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Parents' Guide to

Herbie: Fully Loaded

By Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Kids may enjoy it; most parents will snooze.

Movie G 2005 101 minutes
Herbie: Fully Loaded Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 6+

Based on 7 parent reviews

gabeshatesprofanity
gabeshatesprofanity Parent of 2, 3, 5 and 9-year-old
September 15, 2009
age 2+

Use of God's name over and over makes it inappropriate for all kids

I was astounded and offended at the recurring use of God's name in vain. It happened at LEAST 10 times and was rated G. I was horrified and should have left the theater. In our home, that is worse than any 4 letter word and I was surprised that I could not feel assured that a G rated movie would not include religious exclamations.

This title has:

Too much swearing
2 people found this helpful.
pizza31
pizza31 Adult
May 2, 2010
age 5+
The person who named their review "Air Pollution" doesn't make any sense at all. What the heck are you talking about? Anyways, this movie's kind of fun and it's okay for five year old. I know, they say oh my God over and over, even though it' rated G.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
1 person found this helpful.
See all 7 parent reviews

What's the Story?

HERBIE: FULLY LOADED begins as Maggie Peyton (Lindsay Lohan) graduates from college and plans to leave for a new a job at ESPN. This future pleases her NASCAR star father, Ray (Michael Keaton), but she really wants to race. But Dad refuses to let her drive because years ago she totaled a street racing car. Maggie's graduation present changes all this: Herbie, a 1963 Beetle she and Dad find in a junkyard, has "personality" and what seems a singular will to race. With Maggie at the wheel but not exactly steering, Herbie wangles his way into a street race with egotistical NASCAR superstar Trip (Matt Dillon), which she wins. Trip sets up a rematch, for which Maggie and her mechanic Kevin (Justin Long) rebuild Herbie. Their prep means she has to lie to Ray. Trip's eventual efforts to undermine Herbie lead to the very depressed and abandoned Bug's engagement in a demolition derby where he's smashed up by a monster truck before Maggie shows up to inspire him.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (7 ):
Kids say (9 ):

Kids may get a kick out of the lovable car revived, but adults will find the trendy NASCAR connection slow going, and the story clunky and mostly unfunny. While the movie is focused on Herbie and Maggie's "relationship" (they learn to have faith in each other, though thankfully, each has a romantic partner -- Maggie likes Kevin and Herbie a yellow bug), it also illustrates the business of NASCAR. That is, it shows how teams need sponsors and features actual logos prominently (Cheetos, Home Depot, Tropicana).

The crossover marketing goes so far as to include a kind of human product placement: Herbie: Fully Loaded features brief appearances by real-life drivers like Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Maggie's repeated lies to her father concerning her racing. How could she have achieved her goals without lying? How might her father have been less rigid about rejecting her desire to race? How is his resistance based on the idea that her brother can race, but a girl should not? Families might also talk about the cheating by the champion driver and his punishment (he's designated "crazy" and carted off in an ambulance, even though his belief that the car is "out to get him" is technically correct).

Movie Details

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