The Love Bug (1997 film)
Encyclopedia
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 (and Herbie's part-time nemesis) named Horace, "the Hate Bug", giving the film a much darker tone than the other "Herbie" films.
The film is a part remake
/part sequel, since the events of the original 1969 film are repeated closely, as well as storyline plots that follow 1980's 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.
This 1997 Love Bug film marks the first new appearance of Herbie in more than 15 years, following the Bug's lone TV series Herbie the Matchmaker
, which had ended after five episodes.
. The narration ends saying Herbie is now owned by a snooty Scotsman named Simon Moore III (John Hannah
), who abuses and insults Herbie in every way possible. It shows him driving Herbie in a race, and Herbie comes last, not wanting to obey Simon. Furious, Simon demands that Rupert, his assistant (Dana Gould
) sends Herbie to the junkyard.
Meanwhile, Hank Cooper (Bruce Campbell
), a mechanic in a small garage, is told to enter a big fix-off race. His friend Roddy persuades him to pick Herbie for the race. The judges are Donny Shotz (Micky Dolenz
), a car buff, Alex (Alexandra Wentworth
), an old flame of Hank's, and Simon. When the race begins, Herbie refuses to move, but then, he does one of his famous wheelies, and wins the race. After the race, Alex questions Hank about how he did it, and he gives her a ride. However, Herbie takes control, and drives them to an isolated road ending on a cliff (à la Seabreeze Point) complete with a sign saying "Danger, Road Out".
Meanwhile, Simon finds the engineer who created Herbie: Dr. Gustav Stumpful (Harold Gould
). He asks the doctor to make a new version of Herbie, however, when it is made, it turns out to be an evil, black version of Herbie, whom Simon names Horace.
Hank asks Donny Shotz if he can be one of his drivers, but Shotz blows him off, saying he just needs a joke car to entertain the snackbars. Furious, Hank blames Herbie and walks off, but Herbie tries to find Hank. However, whilst doing so, Herbie is cornered by Horace and Rupert in an alley, and is destroyed by Horace. Hank eventually finds Herbie, and believing Herbie to be no more, gives him a funeral. However, Dr Stumpful and Jim Douglas, Herbie's former owner, arrive at the funeral, and Jim tells them Herbie can be fixed, but only with his original parts.
With Hank working tirelessly through the night, Herbie is restored, and, to everyone's relief, still alive. But Simon arrives at the car shop, proposing a race showdown between Herbie and Horace.
During the race, Herbie is cut in two by a laser beam from inside Horace (similarly to the original Love Bug), but still wins. Hank and Alex get back together and Herbie is eventually put together again. Horace tries once more to finish off Herbie, but only ends up crashing into a gorge and destroying himself. Simon and Rupert are then arrested by the state Police and taken away.
The film ends with Herbie taking Hank and Alex on a date at an unknown place, similar to the ending of the first film.
format throughout the United States. This movie has since been seen in recent years on cable networks, most notably, Hallmark Channel
(which usually airs both the 1969 original and 1997 remake back-to-back), and the Disney Channel
.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
film starring Bruce Campbell
Bruce Campbell
Bruce Lorne Campbell is an American film and television actor. As a cult movie actor, Campbell starred as Ashley J. "Ash" Williams in Sam Raimi's Evil Dead series of films and he has starred in many low-budget cult films such as Crimewave, Maniac Cop, Bubba Ho-tep, Escape From L.A. and Sundown:...
and a sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to the original The Love Bug
The Love Bug
The Love Bug is the first in a series of comedy films made by Walt Disney Productions that starred an anthropomorphic pearl-white, fabric-sunroofed 1963 Volkswagen racing Beetle named Herbie...
film. The sequel included a Dean Jones
Dean Jones (actor)
Dean Carroll Jones is an American actor. Jones is best known for his light-hearted leading roles in several Walt Disney movies between 1965 and 1977, most notably The Love Bug.-Early years:...
cameo, tying it to the previous films. Also, this movie introduced an evil black Volkswagen (and Herbie's part-time nemesis) named Horace, "the Hate Bug", giving the film a much darker tone than the other "Herbie" films.
The film is a part remake
Remake
A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
/part sequel, since the events of the original 1969 film are repeated closely, as well as storyline plots that follow 1980's Herbie Goes Bananas
Herbie Goes Bananas
Herbie Goes Bananas is the fourth of a series of films made by Walt Disney Productions starring Herbie – the white Volkswagen racing Beetle with a mind of its own. The film stars former Mel Brooks collaborators Cloris Leachman and Harvey Korman....
. It can also be thought of as a prototype or "first attempt" of Herbie: Fully Loaded
Herbie: Fully Loaded
Herbie: Fully Loaded is a 2005 American comedy film directed by Angela Robinson and produced by Robert Simonds for Walt Disney Pictures. It stars Lindsay Lohan as the youngest member of an automobile-racing family, Michael Keaton as her father, Matt Dillon as a competing racer, Breckin Meyer as...
, 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.
