Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Vincent McEveety

Writers:

Gordon Buford (characters)
Arthur Alsberg (written by) ...

Release Date:

24 June 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Romance | Action | Family

Tagline:

The Love Bug falls 'hood-over-wheels' for a classy chassis!

Plot:

Herbie, the Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own, is racing in the Monte Carlo Rally. Unbeknownst to Herbie's driver...

Plot Keywords:

Diamond | Volkswagen | Monte Carlo | Volkswagen Beetle | Robbery

Cast

Dean Jones	...	Jim Douglas
Don Knotts	...	Wheely Applegate
Julie Sommars	...	Diane Darcy
Jacques Marin	...	Inspector Bouchet
Roy Kinnear	...	Quincey
Bernard Fox	...	Max
Eric Braeden	...	Bruno Von Stickle
Xavier Saint-Macary	...	Detective Fontenoy (as Xavier Saint Macary)
François Lalande	...	Monsieur Ribeaux
Alan Caillou	...	Emile (Chief Inspector of France)
Laurie Main	...	Duval (diamond guard)
Mike Kulcsar	...	Claude
Johnny Haymer	...	Race official
Stanley Brock	...	Taxi driver
Gérard Jugnot	...	Waiter

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone Sound Recording)

Certification:

Australia:G | Iceland:L | Argentina:Atp | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:G | Spain:T | UK:U | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Laguna Seca Raceway - 1021 Monterey Salinas Highway, Monterey, California, USA

Company:

Walt Disney Productions

Trivia:

The gas cap used in the film was fake. As every Herbie fan knows, Herbie's gas tank is under the hood, (as revealed plenty of times in the original movie). The fake gas tank was added so that the gem thieves could easily stash the diamond inside Herbie, without looking conspicuous. The tank was removed in the remaining sequels.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Herbie is racing backwards up the mountain from the jewel thieves, the car starts out covered with debris from the avalanche; when it reaches the top of the mountain, the car is clean once again.

Quotes:

Wheely Applegate: [sees their opponent Bruno Von Stickle whiz by them, and he says a line that Jim said earlier, that goes with the problem] Well, you can believe this: We are now out of the money, because 'sometimes a comeback comes second.'
Jim Douglas: Who's giving up, buddy? Not Me!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Final Justice (#11.8)" (1999)

Fun is what it is all about

'Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo' is a fun movie, and that is all it is meant to be. Some have said that it is not nearly as good as 'The Love Bug,' but let's face it: none of the Herbie films are about great brilliance. They are all about having fun and getting a laugh. The kids and I really enjoyed it.

It is great to see Dean Jones again, and he plays Jim Douglas as someone who knows, understands, and even loves Herbie. My only criticism of this film is that it lacks Buddy Hackett. Still, Don Knotts is a wonderful replacement.

On a four-star rating system, I give this one ***. Come to think of it, that is about what I would rate 'The Love Bug.'

The DVD of 'Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo' does not feature any extras, but there are plenty on the 'Love Bug' set, certainly enough to cover both films. Funny stuff, and loads of fun!