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After 30 odd years in the junkyard, everybody's favourite VW returned to the racetrack in Herbie: Fully Loaded. With D.E.B.S. director Angela Robinson and It girl Lindsay Lohan doing the driving, this traditional adventure took on a "feisty charm," which was designed to appeal to a new generation of moviegoers. Still it didn't do quite as well as expected, taking around $65m against a $50m budget.
The Car's The Star
"You feel for the car as if it's a real person," says Lohan in Bringing Herbie To Life. Indeed, just like a real actor, Herbie had to convey a wide range of emotions and what's surprising is how little this process owed to CGI. Visual effects bods proudly showcase a radio-controlled VW tricked out with headlights that literally blink and an engine that steams with fury. In fact it could do everything except, um, drive...
We're assured that Herbie did all his own stunts in Breaking The Rules, but there were many cars with different functionalities who played the cheeky Beetle. Again much of the action was shot live and merely embellished with computer effects. For instance, that impressive rail slide in the street-racing sequence was achieved using four specially constructed cars mounted on an elevated track. "It's sort of like an acrobatic Volkswagen," marvels co-star Matt Dillon.
A Day At The Races records the efforts of the human actors as they try to come to grips with high-speed racing. "I went to NASCAR for two days," reveals Lohan, "and I learnt to drive a stick shift." Although we give points to Lohan for getting a handle on the gear stick, Herbie's trickier manoeuvres were left to stunt driver Deborah Evans. In fact her life story reads like the script of Fully Loaded, having weathered her father's disproval to become one of the country's top racers.
A Vintage Model
Robinson provides optional commentary for seven deleted scenes where she highlights the importance of Lohan's character in anchoring the movie. "Basically we tried to wheedle out scenes that she wasn't in," explains the director. Breckin Meyer was among the casualties (as Lohan's brother) who incurs the wrath of dad (Michael Keaton) in one deleted scene due to his passion for playing drums. Elsewhere you'll find the original title sequence, which takes the form of a kitsch "60s-style" cartoon.
In her feature commentary, Robinson notes, "It was important to hit the 60s nostalgia that the parents would feel for Herbie, but also to introduce it to a new MTV audience." Although there are occasional nods to the bigger Herbie mythology, Robinson focuses on the nuts-and-bolts of production. That's fine, but with this DVD being aimed mostly at a younger audience, it's a shame that Lohan doesn't chip in for the commentary. Instead she shows off/inflicts her singing voice in the music video First.
Finally a blooper reel confirms the light-hearted atmosphere on set - although you don't see much of Michael Keaton hanging out with the kids. Overall this batch of extra offers a fair amount of behind-the-scenes info but it's strangely lacking in fun for the tweens. Still, those who enjoyed the movie will find this DVD worthy of a quick spin.
EXTRA FEATURES