This 1997 Love Bug film marks the first new appearance of Herbie in more than 15 years, following the Bug's lone TV series Herbie the Matchmaker
Herbie the Matchmaker
Herbie the Matchmaker, also known as Herbie, The Love Bug, was a short-lived situation comedy that aired on CBS in the spring of 1982. The series was based on Walt Disney Productions' popular Herbie film series, about a Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own...
, which had ended after five episodes.
Synopsis
The film opens with narration from Jim Douglas whilst showing some "memory" clips from the first filmThe Love Bug
The Love Bug is the first in a series of comedy films made by Walt Disney Productions that starred an anthropomorphic pearl-white, fabric-sunroofed 1963 Volkswagen racing Beetle named Herbie...
. The narration ends saying Herbie is now owned by a snooty Scotsman named Simon Moore III (John Hannah
John Hannah (actor)
John David Hannah is a Scottish actor of film and television. He has appeared in Stephen Sommers' Mummy Series, Richard Curtis' Four Weddings and a Funeral and Sliding Doors with Gwyneth Paltrow...
), who abuses and insults Herbie in every way possible. It shows him driving Herbie in a race, and Herbie comes last, not wanting to obey Simon. Furious, Simon demands that Rupert, his assistant (Dana Gould
Dana Gould
Dana John Gould is an American comedian and comedy writer born and raised in Hopedale, Massachusetts. His upbringing and his extended family lent themselves to his stand-up routine, which has been seen on HBO, Showtime, and Comedy Central, among other places.-Career:After high school, he studied...
) sends Herbie to the junkyard.
Meanwhile, Hank Cooper (Bruce Campbell
Bruce Campbell
Bruce Lorne Campbell is an American film and television actor. As a cult movie actor, Campbell starred as Ashley J. "Ash" Williams in Sam Raimi's Evil Dead series of films and he has starred in many low-budget cult films such as Crimewave, Maniac Cop, Bubba Ho-tep, Escape From L.A. and Sundown:...
), a mechanic in a small garage, is told to enter a big fix-off race. His friend Roddy persuades him to pick Herbie for the race. The judges are Donny Shotz (Micky Dolenz
Micky Dolenz
George Michael "Micky" Dolenz, Jr. is an American actor, musician, television director, radio personality and theater director, best known as a member of the 1960s made-for-television band The Monkees.-Biography:...
), a car buff, Alex (Alexandra Wentworth
Alexandra Wentworth
Alexandra Wentworth is an American comedienne, actress and author who starred in Head Case on Starz.-Early life:...
), an old flame of Hank's, and Simon. When the race begins, Herbie refuses to move, but then, he does one of his famous wheelies, and wins the race. After the race, Alex questions Hank about how he did it, and he gives her a ride. However, Herbie takes control, and drives them to an isolated road ending on a cliff (à la Seabreeze Point) complete with a sign saying "Danger, Road Out".
Meanwhile, Simon finds the engineer who created Herbie: Dr. Gustav Stumpful (Harold Gould
Harold Gould
Harold V. Goldstein , best known by his stage name Harold Gould, was an American actor best known for playing Martin Morgenstern in the 1970s sitcoms Rhoda and The Mary Tyler Moore Show and as Miles Webber in The Golden Girls...
). He asks the doctor to make a new version of Herbie, however, when it is made, it turns out to be an evil, black version of Herbie, whom Simon names Horace.
Hank asks Donny Shotz if he can be one of his drivers, but Shotz blows him off, saying he just needs a joke car to entertain the snackbars. Furious, Hank blames Herbie and walks off, but Herbie tries to find Hank. However, whilst doing so, Herbie is cornered by Horace and Rupert in an alley, and is destroyed by Horace. Hank eventually finds Herbie, and believing Herbie to be no more, gives him a funeral. However, Dr Stumpful and Jim Douglas, Herbie's former owner, arrive at the funeral, and Jim tells them Herbie can be fixed, but only with his original parts.
With Hank working tirelessly through the night, Herbie is restored, and, to everyone's relief, still alive. But Simon arrives at the car shop, proposing a race showdown between Herbie and Horace.
During the race, Herbie is cut in two by a laser beam from inside Horace (similarly to the original Love Bug), but still wins. Hank and Alex get back together and Herbie is eventually put together again. Horace tries once more to finish off Herbie, but only ends up crashing into a gorge and destroying himself. Simon and Rupert are then arrested by the state Police and taken away.
The film ends with Herbie taking Hank and Alex on a date at an unknown place, similar to the ending of the first film.
Release
This 1997 incarnation of The Love Bug is the only film in Herbie franchise not available on DVD. As of 2010, it is only available in VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
format throughout the United States. This movie has since been seen in recent years on cable networks, most notably, Hallmark Channel
Hallmark Channel
The Hallmark Channel is a cable television network that broadcasts across the United States. Their programming includes a mix of television movies/miniseries, syndicated series, and lifestyle shows that are appropriate for the whole family...
(which usually airs both the 1969 original and 1997 remake back-to-back), and the Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
.