HERBIE GOES TO MONTE CARLO

US, 1977, 105 minutes, Colour.
Dean Jones, Don Knotts, Julie Sommars, Jacques Marin, Roy Kinnear.
Directed by Vincetn Mc Eveety.

The Love Bug, Herbie Rides Again and Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo were three great Disney successes. Disney Studios took a Volkswagen and made it magical. It was almost a person with the popular name of Herbie and could do all kinds of tricks including flying through the air. The Love bug was very popular and its sequel, Herbie Rides Again took the same formula but added some light social comment involving Helen Hayes and Keenan Wynn as an unscrupulous developer. Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo has Dean Jones once again as Herble's driver and is a playful satire on the Monte Carlo Rally. Light popular entertainment.

1. The popularity of Herbie as a character, sequels? The strength of this sequel in the series?

2. The appeal of cars? Monte Carlo, European races? The importance of the car racing, the car stunts? In this the major strength of the film? Comedy?

3. Herbie as a car and the popularity of cars? The VW compared with all the racing cars? Herbie and his reputation, the film's treatment of Herbie as a person, a sporting success, romantic? How convincing was this aspect of the fantasy?

4. The introduction of the theme of Herbie falling in love and the two cars personifying man and woman? The humorous parody of romantic behaviour? Of the principal characters?

5. The importance of the robbery, the parody of robbery genres? The ineffectiveness of the crooks and their over presence throughout the film?

6. The irony of the Chief of Police being the mastermind? The satire in the would-be efficient policeman and his ever presence at the wrong time?

7. Comment on the progress of the race, the atmosphere of the race and the French countryside, the speeding cars, the stunt work?

8. The importance of the humour, the slapstick aspects?

9. The characters of Jim, Wheelie, Denise as secondary to the events? Typical American hero, heroine and comic?

10. How enjoyable is this fantasy for children, for families? The strengths of this kind of fantasy? Fairy tales of the seventies with the modern look and sound?