks you’ll recognize immediately for a constant energy. Sound designers Scott Martin, Gershin Christopher Assells, and Brad Haehnel rev engines and squeak mirrors with a pleasant silly sense of noises. Costume designers Mark Peterson, Frank Helmer, and Toby Bronson gave Lindsay Lohan really cute outfits with that mid 2000’s casual style and racing uniforms on everyone else. Kimberly Greene and Joann Kozloff’s bright blush make-up really brings out Lindsay’s cute freckles, bright smile, and radiant eyes.
In all, Herbie: Fully Loaded is simply a hilarious comedy and wonderful family movie.
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